Kellie Pickler

Born on June 28, 1986, in Albemarle, N.C., Kellie Pickler has won the hearts of many American Idol and country music fans.

Pickler competed in season 5 of American Idol and made it to the top six which guaranteed her a spot on the American Idol tour. Her voice earned her a recording contract in Nashville at the age of 20.

She was given a spot on the 41st CMA Awards which aried on November 7, 2007. Pickler sang “I Wonder” which was a song she wrote about her mother who abandoned her as a child. She broke down in tears on-stage while performing the song and later revealed that she had just gone through a break-up and found out that her mother had showed up moments before she went on stage.

Once the young girl who couldn’t pronounce “calamari” correctly, Pickler now has grown into a singer, songwriter, performer and businesswoman.

On January 1, 2011, Pickler wed her songwriter boyfriend, Kyle Jacobs, in a private ceremony in the Caribbean. Jacobs died by apparent suicide at the age of 49 in February 2023.