Kellie Pickler recently returned to the American Idol stage, two decades after she competed on the show — and the full-circle moment stirred up mixed emotions.
Pickler, who made it to the top 6 in season 5, joined season 24 finalist (and ultimate winner) Hannah Harper on stage last week for a duet of Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing,” the very same song she performed at her 2005 audition.
“It’s so nice that each time you come back to Idol, it’s kind of like you pick up right where you left off with everyone,” Pickler told Danielle Fishel on the American Idol Official Podcast. “I hope people really believe me when I say this: it is a family here. It is an Idol family, and once you’re a part of it, it’s forever… We take care of each other.”
The North Carolina native had never even been on an airplane until she traveled to Hollywood for her audition at the age of 19.
As she went through so many first-time experiences on TV week after week, the millions of people who tuned in to watch “were just kind of growing with me,” said Pickler. “It’s wild to think, ‘wow 20 years have passed.’ A lot’s happened and I’m very blessed. I’m very blessed,” she reiterated.
While working on her second album, Kellie Pickler, the singer fell in love with songwriter Kyle Jacobs, and the two eloped on New Year’s Day in 2011.
An accomplished musician in his own right, Jacobs scored platinum certification with “Hey World,” a song he wrote for country artist Lee Brice, in February 2023. The next day, the 49-year-old took his life at the Nashville home he shared with Pickler.
“One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don’t know what to do, ‘do nothing, just be still,’” Pickler said in a statement immediately following Jacobs’ death. “I have chosen to heed his advice.”
In the years since, she has remained mostly out of the public eye and completely off social media.
Pickler’s recent appearance on American Idol is only her second performance since Jacobs’ death. In 2024, she performed “The Woman I Am,” a song she co-wrote with Jacobs, at a Patsy Cline tribute show.
Several of her season 5 finalists were also a part of the May 4 episode, including winner Taylor Hicks, Bucky Covington, Paris Bennett, and Elliott Yamin. “It was so great” to see everyone, gushed Pickler. “It was really, really lovely.”
Check out Kellie’s full interview on the American Idol Official Podcast below.
