Kellie Pickler makes emotional return to stage in 1st performance since husband’s death

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Kellie Pickler made a powerful return to the stage, one year after the death of her husband, producer/songwriter Kyle Jacobs.

On Monday, April 22, Pickler took to the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to perform alongside other stars for the Walkin’ After Midnight: The Music of Patsy Cline concert.

As soon as she took the mic, Pickler was met with a round of applause by fans.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was incredibly nervous right now,” she told the crowd right before her performance. “It’s the first time I’ve been up on stage in a while. I will say that I am incredibly honored to be a part of honoring Ms. Patsy Cline. She is a huge reason why I fell in love with music.”

Pickler explained that the song she was going to perform, “The Woman I Am,” was a tune she wrote with her husband “over a decade ago.”

While looking out into the audience, she said the last time she was in the Ryman Auditorium was with him.

“I know he is here with us tonight,” she said.

More performers who took the stage that night were Sara Evans, Ashley McBryde, Mickey Guyton, Wynonna Judd, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Wilson, Crystal Gayle, Pat Benatar, and Neil Giraldo, per Entertainment Weekly.

On Feb. 17, 2023, Jacobs was found dead at his and Pickler’s home. A spokesperson for the Davidson Country Medical Examiner confirmed to E! News that Jacobs died by suicide.

Jacobs and the “American Idol” alum tied the knot in 2011 and starred in their own reality show, “I Love Kellie Pickler,” from 2015 to 2017.

In August 2023, Picker spoke out about her husband's death in a statement to The Tennessean. There, she talked about his memorial service and said it would happen in the fall.

In the statement, Pickler said she is heeding the advice of her late husband, who taught her to “do nothing, just be still,” if you don’t know what to do.

Pickler went on to thank “family, friends, and supporters" for their messages of hope.

“It has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers,” she said.

Pickler's team did not respond to TODAY.com's request for comment.

In August 2016, the country music power couple appeared on TODAY to promote their reality TV show and said they were “blessed” to be surrounded by such strong support systems and friends.

“We have the freedom to just be us and have fun,” Pickler said at the time.

Jacobs added that it was “just about love and laughter and having fun.”

He also opened up at the time about how doing the reality show had been “tricky” for him because he wasn’t used to being on camera.

“I’m a singer, songwriter, producer back in Nashville. I’m not an on-camera guy. I’m used to being behind the scenes,” he said at the time.

Pickler and her husband collaborated on music but he also was known for working with other stars like Kelly Clarkson and Scotty McCreery.

He penned Kimberly Locke’s “8th World Wonder,” co-wrote Garth Brooks’ “More Than a Memory,” and co-wrote Tim McGraw’s “Still,” among others.

CORRECTION (April 25, 2024, at 1 a.m. ET): An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled Kellie Pickler as "Picker" in two locations. It has been updated to correctly reflect how the country artist spells as Pickler.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com