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Kellie Pickler Sings On Stage for the 1st Time After Husband’s Death: ‘He Is Here With Us’
Kellie Pickler honored her late husband, Kyle Jacobs, during her first onstage performance after his devastating death in February 2023.
“How we doin’ tonight, y’all? I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m incredibly nervous right now,” Kellie, 37, told the crowd during a tribute concert for the late Patsy Cline on Monday, April 22, via TikTok. “It’s been the first time I’ve been up on stage in a while.”
The American Idol alum was greeted with an uproar of applause from the audience when she walked on stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Kellie wore a form-fitting dimensional gown that featured a black-colored center and silver-studded sides.
Kellie took a deep breath as she revealed that she and Kyle wrote the song “Walkin’ After Midnight” together “over a decade ago,” which she performed shortly after.
“The last time I was here in the Ryman Auditorium was with him on a date night, and I know he is here with us tonight,” Kellie revealed. “Thank y’all so much for having me. I’m going to do the best I can.”
Kellie and Kyle experienced 13 beautiful years of marriage after meeting in the mid-2000s. Their time together was cut short after Kyle died on February 17, 2023, at 49 years old.
“Nashville’s Department of Emergency Communications received a 911 call at 1:21 p.m. Friday from a home on Sneed Road in the police department’s West Precinct. Officers and Nashville Fire Department personnel responded and located resident Kyle Jacobs, 49, deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in an upstairs bedroom/office,” a statement from Nashville police read at the time. “His death is being investigated as an apparent suicide. Mr. Jacobs’ wife, Kellie Pickler, reported that she awoke a short time earlier, did not see her husband, and began looking for him. After she and her personal assistant were unable to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant telephoned 911.”
On May 9, the Davidson County Medical Examiner confirmed to Life & Style that Kyle’s cause of death was suicide.
Kellie mourned the death of her love in private before breaking her silence in August.
“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,’” Kellie told People. “I have chosen to heed his advice. Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way. 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.”
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
