Kellie Pickler descended upon the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, this past week to partake in a special tribute concert for the late singer Patsy Cline, marking the country star’s first performance since losing her husband last year.
“It’s been the first time I’ve, uh, been up on stage in a while,” admitted Ms. Pickler, who joined Ashley McBryde, Rita Wilson, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Wynonna Judd, and Tigirlily Gold, among a host of other artists, to perform at the event, dubbed “Walkin' After Midnight: The Music of Patsy Cline.”
“I will say that I am incredibly honored to be a part of honoring Ms. Patsy Cline,” she continued. “She is a huge reason why I fell in love with music.”
Ms. Pickler, who found fame as a contestant on the hit television series “American Idol,” was greeted by a resounding round of applause and cheers as she prepared to sing “The Woman I Am,” a song from her fourth studio album of the same name, released in 2013.
The country singer noted that she and her late husband, songwriter and music producer Kyle Jacobs, wrote the song together more than a decade ago. A portion of the lyrics go: “Sometimes I cry at night. I fall to pieces with Patsy Cline. Man how many songs sound like that? But that’s just the woman I am.”
‘Do Nothing, Just Be Still’
Ms. Pickler and Mr. Jacobs tied the knot in 2011 after dating for more than two years. The duo went on to co-star in Country Music Television’s reality television series “I Love Kellie Pickler,” which aired for three seasons from 2015 to 2017.Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Jacobs worked with a variety of artists—most notably, he helped to write Garth Brooks’s 2007 hit single “More Than a Memory,” which became the first song to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Singles chart, per the Academy of Country Music.
The musician’s other songwriting credits include Tim McGraw’s “Still,” Eli Young Band’s “Dust,” Trace Adkins’s “I Can’t Outrun You,” George Strait’s “When the Credits Roll,” Kelly Clarkson’s “The Sun Will Rise,” and Lee Brice’s “Rumor,” among others.
On Feb. 17, 2023, Mr. Jacobs tragically took his own life at the couple’s home in Nashville. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed the 49-year-old’s passing in a statement shared with People, noting that the musician died from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
“At times, I feel lost and buried under this deep sadness. Other times, I sit and remember all the times with Kyle that bring me comfort and make me smile,” the singer-songwriter continued. “He was, without a doubt, one of the best people anyone could ever hope to have in their corner. I am eternally grateful for having him in mine.”
Six months after her husband’s death, Ms. Pickler told People in an exclusive interview that she planned on holding an intimate memorial for Mr. Jacobs that fall. “That is what Kyle would have wanted,” she shared.
“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,’” the singer told the publication. “I have chosen to heed his advice.
Remembering Patsy Cline
After signing her first recording contract in 1954, Ms. Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, soared to national prominence three years later, appearing on the televised variety show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,” per Encyclopedia Virginia. The Virginia native won the competition by singing “Walkin' After Midnight,” which would become one of her greatest hits.In 1960, Ms. Cline became a regular cast member of the Grand Ole Opry before touring with the legendary singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.
The country music icon tragically died in 1963 at the age of 30 after a plane she was traveling in crashed near Camden, Tennessee. Fellow singers Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas also passed away in the accident, per The Boot.
Ms. Cline holds the distinction of being the first solo female artist elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame following her posthumous induction in 1973.
