Keeping Up with Kellie Pickler
Some people may have dismissed Kellie Pickler as a flash-in-the pan, an Idol also-ran who will not make her mark in the country music scene for a long time. Unfortunately for her critics, Pickler has proven that she has what it takes to stay successful in this business, as can be proven by her constant presence in one country music blog to another.
Pickler, a native of Albemarle, North Carolina, shot to stardom when she became a contestant during the 5th season of the hit Fox reality show, American Idol. Although she did not win, her sixth-place finish was enough to endear her to fans of pop and country music love songs throughout the country and the rest of the world. In 2006, following the footsteps of her Idol predecessors, she was offered a recording contract by 19 Recordings and BNA Records, through which she released her debut album called “Small Town Girl.” This album has reached sales of over 800,000 copies, and was thus certified gold by the RIAA. Filled with her own brand of country music love songs, this album generated three hit singles, including “Red High Heels” (No. 15), “I Wonder” (No. 14), and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind” (No. 16).
When asked about the choice of title for her debut album, Pickler shared in an interview that “The first song that I wrote was ‘Small Town Girl’ and we thought that it was just appropriate to call the album Small Town Girl. ‘My Angel’ and ‘I Wonder’ are probably the most personal songs on the album. I really like all of them; I can’t even pick a favorite. They’re all my favorite! They’re like my babies.”
The fall of 2008 saw the release of her self-titled second album which generated hit singles, including “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” (No. 21), “Best Days of Your Life” (No. 9), and country music love songs, including “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” (No.14), and “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again.” “Best Days of Your Life” is a particularly special track since she co-wrote this one with none other than Taylor Swift, later becoming Pickler’s first Top 10 hit.
Apart from Swift, Pickler has also shared the stage with fellow artists such as Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, and Alan Jackson. While Pickler also opened for Swift’s Fearless Tour last year, this year marks a new chapter in the singer’s life as it has just been announced that she will open for super group Rascal Flatts in their new summer tour dubbed, “JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour.” The first leg of the tour will be launched on June 25 at the Time Warner Cable Pavilion located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The tour is slated to cross the country with 26 shows that will run until September 19 with a final show at the Comcast Center in Boston. Expect Pickler to come to your state and belt out her string of hit country music love songs
with tour stops at Charlotte, NC; Atlanta, GA; Tulsa, OK; Cincinnati, OH; Washington, DC; Louisville, KY; Syracuse, NY; Toronto, Ontario and Philadelphia, PA, to name a few.
Aside from her music, she is also involved with many charities such as The American Red Cross and Soles4Souls. Read more about Pickler at http://www.kelliepickler.com/.
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