Loved by the judges and adored by fans for her quirky and ditzy demeanor, it was surprising that the then 19-year-old Kellie Pickler did not win the fifth season of American Idol in 2005.
She did come close enough at number 6 and even signed a record deal soon after. But, to be honest, the former Idol star’s musical career has not been as prolific as we thought it would be.
She’s definitely done several things, but we best know her for her musical prowess. So, the big question is: why did Kellie Pickler stop singing?
Here’s what we know:
Kellie Pickler Produced Four Albums
In 2006, soon after making it to the semi – finals on American Idol’s season five, 19 Recordings/BNA Records signed Kellie Pickler as a recording artist.
The Idol star went ahead to release four studio albums, with her debut album, Small Town Girl (2006), becoming RIAA Gold-certified. Her most popular hits on the album include debut singles Best Days of Your Life and Red High Heels, which boosted her career and fame.
The other three of Kellie Pickler’s albums include the self-titled Kellie Pickler (2008). The record label, Black River Entertainment, produced the other two albums, 100 Proof and The Woman That I Am, released in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
It is now almost a decade since the pop singer released any music since bagging her lucrative record deal, leaving country music fans wondering about the hiatus.
Well, Pickler may have set her music career on hold. But the affable singer is not completely missing in action.
Pickler Became An Actress and TV Host
Pickler’s appearance on American Idol and her early musical success opened up various opportunities on TV, including participating in and winning the sixteenth season of Dancing With The Stars.
The acclaimed singer also displayed her acting chops in the Hallmark film Christmas At Graceland. In 2018, this movie was the most-watched original film in the network’s history. It was also the 4th highest-rated Hallmark Channel original movie. She also starred in Wedding at Graceland, another Hallmark original.
After the film’s success, Pickler quipped that she would be happy to do another Hallmark film.
“Hallmark has been good to me. The opportunities are available, but we have to wait to comply with the protocols in the USA. So, hopefully, it is sooner than later,” the American country music singer said, referring to the COVID-19 restrictions.
In addition to her stint as an actress, Kellie dabbled as a host for a super successful TV show. Alongside New York native Ben Aaron, Pickler, a North Carolina native, hosted Pickler and Ben.
In the hour-long talk show, the hosts interviewed some of America’s biggest celebrities in different industries, including gardening, beauty, home decor, culinary, and entertainment. But they also brought in ordinary people with inspiring stories.
Pickler & Ben, which last aired in May 2019, won a whopping 9 Emmy Nominations. For the most part, Kellie has been missing from the limelight since the talk show ended in 2019. We haven’t seen much of her on TV or heard new music from her.
