Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986 ) is an American country music singer and songwriter who finished sixth on the fifth season of the Fox television series American Idol.

Despite being eliminated, Pickler signed a recording contract with the record company BNA Records, a country label owned by RCA Records and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in conjunction with Idol series creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited. Her debut single, "Red High Heels" was released on September 25, 2006 and the debut album followed on October 31 of the same year.

20th Century Fox and 19 Television are currently developing a thirty-minute situation comedy starring Pickler as a naïve small-town Southern woman who unravels the mystery that her biological father is the state's governor. The working title for the pilot is KELLIE.

Early years

Pickler was born at the Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, North Carolina, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde "Bo" Pickler, Jr. Her mother was 18 years old when she gave birth to her, and relinquished custodial rights to Pickler when she was two years old.

The major influences in her life are her grandfather, Clyde Pickler, Sr., who worked as an electrician and grandmother, Faye Pickler. She was raised in Palestine, a small town near Albemarle. After her grandmother's death, she continued to reside with her grandfather and her younger sibling Eric until she became a contestant on Idol. Kellie graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina. She used to be a cheerleader and dancer. At her graduation commencement, she sang "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes.

She has worked as a waitress at a Sonic Drive In franchise, and in 2005, she made an appearance on WSOC-TV's Gimme the Mike! Charlotte contest, where she received a rousing ovation for her performance of the country classic, “Stand By Your Man”. She finished in second place. She participated in the Miss America circuit, and won the "Miss Stanly County" pageant at age 17 and subsequently competed for Miss North Carolina 2004 in order to win a scholarship to Stanly Community College's School of Cosmetology to reach her full potential. She dropped out and later tried paralegal studies.

American Idol

The 19-year-old Pickler auditioned for American Idol in the fall of 2005 in Greensboro, North Carolina. She sang both Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing". The judges sent her to Hollywood. Pickler advanced through the semi-finalist rounds in February. On March 9, she reached the Top 12.

Pickler was among one of judge Simon Cowell's favorites. He once predicted Pickler would be in the final three, and said he preferred her over the previous season's winner, Carrie Underwood. Recognized for her "quirky" personality and Southern charm, Pickler gained attention on the show by saying (for example) that she had hardly ever performed before real audiences, and mispronounced words. She also amused many people with her false eyelash incident, saying that it felt as if there were "tarantulas on her eyes". She was compared to Jessica Simpson in a March 27 story in US Weekly magazine entitled "Kellie: The Next Jessica Simpson", due to her "sweet Southern style and ditzy demeanor". Later in a J-14 article, she responded to the comparison by saying "Vocally, Jessica's great, and she's beautiful."

Pickler returned in the finale to sing several songs with the other finalists; she was also featured in a pre-taped segment called "Puck 'n Pickler", in which she was introduced to some unusual food by chef Wolfgang Puck for the show's comic relief. In the segment, viewers learned that Pickler does not fancy going near live sea animals.

Personal life

Pickler's father, whom she describes as an alcoholic and drug addict, recently served a three-year, nine-month prison sentence at Florida State Prison for aggravated assault and battery stemming from a 2003 stabbing incident. He was released on May 6, 2006, a week after her elimination from Idol.

Pickler said she is not stupid, but admited that she does not know a lot of things, being brought up in a small town, and that she's still learning after leaving it. She considers herself a smart person.

On February 26, 2007, she met her personal 'idol' and strongest influence, the country music star Dolly Parton. The surprise was arranged by Sony BMG Nashville chairman Joe Galante.

Pickler was in a relationship with Nashville Predators player Jordin Tootoo. Pickler stated that they broke up due to him cheating on her.