American country music artist and TV personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol, and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing her debut album, Small Town Girl, later that year. She released her self-titled second album in Fall 2008. In 2012, she was ranked as the 14th best American Idol alumna. On 21 May 2013, Pickler and her partner Derek Hough were declared the winners of sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars.
Pickler was born at Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, North Carolina, a small town near Charlotte, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde “Bo” Raymond Pickler, Jr. Her mother left when Kellie was 2. Her mother returned and took custody of Kellie for two years. After this, the court returned Kellie to her grandparents when she was 12, as her father was in and out of jail during her childhood. From this age to adulthood, she was raised by her grandparents. Pickler says the major influences in her life are her grandfather, Clyde Raymond Pickler, Sr., a former electrician, and grandmother, Faye Pickler. Pickler graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina. She was a cheerleader and beauty queen. She sang “On the Side of Angels” by LeAnn Rimes at her high school graduation.
She 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. 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.
The 19-year-old Pickler auditioned for American Idol, a US TV singing competition, in the fall of 2005 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Pickler advanced through the semi-final rounds in February. On 26 April 2006, she was eliminated, reaching rank 6 among the 12 finalists.
Link to Wikipedia biography