Watch Kellie Pickler’s Powerful First Performance Since Husband’s 2023 Death

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Kellie Pickler delivered an emotional performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, marking a return to the stage for the first time since the passing of her husband, Kyle Jacobs.

As she entered the stage, Pickler was greeted with a standing ovation and a thunderous round of applause, a moment captured in a video shared on social media. She captivated the audience in a black and silver gown with her blonde locks in Hollywood-style waves.

Once the singer got on stage, she greeted the crowd and said, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was incredibly nervous right now. It’s the first time I’ve been up on stage in a while.”

Kellie Pickler performs onstage during Walkin’ After Midnight: The Music Of Patsy Cline at Ryman Auditorium on April 22, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. She performed for the first time following her husband’s 2023 death.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Her late husband, Jacobs, was a renowned songwriter whose collaborations included artists such as Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks. Tragically, at the age of 49, he was discovered deceased inside their home in February 2023, in what was reported as an apparent suicide by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department at the time.

Pickler took to the stage to perform “The Woman I Am,” a song she co-wrote with Jacobs back in 2013. Prior to her performance, she opened up to the audience, sharing why this particular venue held such significance for her. “The last time I was here in The Ryman Auditorium was with him on a date night, and I know he is here with us tonight,” she said.

Following the tragedy, Pickler said in a statement: “Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way.” She also told the Nashville Tennessean, “It has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers.”

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