Kellie Pickler 

Biografia

• Kellie Dawn Pickler (born 28 June 1986) is a contemporary country/pop star from North Carolina. She was introduced to the public’s attention in 2006 as one of the top contenders of American Idol’s 5th season and has since gone on to become a successful touring musician and recording artist.

  Pickler was born in Albemarle, North Carolina (a small town outside of Charlotte) and was primarily raised by her grandparents. Pickler was wired for the spotlight from an early age. In high school she was both a cheerleader and beauty queen, but was also a hard worker clocking in hours as a waitress at the Sonic Drive-In. Though her career in the entertainment industry was first geared toward beauty pageants, she shifted to music in 2005 when she auditioned for American idol in 2005.

  Her sound was influenced by veteran country divas like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton (whom she cites as her biggest inspirational music source) as well as modern country/pop artists like Sara Evans, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. She excelled on the show, reaching 6th place before being eliminated. Although she was booted from the show she left a significant impression on American Idol viewers and with the popularity she gained from the show she was able to spawn a successful solo career.

  In 2006 she picked up a contract with BNA Records and released her first studio album “Small Town Girl”. The album has since been certified gold and featured the four singles “Red High Heels”, “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind”, “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You”, and “I Wonder”. The former of the songs sported a widely heralded music video that was announced as the “Breakthrough Video of the Year” by CMT. Her follow up self-titled album came out in 2008. It featured her first Top Ten hit “Best Days of Your Life”, a song co-written by Taylor Swift. The album went on to take the No. 1 spot on the Country Album charts and No. 9 on the Billboard 200.

  Pickler’s 3rd studio album “100 Proof” was released on 24 January 2012. Though the album failed to produce a hit single it did incredibly well on the album charts, appearing at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums and at No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Pickler’s 4th album, “The Woman I Am” came out nearly 2 years later. The 12 track album featured the two singles “Little Bit Gypsy” and “Someone Somewhere Tonight”. The album was a critical breakthrough, scoring an 82 on Metacritic and likewise was also a commercial success entering the US Billboard 200 at No. 19, the US Top Country Albums at No. 4, and the US Independent Albums at No.1.

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