Country songwriter Kyle Jacobs, the husband of American Idol star Kellie Pickler, was confirmed dead on Friday by Nashville Police.
The 49-year-old was found dead inside the couple’s Nashville, Tennessee, United States home from an apparent suicide after officers responded to a 911 (emergency) call at 1:21 pm.
Pickler told police that she had woken up, began searching for her husband and could not find him.
“(She) did not see her husband, and began looking for him. After she and her personal assistant were unable to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant telephoned 911″, the police said.
A Minnesota native, Jacobs co-wrote Garth Brooks’ 2007 single More Than a Memory with Lee Brice and Billy Montana. The single holds the distinction of being the first country song to debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.
Jacobs also wrote tracks for artists like Tim McGraw (Still) and Eli Young Band (Dust), and produced a string of hit singles for Brice, including Hard to Love, Drinking Class, and the 2013 Academy of Country Music Award’s Song of the Year, I Drive Your Truck. Jacobs also worked with country music stars like Kelly Clarkson, Randy Travis, Clay Walker, Scott McCreery, and Josh Kelley.
Pickler competed on the fifth season of American Idol and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she released her debut album, Small Town Girl. According to Billboard, she later earned a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with Best Days of Your Life, from her 2008 self-titled album. The singer released her last album, The Woman I am in 2013.
