“American Idol” alum Kellie Pickler returns to show in a rare appearance following the death of her husband

Key Points

• Kellie Pickler appeared on Monday’s episode of American Idol, which was a reunion of the 2006 season.

• The “Red High Heels” singer has kept a quiet life since her husband, Kyle Jacobs, died in 2023.

• Pickler was joined by former ‘Idol’ judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson as well as several contestants.

Kellie Pickler returned to American Idol, where it all began, on Monday.

The “Red High Heels” singer visited the ABC reality show for a 20th reunion of the 2006 cast to perform a duet with contestant Hannah Harper, singing Martina McBride’s song “A Broken Wing.”

Her appearance was a big deal, as she’s kept a low-profile since Kyle Jacobs, whom she married in 2011, died in February 2023. The singer and songwriter had written tracks for country music heavyweights such as Garth Books and Tim McGraw.

But Pickler has a special place in her heart for the singing competition, on which she finished sixth in the fifth season, which also featured Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, Mandisa, and winner Taylor Hicks.

“All I can say is,” judge Lionel Richie gushed afterward, “the perfect voice blend and complement. The two of you make one dynamic performance. Incredible.”

Abdul praised it as a “perfect pairing.”

And Pickler wasn’t the only alum in the house. The others included Hicks, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin, and Bucky Covington.

The show’s current judges, Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood (herself the winner of the fourth season in 2005), also welcomed back two people who originally sat in their seats: Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Since Pickler left the show, she’s released several albums, featuring hits such as Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful and Tough, and toured with artists including Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, and Rascal Flatts. She also won another reality show, Dancing With the Stars, with pro partner Derek Hough in 2013. Beginning in 2015, she headlined, along with Jacobs, reality show I Love Kelli Pickler, for two seasons.

Pickler noted six months afterward that her husband’s death had been “the darkest time of my life.”

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

Pickler has been back on stage since, though. She was part of a star-studded tribute to late country star Patsy Cline held in April 2024 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. She dedicated “The Woman I Am” to Jacobs, her cowriter on the song.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly