Kyle Jacobs, songwriter and husband of singer Kellie Pickler, dead at 49
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor or visit the Lifeline site.
CNN —Kyle Jacobs, a country music producer and songwriter, who co-starred with his wife, singer Kellie Pickler, in a CMT docuseries, has died, according to Nashville police. He was 49.
Jacobs died by an apparent suicide in their Nashville home on Friday, according to authorities.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Pickler for comment.
According to Nashville’s Department of Emergency Communications, a 911 call was received at 1:21 pm local time on Friday. Officers and Nashville Fire Department personnel responded to the home of Pickler and Jacobs, located on Sneed Road.
Pickler told police that she awoke a short time earlier, did not see her husband and began looking for him, a police statement said. After she and a personal assistant were unable to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant called authorities, the statement added.
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Jacobs, a music producer, has worked with artists including Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Darius Rucker and Tim McGraw. He won an Academy of Country Music Award in 2014 for his work as a producer on Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck.”
Jacobs often shared updates on his musical collaborations on Instagram.
“One of my favorite things to do as a songwriter is writing songs with beautiful hearts in beautiful places,” he wrote in a 2021 post.
Pickler is best known for her participation on Season 5 “American Idol,” which helped launch her career as a musician and television personality.
Jacobs starred alongside Pickler in the docu-comedy series “I Love Kellie Pickler,” which debuted in 2015 and proved to be a ratings hit for CMT. It ran for three seasons.
In a statement posted to the official Twitter account for CMT, the network said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Kellie Pickler and the rest of the Jacobs family.”
In a 2015 interview about their reality show, Jacobs said he was more accustomed to being behind-the-scenes instead of on camera but that he felt at ease collaborating with his wife on the project.
“I’m just going to be me and be with my wife and just be us,” Jacobs said.
He added: “We’ve just built such a foundation of trust and love…Whatever work is, if it ever gets in the way of our marriage then it gets in the way. Our marriage comes first.”
CNN’s Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.
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