Kyle Jacobs, Country Songwriter and Husband of Kellie Pickler, Dead at 49

Country music songwriter Kyle Jacobs has died, Nashville Police confirmed to Rolling Stone. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Jacobs, the 49-year-old husband of country singer Kellie Pickler, was found dead inside the couple’s Nashville, Tennessee, home on Friday from an apparent suicide. Officers responded to a 911 call at 1:21 p.m. Friday afternoon.

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,” police said.

Jacobs, a Minnesota native, co-wrote Garth Brooks’ 2007 single “More Than a Memory” with Lee Brice and Billy Montana. It 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 ACM Song of the Year, “I Drive Your Truck.” Jacobs also worked with country stars like Kelly Clarkson, Randy Travis, Clay Walker, Scott McCreery, and Josh Kelley.

Just two days before his death, Jacobs celebrated Lee Brice’s 2020 album Hey World being certified platinum with a social media post. “An amazing crew of incredibly talented peeps put this one together…Deeply honored to be a creative part of it…Thank you Jesus!!!” he wrote.

Late last year, Jacobs shared his Spotify numbers for the year and told fans it was “kinda cool seeing how a song created in a little room on music row can reach so many people… Feeling very blessed right now.”

Jacobs and Pickler married Jan. 1, 2011. In 2015, the couple starred in I Love Kellie Pickler, a CMT reality series documenting their life together. That same year Pickler spoke to Rolling Stone about pulling back the curtain on the show.

“With anything you do in life — professionally or personally — you have to build boundaries and only share what you’re comfortable sharing,” Pickler said. “If you don’t feel comfortable sharing a private part of your life, you don’t have to. So from the get-go, Kyle and I had to build boundaries. You can let people in without exploiting every part of your life.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also reach out to the Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 confidential text messaging service that provides support to people in crisis when they text 741741.