Kellie Pickler: ‘I Still Feel Like That 19 and Green Girl That Got in Line for “Idol”’
Kellie Pickler (Photo: Getty Images)
You know that friend you have who is dreading her 30th birthday? That is so not Kellie Pickler.
The country singer/reality star/cancer advocate still has a couple of months before her birthday on June 28, but she’s already pumped for it.
“I’m just happy to be healthy and upright and above ground,” the American Idol alum tells Yahoo Celebrity. “We’ve lost a lot of friends that were very, very young, so I would say getting a day older is a privilege that a lot of people are denied. So I don’t look at 30 as being a curse. I still feel like that 19 and green little girl that got in line for Idol 10 years ago. I’m really excited and hopefully with age comes more wisdom and growth, and I’m excited to see what the rest of my life holds and unfolds into."
In reality, of course, the modest Pickler returned to perform at this month's American Idol finale a much different person. She’s now released three albums, starred on CMT's I Love Kellie Pickler, and won Dancing With the Stars, for starters.
"Going back to the Idol finale was so much fun, because we got to reconnect with the idols from other seasons,” she says. “They had 15 seasons worth of Idols, there was like over 60 of us there, and it was a pretty powerful night. It was emotional in a good way.”
Pickler performs on the Idol finale with alums Kree Harrison and Ace Young. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
“I think just the relationships, friendships that you build on the show, that you just kind of carry with you for the rest of your life,” she continues. “All of the contestants that I was close to on my season are still a part of my life, and we see each other when we’re in the same cities and we keep in contact.”
A lot has happened in her personal life, too. Pickler married songwriter Kyle Jacobs in 2011. She also relocated, which led to flare ups of allergies that have plagued her for years.
Related: Kellie Pickler Is Pretty in Hot Pink for Surprise Vow Renewal
The singer and husband Kyle Jacobs visit Fox & Friends. (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
“I’m originally from [North] Carolina and moved to Tennessee — moved to Nashville after Idol — and my allergies got way worse. Come to find out Nashville has one of the highest allergy counts in the country,” she explains.
Pickler’s many projects this spring include partnering with Flonase Allergy Relief. The reality TV star says she swears by the medication to keep allergies at bay during her many outdoor concert performances.
She gave YouTube stars the Eh Bee Family a sendoff from NYC this week, as they embarked on a tour of some of the country’s worst allergy cities. The family will end their tour April 30 in Austin, where Pickler will perform at the iHeartCountry Festival. (People can follow the family’s trip and their check-ins with Pickler at begreater.flonase.com or, on social media, with #begreater; There’s also a sweepstakes for someone to win their own adventure.)
But most of the new stuff Pickler has experienced in the past decade is happy. Along with her career, Pickler notes that she’s appreciated the opportunity to travel for concerts and as part of nine USO tours overseas.
“Traveling is, I think, one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received or been able to give to someone else,” she says. “Experiencing life outside of your small little bubble that you grew up in… I think it’s important to step outside your comfort zone and see the world and meet as many different kinds of people as you can and learn — that just helps you grow."
Pickler meets U.S. troops in Afghanistan on Dec. 25, 2013. (Photo: The Washington Post)
She adds that it’s her mission to "see the world."
Pickler’s music fans shouldn’t worry, though. Cranking out more music is also part of the plan.
"Hopefully, this fall we’ll be working on some stuff,” she says.
