Kellie Pickler is being pulled in a bunch of different directions these days. She’s looking after an investment, making a big change in her personal life and — as always — hoping to move her career forward.

Unlike most of us, Kellie doesn’t get to make all those decisions on her home turf. She’s been touring heavily, mixing in fair dates between shows as an opening act on Rascal Flatts’ Nothing Like This Tour.

So what’s tugging at her? First off, she bought a new home earlier this year, and her attempts at decorating always come with delays.

“Seems like it takes longer to get your furniture ordered and get it in than it does to build a house,” she told The Green Bay Press Gazette. “It takes six to eight weeks and then you’ll get that call: ‘Oh, it’s on back order, so it’s going to be three more weeks.’’’

Then there’s her upcoming nuptials. On Wednesday, Kellie and her fiance — songwriter Kyle Jacobs — spent time with a wedding planner, organizing their ceremony just a couple months after he proposed to her. The engagement came with its own tie-up: The ring had to be re-sized to fit her finger properly, and she just got it back.

“I’m doing the lookin’-at-the-finger-thing now,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever stop doing that. For me, it’s just a constant reminder that I get to spend the rest of my life with Kyle. He’s such a man of God. It’s such a huge blessing.”

Adding to all of the home and marriage planning, there’s also the need to develop her next album. Kellie’s debut, Small Town Girl, came out in October 2006 and her sophomore release, Kellie Pickler, appeared in September 2008. She’s hopeful that the third album will reflect her as an artist and a person even better than the first two.

“I was so young when I signed my record deal,” she said. “I was 19 and green and didn’t really know myself very well. I was more of a … follower than a leader, just kind of rolling with the flow and letting people dictate what I was going to do and what not. Now it’s like I’ve grown up a lot and seen the world and had new life experiences and been through a lot these past two years personally. I know who I am now.”

Kellie talks repeatedly about blending a heavier dose of traditional country into the album without losing her contemporary edge.

In the meantime, you can see Kellie Sept. 1 on the ABC special “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock.” Hosted by Tim McGraw, the show will also feature Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum.

source: blog.gactv

Kellie Pickler–whose backstage rider announces that she is “Artist/President-CEO Kellie Pickler Touring, Inc.”–has minimal demands considering her executive responsibilities.

Pickler, who finished in sixth place during the fifth season of “American Idol,” wants two blocks of “various cheese” kept cool in her dressing room. Unlike M.I.A., Pickler’s cheese requirements are run-of-the-mill: Swiss or sharp cheddar.

The only alcohol backstage appears confined to the dressing room occupied by Pickler’s band.

source: thesmokinggun

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) – Country singer Kellie Pickler is planning her wedding to fiancé Kyle Jacobs, and their plans aren’t exactly traditional. The couple is considering having some of their pets be part of their wedding.

Pickler told People.com , ” I’m thinking of having the python be the ring bearer! We’ve been talking about incorporating the dogs – they’re like our kids. But we wouldn’t want an accident to happen down the aisle.”

The CMT blog reported that Pickler, who is a big animal lover, has four dogs of all different breeds named Pixie, Moo Moo, Maddie and Tucker. Plus, she took in a baby raccoon that she found in the road. Throw in Boots the python, and it will be quite the processional down the aisle.

Pictures of Pickler’s animals can be seen in slideshow on PEOPLEPets.com , where she joked, “Ever since I got the snake, everybody’s scared to come on the [tour] bus.”

Talking about the wedding Pickler also told People.com that she thinks her fiancé is a terrible dancer, “It’s a disaster. He’s a snapper. He just sways back and forth and snaps his finger.”

Pickler and Jacbos will not have a traditional first dance due to the “snapping,” but will be married in a church.

Pickler isn’t alone in her desire to have her beloved pets involved in her wedding.

Wedaholic.com reported that Gwen Stefani was escorted down the aisle by her dog and Adam Sandler had both of his dogs in his wedding, with one even being the “best dog.”

source: myfoxchattanooga

With Carrie Underwood recently becoming a Mrs., it seems that Kellie Pickler will be the next American Idol star to walk down the aisle. The country singer, who got engaged to longtime boyfriend Kyle Jacobs in June, is busy planning her wedding and tailoring it to she and Jacobs’ unique personalities. That means there will be no dancing at the reception and several animals in attendance. Keep reading for more details on Kellie Pickler’s wedding plans…

Sometime soon, Kellie Pickler will be donning a white gown and saying “I do” to fiance, Kyle Jacobs. The pair became engaged in June on a Florida beach. Now, the American Idol alum says she’s busy planning their upcoming nuptials and has plans to incorporate some rather unique details.

For starters, Kellie Pickler says there will be absolutely no dancing at the reception for the newlyweds due to Kyle Jacobs’ serious lack of rhythm on the dance floor. “It’s a disaster,” Kellie Pickler tells People magazine about Kyle Jacobs’ moves. ”He’s a snapper. He just sways back and forth and snaps his finger.” Because of that, Kellie Pickler says they’ll forgo their first dance as a couple altogether.

The couple plans to exchange their wedding vows in a church with a few furry and scaly guests nearby. Kellie Pickler admits that she and her fiance want to incorporate their many pets into the ceremony. “I’m thinking of having the python be the ringbearer!” Kellie Pickler laughs. ”We’ve been talking about incorporating the dogs – they’re like our kids. But we wouldn’t want an accident to happen down the aisle.”

source: realitytvmagazine

NASHVILLE, Aug. 4 (UPI) — Performances by Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean and Dierks Bentley were included in the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” special taped in Nashville.

Also to appear on the program — which was taped during the June festival and is to air Sept. 1 on ABC — are Billy Currington, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Justin Moore, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Uncle Kracker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band, the network said.

Singer, songwriter, actor and 11-time CMA Award winner Tim McGraw served as host for the annual celebration of America’s music.

An expected highlight of the show will be a special performance by reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Taylor Swift, who premiered her soon-to-be-released new single, “Mine,” for her fans at a top-secret private event in Nashville during CMA Music Festival. The song is the first single from her upcoming album, “Speak Now,” due in stores Oct. 25.

source: upi

Miranda Lambert invited her friends Kellie Pickler, Laura Bell Bundy and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott to join her in the video for her new single, “Only Prettier.” The video is a mini-movie about two rival cliques of girls attending a 1950’s high school sock hop. The ”Only Prettier” video will make its world premiere on VEVO August 3rd at 12AM ET with a 48-hour exclusive. The video will be available on all media outlets beginning August 5.

source: musicrow

Only two Idols have albums in the top half of the Billboard Top 200 this week: Carrie Underwood, with Play On at No. 39 and Daughtry’s Leave This Town at No. 94.

However, the new Kidz Bop album has a kiddie version of the Adam Lambert hit Whataya Want From Me, and that collection enters the chart this week at No. 5.

Here’s additional sales information, courtesy of Nielsen SoundScan:

Carrie Underwood, Play On (10,000, -9%, 1.668 million/2,000 digital, -3%, 195,000 digital total) (#39 Billboard Top 200)
Daughtry, Leave This Town (5,000, +2%, 1.107 million) (#94 BB200)
Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment (5,000, -5%, 691,000/92,000 digital total) (#105 BB200)
Daughtry, Daughtry (3,000, +3%, 4.705 million) (#194 BB200)
Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts (3,000, +4%, 7.004 million)
Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride (2,000, -5%, 3.109 million)
Danny Gokey, My Best Days (1,000, +16%, 174,000)
Kellie Pickler, Kellie Pickler (1,000, +2%, 422,000)
Mandisa, Freedom (less than 1,000, -25%, 115,000)

source: usatoday

Centreville, Mich. —

The fill-in entertainment for Kellie Pickler is from a musical genre not typically found at the St. Joseph County Grange Fair.
But the price of admission is tough to beat.
A special meeting of the fair board Friday brought a decision to bring in Satisfaction: An International Rolling Stones Show.
The Rolling Stones tribute band will perform starting at 7 p.m. Sept. 25, the final night of the fair.
The replacement band was sought after Pickler announced two weeks ago that she would be honoring her contract to open for Rascal Flatts. At the time Pickler was booked in January, Rascal Flatts was not scheduled to be on tour. Rascal Flatts had to modify its fall tour schedule and will be in Florida the night Pickler was supposed to perform in Centreville.
The same commitment to Rascal Flatts also resulted in the cancellation of a performance by Chris Young, the opening act for George Jones. The fair is issuing refunds for both concerts.
Bill Johnson, manager of the St. Joseph County Grange Fair, said a number of different options were discussed at Friday’s meeting. There was even a suggestion that the fair consider not bringing in a closing-night act at all.
Johnson said the fair won’t make money on free admission to the performance, but the curiosity factor of a tribute band might bring a few more people to the fair than if the stage had been left dark for the night.
“If we get some people coming in because of the show, then that’s a little bit we’ll get back at the gate,” Johnson said. “But the original acts we had to choose from, they just weren’t performers that we feel would draw much interest … there’s a reason why they’re still available this late in the game.”

For the complete story, see the Journal’s Wednesday edition or visit sturgisjournal.mi.newsmemory.com

source: sturgisjournal

Kellie Pickler fears she’s gained 12 pounds, but she has a plan to get herself back into her slimmest shape just in time for her wedding to songwriter Kyle Jacobs.

“I look at pictures of myself,” the country cutie, 24, laughs to me during the CMA Music Festival held in Nashville last month. “I was looking back at the CMT Awards. My grandpa was in there on the couch, and I guess they were re-airing it on CMT. He had it on, and I went ‘oh s***, I have got to step away from the beer. The beer and the fries – I’ve gotta quit.’ You’ll see pictures of yourself, or you’ll put your clothes on, and you’ll be like ‘oh, my pants are too tight, I can’t breathe.’ You notice it. I’ve gotta start cutting back. That’s one reason I’m running on coffee today.”

Her biggest diet challenge is her eating pattern.

“My thing is I’m such a night owl that I’ll go through the day without eating much – hardly at all – and then at night, I’ll cram it everything in and then go to bed. That’s why I’ve gained probably 12 pounds this year.”

Despite the worry, Kellie has a confession.

“I really don’t workout,” she says. “I’m not an avid gym person. I mean, you can tell. I go through stages – like I’ll be good for a short time, and then I let myself go. Then, I try and pick up where I left off and get back in the gym. It’s just a lose-lose situation for me.”

But she fondly remembers hitting the gym.

“Whenever I am working out is when I feel the best, and I look the best,” she says. “I can tell. I know I need to – I’m lazy sometimes. You come in off the road, and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym – or go sweat. You want to sleep in your bed, relax and unwind. And cook. Have something that’s not road food. It does get hard on the road because you’re so much all over the place. You eat what’s there. It is what it is.”

For Kellie’s What I Ate Today interview, pick up the OK! on newsstands now. The cover line is “Bachelorette Ali: How I Lost 10 Lbs. Fast!” And, catch Kellie on tour this summer with Rascal Flatts.

source: okmagazine