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Monday, June 16, 2008
By Hollie McKay
AP
May 18: Kellie Pickler performs at the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
LOS ANGELES — After winning the hearts of "American Idol" audiences, Kellie Pickler enhanced her female assets. But the country crooner says there's more behind her success than her appearance. "My grandparents had such a huge impact on my life — they took me under their wing and made me the woman that I am today and without them I could have easily been put into foster care," Pickler said before explaining that her mother abandoned her when she was a little girl and her father struggled with alcoholism and a drug addiction which saw him in and out of prison. But rather then being upset by her challenging start in life, the Louisiana-born beauty believes it was all for the better. "It’s great to be open about everything I’ve had to overcome and this turned out to be the best thing — I am so, so blessed. My grandma filled that void of not having my mom in my life, so she was like my grandma, my mom and my best friend all in one," Picker said, adding that she's now written a very personal song dedicated to her grandmother who passed away when she was 15. The singing sensation has also teamed up with the AARP Foundation, which builds awareness and supports the 4 and a half million American children being raised by their grandparents. But even though Kellie didn't have any siblings to squabble or sing with growing up, fellow "Idol" contestant Katharine McPhee seems to have helped make up for lost time. "Katharine has been like a sister to me," she added. "So I was very, very honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding
LOS ANGELES — After winning the hearts of "American Idol" audiences, Kellie Pickler enhanced her female assets. But the country crooner says there's more behind her success than her appearance.
"My grandparents had such a huge impact on my life — they took me under their wing and made me the woman that I am today and without them I could have easily been put into foster care," Pickler said before explaining that her mother abandoned her when she was a little girl and her father struggled with alcoholism and a drug addiction which saw him in and out of prison.
But rather then being upset by her challenging start in life, the Louisiana-born beauty believes it was all for the better.
"It’s great to be open about everything I’ve had to overcome and this turned out to be the best thing — I am so, so blessed. My grandma filled that void of not having my mom in my life, so she was like my grandma, my mom and my best friend all in one," Picker said, adding that she's now written a very personal song dedicated to her grandmother who passed away when she was 15.
The singing sensation has also teamed up with the AARP Foundation, which builds awareness and supports the 4 and a half million American children being raised by their grandparents.
But even though Kellie didn't have any siblings to squabble or sing with growing up, fellow "Idol" contestant Katharine McPhee seems to have helped make up for lost time.
"Katharine has been like a sister to me," she added. "So I was very, very honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding
Katharine McPhee fans around the world