Kellie Pickler Parts Ways With Black River Entertainment
Kellie Pickler has exited her recording deal with Black River Entertainment, according to a statement from the label.
MusicRow confirmed the news on Friday, after rumors spread online that Pickler was no longer on Black River's artist roster. The label removed the singer from its social media pages, prompting the speculation.
“She will always be a part of our Black River family. We wish her all the best and are looking forward to watching her continued success in all of her endeavors,” Black River says.
Pickler shot to fame when she competed on Season 5 of American Idol, and signed a deal with 19 Recordings/BNA Records under the Sony umbrella in 2006. Her debut single was "Red High Heels." In 2009 she scored her biggest hit to date with "Best Days of Your Life," which she co-wrote with Taylor Swift. Her relationship with Sony soured when they disagreed over the direction of her 2012 album, 100 Proof, which focused much more on traditional country, and she split with Sony in June of 2012.
The singer signed with Black River later that year, and released her most recent album, The Woman I Am, in 2013. Black River released "Someone Somewhere Tonight," "Little Bit Gypsy" and "Closer to Nowhere" as singles from the album. None of them cracked the Top 40.
Pickler and her husband, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, currently star in a reality series or CMT titled I Love Kellie Pickler. In 2015, she was announced as a co-host of a new daytime talk show produced by Faith Hill. No launch date has been given for that show. Pickler has not commented publicly on her exit from Black River.
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