Soft curls, breezy updos, and an edgy buzz cut. When it comes to changing up her hairstyle, Kellie Pickler has never shied away from going big and bold.
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00:00Soft curls, breezy updos, and an edgy buzz cut — when it comes to changing up her hairstyle,
00:06Kelly Pickler has never shied away from going big and bold.
00:09In 2006, Kelly Pickler caught major attention as one of the finalists on Season 5 of American
00:15Idol. While she may have only made it to the final six, many took note of her fun attitude,
00:19strong singing skills, and her adorable style. Along with her trendy outfits, her hairstyles
00:24played a significant role in her overall look. Her long blonde hair was often straight, showing
00:29off her layered razor cut with textured face-framing pieces and some side-swept bangs. Usually
00:35performing with her hair down, she sometimes pinned her bangs back in the popular-at-the-time
00:39millennial hair bump.
00:41While speaking to Yahoo! in 2017, Pickler had strong feelings about her hair from her
00:45American Idol audition.
00:46"'My hair. Ooh, I look like a troll."
00:49She did note, however, that overall, she felt that her look was timeless.
00:55In 2007, Pickler kept her career rolling and celebrated the success of hit songs like
00:59I Wonder from her first album, Small Town Girl. She was also showing off her amazing
01:04style at awards ceremonies, as well as her ever-changing hair looks. At the American
01:08Music Awards, Pickler was absolutely rocking her new and trendy cut. Her short hair had
01:13a deep side part, creating an asymmetrical bob.
01:16The shorter side of her hair was straight, while the other side was full of voluminous
01:20soft curls that framed her face. And at the CMT Awards that year, Pickler tried something
01:25completely different with her hair. Along with a gold ruched dress, the singer wore
01:29a hairstyle that involved a braid that went around her head, creating a crown-like shape.
01:34Not only was the look attention-grabbing, but it highlighted Pickler's ability to take
01:38risks and display her personality with ease.
01:42By 2008, Pickler was letting her hair grow out and transitioning her bob to an on-trend
01:47At the CMA Music Festival, she gave a performance where her new hair was on full display. With
01:52this lobbed look, the longer side just touched her shoulder, while the shorter one framed
01:56her face. Her straight hair was lightly layered with plenty of piecey texture. Later in the
02:01year at the CMA Awards, Pickler's hair seemed to have grown out even more, but this time
02:06she was styling it differently. While performing at the CMAs, she wore her hair in soft curls
02:10with plenty of volume.
02:13In 2009, Pickler made plenty of appearances on red carpets, and showed off a range of
02:17hairstyles, too. At the CMT Awards, she rocked an elegant and breezy updo that pulled her
02:22lightly waved hair away from her face and introduced an added level of sophistication.
02:27At the Academy of Country Music Awards, she was switching things up and wore her shoulder-length
02:31hair down, highlighting her sleek, straight haircut. The gold and blonde tones in her
02:36hair matched perfectly with the gold tones in her dress, which made for a striking monochromatic
02:41Also, in 2009, Pickler made one of her biggest and boldest changes ever by ditching her trademark
02:47blonde hair for red tresses. Apparently, Pickler understood the advantages of having red hair,
02:52telling Access Hollywood,
02:53In 2010, Pickler was rocking a slightly shorter cut, and she was back to blonde. At the Dress
03:04to Kilt charity fashion show in New York, her hair had gone from shoulder length to
03:08a bob, and it framed her face to perfection. Unlike her asymmetric cuts of the past, this
03:13one was the same length all around. It was a great look for a short-hair summer.
03:17But by November of that year, she was rocking a very different look at the CMA Awards. There,
03:21her hair appeared to be much longer and was styled in super thick and wide curls that
03:25grazed her shoulders. Her glamorous hairstyle wasn't the only thing she was showing off
03:29on the red carpet, though. In some of the pictures from that night, she was flashing
03:33a gorgeous engagement ring, which had been given to her by her music producer fiancé,
03:38Kyle Jacobs.
03:40The early 2010s were definitely a busy period for Pickler. In 2011, she was writing a future
03:45Billboard Top 10 album with 100 Proof and was listed by People magazine as one of their
03:50most beautiful people. Her personal life was full of excitement, too, as she and Jacobs
03:55tied the knot.
03:59During this period, Pickler's shift in her hairstyles was still noticeable. At the CMA's
04:04she seemed to stick with the shoulder-length locks and full, voluminous styles. Unlike
04:08the large, rounded curls she wore the year before, her hair this year had a much more
04:11crimped, beachy vibe.
04:14In 2012, Pickler was sporting a dramatically different look, for reasons that went way
04:19beyond fashion. When the singer found out that her childhood best friend had breast
04:23cancer and would have to undergo chemotherapy, she decided to support her. In an interview
04:27with Ellen DeGeneres, the singer said,
04:30When Summer was diagnosed with breast cancer back in June, we made a pact that we'd shave
04:33our heads together. I think it's important to have a cancer buddy.
04:37So, for she's handling herself with grace, you know, I guess it's best you can going
04:41through something like that.
04:42Yeah.
04:43While this look might have been new for Pickler, she looked completely glamorous and confident.
04:48Not only was she styling her transitioning cut like a pro, but she didn't seem to need
04:52any info for growing out her buzz cut, either.
04:55In 2013, Pickler achieved a whole new level of fame by appearing on Dancing with the Stars.
05:00She even ended up winning the competition that year, along with her partner, Derek Hough.
05:05Not only was she busting out a lot of different moves on the dance floor, but she was also
05:09wearing tons of different costumes and hairstyles, too.
05:12While on the ballroom floor, she could be seen in everything from short, simply styled
05:16hair to longer, flowing curls. Pickler was playing around with her styling. At a Maxim
05:21Hot 100 party that year, she had a sleek, short, cropped haircut, which she parted to
05:25the side, and some of her bangs came down to frame her face, creating a more sophisticated
05:30look. At the ACAs that year, her hair looked longer, and she wore soft, side-parted curls
05:35that fell just below her chin.
05:37I missed my short hair, and now I'm kind of wanting to cut it off again.
05:40Throughout the mid-2010s, Pickler was having plenty of fun with her hair, which she often
05:44displayed on Instagram. In a post from April 2014, she shared a picture of herself and
05:49her husband where she rocked one of her most reliable looks — soft waves and curls with
05:53a side part. By April 2015, though, she was changing things up. In a post from that year,
05:58she could be seen with her shoulder-length hair straight and lightly styled in a way
06:02that complemented her outfit. Just a little later in the month, she was really trying
06:06something new. In a vacation selfie, she could be seen rocking some fun green and pink beads.
06:13During the latter part of the 2010s, Pickler was getting even more playful and inventive
06:16with her hairstyles. This may have had something to do with the fact that she was taking on
06:20daytime TV with her own talk show, Pickler & Ben. Being on camera so much naturally meant
06:26trying out more hairstyles. Top knots and high buns that were polished but ever-so-slightly
06:30messy became standby styles for her. Another typical daytime look was letting her long,
06:35center-parted hair flow in some loose, soft waves.
06:38On Pickler's Instagram from this period, we can get even more glimpses of the hairstyles
06:42she liked the best. In a post celebrating her and her husband's anniversary, Pickler
06:46is beaming with some large, bouncy curls and a deep side part.
06:51By 2020, the pandemic made performing difficult, but that didn't mean that Pickler wasn't keeping
06:56busy. In an interview with Pop Culture, Pickler opened up about how she was spending her time,
07:01saying,
07:02"...I've just been able to take the time for me and be with my husband and garden and finish
07:05all these, like, house projects we've been doing and paint."
07:09In 2022, though, she was stepping out again. After spending time out of the spotlight,
07:13Pickler made an appearance at the CMA Fest with a totally new hair look. Unlike some
07:17of her more glam and super-styled looks of the past, she was letting her hair hang loose
07:22in a way that looked truly natural and free.
07:24With her blonde hair's light and wavy texture, it seems that Pickler found a great long-layered
07:29hairstyle to show a new, more relaxed side of herself. Later that year, she also performed
07:33at Camp Zama on Veterans Day, where she was again sporting some ultra-long hair.
07:39This time, however, it was silky straight and parted in the center, which gave off a
07:42retro and bohemian vibe.
07:46In 2023, Kelly Pickler faced a personal tragedy. The unexpected passing of her husband meant
07:52taking some time for herself. In a statement to People, she said,
07:55"...one of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of crisis, if you
08:00don't know what to do, do nothing, just be still. I have chosen to heed his advice."
08:05A little over a year later, though, Pickler was ready to perform again. Despite some nerves,
08:10she was putting herself out there to sing at the Walkin' After Midnight Patsy Cline
08:13tribute in Nashville. On stage, she acknowledged the support she received from fans, and how
08:19much it meant for her to be there.
08:21Despite any nerves or emotional difficulties surrounding the event, Pickler looked amazing.
08:26Her ultra-light hair fell just below shoulder length, and her soft curls were all pulled
08:30to one side, creating an ultra-polished look. Not only did her hair coordinate with her
08:35glittery two-tone dress, but it was also a departure from the more laid-back looks she'd
08:40been sporting in recent years.