On Friday (February 17), news broke that star country songwriter Kyle Jacobs took his own life in his Nashville, Tennessee home. He was just 49 years old.
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Jacobs’ wife, the standout country performer Kellie Pickler, reportedly was looking for him in their home and when she couldn’t locate him but came across a locked door in their house, she called 911. Nashville police later declared Jacobs dead on the scene. As a result, the country world is devastated.
Jacobs, a hit songwriter who penned songs for Garth Brooks (“More Than a Memory”), Lee Brice (“Rumor”), and Tim McGraw (“Still”), last shared a celebratory message on Facebook on Feb. 15 when he learned Brice’s 2020 album, Hey World, was certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. Jacobs served as a producer and songwriter on the project.
[RELATED: Report: Kellie Pickler’s Husband, Songwriter Kyle Jacobs Dies at 49]
“Platinum?! SWEEEET!!!” the producer and songwriter wrote. “An amazing crew of incredibly talented peeps put this one together…Deeply honored to be a creative part of it…Thank you Jesus!!! @leebrice @curbwordmusicpub @curbrecords #countrymusic“
Pickler and Jacobs were married in 2011. The pair were the stars of the reality show, I Love Kellie Pickler, for three years, beginning in 2015. Pickler rose to popularity on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006, placing sixth on the show.
Here, American Songwriter wanted to celebrate Jacobs’ life and his impact on music. So, to that end, here are the artist’s top 10 songs. They are, of course, not songs he performed, but rather those he wrote for country performers.
1. “More Than a Memory,” Garth Brooks
Written by Jacobs, Lee Brice, and Billy Montana, this track dropped in 2007, the third single from Brook’s third compilation album, The Ultimate Hits. The song, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, also peaked at No. 53 on the Hot 100. The track was Brooks’ first No. 1 country song since “To Make You Feel My Love” nearly 10 years prior. “More Than a Memory” is also often the first song mentioned when it comes to Jacobs’ extensive, hit-rich catalog.
2. “Still,” Tim McGraw
Written by Jacobs, Lee Brice, and Joe Leathers, “Still” was released in 2010 as the third single from McGraw’s LP, Southern Voice. The song is about remembering.
3. “Dust,” Eli Young Band
The second single from the Eli Young Band’s fifth LP, 10,000 Towns, “Dust” was released in 2014. It was written by Jacobs, Jon Jones, James Young, and Josh Osborne.
4. “Rumor,” Lee Brice
Written by Jacobs, Ashley Gorley, and Brice, this song hit the radio waves in 2018. It was the second track from Brice’s eponymous solo album. The track is about the small town Brice grew up in—a place where people talk.
5. “8th World Wonder,” Kimberly Locke
The first single from former American Idol standout, and finalist Kimberley Locke. It came from her debut solo album, One Love, which dropped in 2004. It was written by Jacobs, Joel Parkes, and Shaun Shankel and debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Singles Sales Chart. It even earned a Teen Choice Awards nomination in 2004. The song spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. No small feat. It peaked at No. 49 and was Locke’s only track to make the Hot 100.
6. “Mother’s Day,” Kellie Pickler
The seventh song from Jacob’s now-widow’s third solo album, this song takes on a whole new meaning in Jacob’s passing. The two wrote it together.
7. “The Sun Will Rise,” Kelly Clarkson
Released on the deluxe edition of Clarkson’s Stronger album as a bonus track, this 2011 song was written by Jacobs and Danelle Leverett. It’s a song of hope in sad times—something needed now for many in Music City.
8. “I Can’t Outrun You,” Trace Adkins
From Trace Adkins’ 2008 album, X, this song was written by Jacobs, Ben Glover, and Joe Leathers. “I Can’t Outrun You,” about distance never being far enough, was one of the standouts from the album.
9. “Another,” Adam Doleac
A single released in 2021 from Doleac’s 2022 LP, Barstool Whiskey Wonderland, “Another” was one of the most recent tracks Jacobs wrote and released with an artist.
10. “Nashville Without You,” Tim McGraw
Written by Jacobs, Joe Leathers, and Ruston Kelly, this song came out in 2013 on McGraw’s album, Two Lanes of Freedom. Could there be a sadder title today?
Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
