Pickler was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her mother, Cynthia Morton, gave birth to her at age 18 and abandoned Kellie when she was age two, and her father, Clyde "Bo" Pickler, Jr., described by Kellie as having had a lifetime problem with drugs and alcohol, served a 3 year 9 month prison sentence at Florida State Prison for aggravated assault and battery stemming from a 2003 stabbing incident. He was released on May 6, 2006 a week after his daughter was eliminated from American Idol.

 

 

               Pickler moved to Albemarle, North Carolina, where she lived with her grandfather, Clyde Pickler Sr., and her grandmother Faye Pickler until her grandmother's death in January 2002. She continued to live with her grandfather until she was a contestant on Idol. She graduated in the class of 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, NC, though she was an average C student and frequently failed tests. She sang On The Side of Angels by LeAnn Rimes at her graduation commencement from North Stanly in 2004.

 

Roller-skater waitress

 

               She has worked as a waitress at a Sonic Drive In franchise. As an active participant in the Miss America circuit, Pickler won the "Miss Stanly County" pageant at age 17 and subsequently competed for Miss North Carolina 2004. In 2005, she made an appearance on WSOC-TV's Gimme the Mike! contest and took second place. She attended Stanly Community College, studying cosmetology.