Kellie Pickler Performs for the First Time Since Husband's Tragic 2023 Death

Kellie Pickler returned to the stage for the first time since the 2023 death of her husband Kyle Jacobs, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Pickler, 37, stunned the crowd in an emotional tribute to country music legend Patsy Cline at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

In a TikTok video from the tribute concert, the audience cheered and applauded for Pickler, who was wearing a black long-sleeved embellished gown.

Pickler admitted she was nervous because she hadn't played in so long. The singer explained Cline was a major influence on her career before she performed The Woman I Am, which she co-wrote with her late husband.

Pickler also acknowledged Jacobs, telling the crowd, "The last time I was here in The Ryman Auditorium was with him on a date night, and I know he is here with us tonight."

RadarOnline.com told you — Jacobs died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 17, 2023, at the home he shared with Pickler. The country singer was asleep in another room when the incident occurred.

Since Jacobs' death, his parents, Reed and Sharon Jacobs, have been in court pursuing access to his last texts and emails, as well as the sealed Medical Examiner's report and photos. Jacobs' parents were appointed co-administrators of his estate after Pickler declined to take on the role.

We broke the story — last week, a judge granted Jacobs' parents access to the sealed report and photos, which they said they needed to fully "administer" their late sons' estate.

"Due to the circumstances of the Decedent’s death, Davidson County Medical Examiner Megan Whitesell came to the residence in question and conducted an investigation of the scene of death," Jacobs' parents said in the motion requesting access to the sealed report.

"A copy of the report and photographs prepared by Megan Whitesell is in the possession of the Davidson County Medical Examiner but is not a public record, and requires and Order of the Court to be released."

The Jacobs also won a major court victory over Apple after they claimed the tech giant ignored a subpoena demanding their late son's electronic data. In March, Tennessee Probate Court Judge Andra Hedrick ordered that Apple turn over Jacobs' texts and emails to his grieving parents.

A two-page decree stated, "Apple, Inc. is ordered by this Court to assist [the parents] in the provisions of access to the Decedent’s information from the Decedent’s accounts."

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Jacobs' grieving parents previously requested a comprehensive list from AT&T's Subpoena Center and Apple's law enforcement division of their late son's electronic data — including calls, texts, emails, electronic location from cell phone tower pings and "all iCloud data" — dating back to January 1, 2021, according to the subpoena delivered on November 29, 2023.

Apple initially refused to hand over the requested data citing the Stored Communications Act, which protects electronic communications held by a service provider.