Over the past two decades, Kyle Jacobs built a reputation in Nashville as one of country music’s most accomplished songwriters. The Minnesota native earned the respect of many of the genre’s most prominent artists for his talents as a lyricist and musician.

He became a staff writer for Curb Records in 2003 and went on to pen songs for a lengthy list of established hitmakers, including George Strait, Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina and Clay Walker.

Many fans first got to know Jacobs through his relationship with another country talent: In 2011, he tied the knot with Kellie Pickler after a nearly three-year-long courtship. Their 2015 reality show I Love Kellie Pickler gave viewers a glimpse into the couple’s everyday lives as they navigated their individual careers in the music industry.

The country music community is mourning the sudden loss of Jacobs, who was found dead in the couple’s Nashville home on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at the age of 49. Although his life was tragically cut short, Jacobs leaves behind a trove of incredible songs that country fans will treasure for many more decades to come.