Country music songwriter Kyle Jacobs dead at 49

Country music songwriter and producer Kyle Jacobs has died at the age of 49, according to Nashville police.

Authorities confirmed Jacobs's death on Friday in an apparent suicide, CNN reported.

An assistant for Jacobs's wife, Kelly Pickler, called the authorities after the pair could not locate him and were unable to enter an upstairs room. 

Jacobs's career as a producer led him to work with major country music acts such as Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw. He earned an Academy of Country Music Award in 2014 as a producer on Lee Brice's "I Drive Your Truck."

Pickler earned attention for her stint on American Idol. The pair appeared together in the documentary series "I Love Kelly Pickler," which ran for three seasons.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.