Lee Brice On Kyle Jacobs: ‘I Really Struggle Still With Why He’s Not Here’
Lee Brice is keeping Kyle Jacobs’ legacy alive with the release of “Save The Roses.”
Kyle Jacobs, Lee Brice; Photo via Instagram
Lee Brice is honoring his longtime friend and collaborator, Kyle Jacobs, with the release of his new single, “Save The Roses.”
After Jacobs, an award-winning songwriter, passed away in February, Brice thought long and hard about his next musical chapter. Rather than release a song from a new project, Brice chose to honor Jacobs by releasing “Save The Roses.”
“Save The Roses” Is At Country Radio Now
“I had already had a couple hits off this record and I was like, ‘I really need to move onto some new stuff,’ so that’s where I was goin’… And then Kyle left us and I could just not get past the fact that I just wanted to put this song on the radio,” the South Carolina native shared in a recent interview with Audacy’s Katie & Company. “I wanted people to hear (it) because now it has a whole new meaning to me. I just wanted to keep him around a little bit longer…. Because I really struggle still with why he’s not here.”
Kyle Jacobs was found dead on Friday (Feb. 17) from an “apparent suicide” in the Tennessee home he shared with his wife, Kellie Pickler.
Lee Brice admitted the days after Kyle Jacobs’ death were some of the “hardest of my life.”
They Frequently Collaborated
Through the years, Brice recorded several songs written or co-written by Jacobs, including “Rumor,” “Four On The Floor,” “Don’t Need No Reason,” “Good Man,” “Picture Of Me,” “Show You Off Tonight,” “See About A Girl,” “Always The Only One,” “One More Day,” “In The Swamp,” “‘Til Summer’s Gone,” and many more.
Lee Brice and Kyle Jacobs also co-wrote Garth Brooks’ massive hit “More Than A Memory” alongside Randy Montana. The song went on to become the first song to debut at Number One on Billboard’s Country Singles chart in its entire history.
“The saddest thing about Kyle is the people who didn’t get to meet him, because they are unlucky souls if they didn’t ever get to meet Kyle Jacobs because he was the light of the world all of the time,” Brice shared of his dear friend.
Song Appears On Hey World
“Save The Roses” was co-written by Brice and Jacobs alongside Joe Leathers. The song is the fourth single from Brice’s 2020 album, Hey World.
The song is told from the perspective of someone who recently died and is looking down on their funeral from heaven.
“I appreciate y’all, yeah I really do/ Brought all these flowers/ In your black dresses and suits/ But y’all know me and you know the truth/ That ain’t me in that box there in front of you/ Can I just get an amen and y’all just get outta here/ I got the best view ever now that I’m way up here/ Joking ’round with Jesus, catching up with Grandpa/ Hurry up preacher, I’m telling y’all,” he sings on the opening verse.
See The Music Video
He goes on to tell his friends and family to stop mourning him. Instead of grieving, he suggests they go live their lives to the fullest.
On the chorus, he sings, “You should be fishing/ With a cold beer in your hand/ Instead of missing me here/ Y’all should be missing me there, high up in your deer stand/ Save my truck and save my guns/ And when thеy’re old enough, give ‘еm to my sons/ Don’t let this stained glass shine on y’all too long today/ And save the roses, save the roses/ Don’t waste them on me.”
Just two days before his death, Jacobs celebrated a career milestone alongside Brice when the album Hey World was certified platinum by the RIAA. Jacobs was a co-producer on the project and took to Instagram to mark the occasion.
“Platinum?! SWEEEET!!! An amazing crew of incredibly talented peeps put this one together…” Jacobs wrote. ”Deeply honored to be a creative part of it… Thank you, Jesus!!!”
In addition to working with Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs also wrote songs recorded by his wife, Kellie Pickler, as well as Eli Young Band, Jerrod Neimann, Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Clay Walker and many more.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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