Jacobs cowrote the track with Brice and another friend
Lee Brice is honoring his dear friend, producer and co-writer Kyle Jacobs with “Save the Roses.” The song was written by Brice, Jacobs and Joe Leathers and is featured on his most recent album, Hey World. Brice and his label Curb Records decided to release the track in lieu of a song from an upcoming album after Jacobs died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound last month.
The track is described as “an incredibly moving song made far more personal and poignant in light of losing Kyle.” Jacobs was a long-time writer for Curb Music Publishing and husband to country singer Kellie Pickler. Jacobs co-wrote songs with for his wife, Kelly Clarkson, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, and others.
Last week, Brice sent a letter to the movers and shakers of the industry, asking that they support the song to honor Jacobs.
“Hey y’all… I really don’t know what to say or how to do this, so I just gotta say what is on my heart. I now know what it feels like to lose a huge part of me – to lose someone that I can’t imagine never seeing again. This past Friday, we lost one of the great ones. My brother, my friend, my mentor, my cowriter, co-producer, and so much more, Kyle Jacobs. This world, absolutely and without a doubt, lost a huge light this weekend. It breaks my heart to think that light is gone, and it breaks my heart for the people who never knew him,” Brice shares.
He continues, “Kyle was a warrior in every way – a friend among the greatest friends and selfless to a fault. You can’t even begin to dream up a scenario in which he wouldn’t show up for you or lend that helping hand for anyone he knew. There’s no way to put into words all the things he was to me and anyone who was lucky enough to cross his path.
“He and I spent so many days, so many nights diving deep into life, love, joy, hard times, music, and God. Man, we talked about Jesus a lot. Somewhere in the middle of those times, we wrote songs together. And these weren’t just ‘songs’ – I mean, these are some of the most magical songs of my entire life.
“With that said, I was sitting in my truck yesterday, flashing through so many memories of him and I just couldn’t stop crying thinking about how I will never see him again in this life. I will never make another memory with him and it is crushing me. I just want to keep him here as long as I can, and the only way I know to do that is in music. So, I am sending you this with my hat in my hand.
“I want to honor my brother, so instead of moving on to new music, a new record – I feel God very strongly pulling at my heart to release this song. A lot of you may have heard it on this last album, but if you haven’t, it’s called ‘Save The Roses.’ I wrote it with Kyle and our best friend Joe Leathers. I had no idea when we wrote it, that it would eventually be a song about Kyle – a great friend whose life deserves to be honored as he blessed so many lives while here on this Earth.
“With all of my heart, I just have to give this to God and no matter what happens I know that Kyle will be smiling down on this world and that’s really all I care about right now.”
Nashville Metro fire department found the 49-year-old Jacobs “deceased from an apparent gunshot self-inflicted gunshot wound in an upstairs bedroom/office” of the pair’s home on February 17th. Pickler reported that she was asleep when the incident happened but began looking for Jacobs after awakening and couldn’t find him. Her assistant called 911 after she and Pickler were unable to open the door where Jacobs was found. The death is being investigated as suicide.
