Kellie Pickler Breaks Down Crying at CMA Awards

Kellie Pickler broke down crying during the CMA Awards on Wednesday night while performing "I Wonder," a song about her estranged mother, who abandoned her when she was 2.

"Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California," Kellie sang as tears began to fall. "And just in case you’re wondering about me – From now on I won’t be in Carolina – Your little girl is off to Tennessee."

Pickler’s mother, Cynthia Malone, has said that she was forced to leave her child because of an abusive relationship with her then-husband. "I knew God had to have a purpose for Kellie, because there was too many times I would have miscarried because of all the hitting and beating on my stomach," Malone told the Charlotte Observer in July.

Pickler, 21, struggled to finish the song and spoke the final word, "Tennessee," as the Nashville crowd rose in applause to support her with a standing ovation.