Kellie Pickler: "blessed" to have been abandoned by mom

Season 5's sixth-place finalist, Kellie Pickler, recently told FOXNews.com's Pop Tarts section that she feels blessed to have been abandoned by her mother when she was young. Kellie said the following:

"It’s great to be open about everything I’ve had to overcome and this turned out to be the best thing — I am so, so blessed. My grandma filled that void of not having my mom in my life, so she was like my grandma, my mom and my best friend all in one."

Kellie also said fellow Season 5 alum Katharine McPhee has been somewhat of a "sister" to her:

"Katharine has been like a sister to me. So I was very, very honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding."

Kellie's new single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," is up on her official music MySpace page and will be available to purchase at digital retailers on Tuesday.