'American Idol's Pickler: Singer and survivor19-year-old from Albemarle overcomes lifetime of adversity to grab her chance at stardom MARK WASHBURNTV/Radio Writer THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Spunky Kellie Pickler and her fellow "American Idol" finalists are the "It" gang of Hollywood this week, notching record TV ratings and making the celebrity rounds. It is a heady trip for the 19-year-old waitress at Sonic, a long way from both her hometown of Albemarle and a sometimes heart-breaking childhood, she says, one that included abandonment and a child-custody battle that landed her in the compassionate embrace of her grandparents. She shared her story with...