Billy Dukes

Having the biggest country music scandal of any year is an honor that comes with few congratulatory messages, so it seems unlikely many will be showered upon Jason Aldean for winning at the 2012 Taste of Country Awards. His night out with dancer and former 'American Idol' contestant Brittany Kerr was named the Scandal of the Year by Taste of Country readers.

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Recent pictures on Thompson Square's official Twitter page had fans wondering about the health of Shawna Thompson. "Hey y'all please pray for Shawna," a tweet from Wednesday afternoon reads. An earlier tweet reveals a banged up and bruised

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The image of a newly-shaved Kellie Pickler sitting alongside good friend Summer Miller as Miller prepared to begin her fight against breast cancer proved to be the most memorable of 2012. Pickler's photo was voted the Picture of the Year by fans in the 2012 Taste of Country Awards, which concluded on January 15.

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The Best New Artist category at the 2012 Taste of Country Awards was near a statistical tie with just 24 hours left to vote, but Casey James's fans stepped up in a big way to push the 'Crying on a Suitcase' singer past his competition. James took almost 39 percent of the vote, beating Hunter Hayes and the Hayniacs by two percentage points.

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Taylor Swift earned seven new honors, including Artist, Album and Song of the Year, at the second-annual Taste of Country Awards. The fan-voted awards concluded last night (Jan. 15 at midnight), with the 'Begin Again' singer outlasting fellow superstar Carrie Underwood in many of the categories.

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Eric Church has released his most devoted love song from 'Chief' as the album's fifth single. 'Like Jesus Does' reveals the singer's vulnerabilities in a way none of his previous ballads have done. Like 'Springsteen,' reference is made to famous classic rock standards, giving the song some familiarity even before a first listen is finished. 

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Beginning this week, readers get to decide the 10 hottest videos of the week in the brand new Taste of Country Top 10 Video Countdown. On Friday (Jan. 18), the first video countdown will debut, showcasing the most popular country music videos as decided by readers' votes.

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John Wilkinson was by Elvis Presley's side for the last 10 years of the singer's life, playing over 1,200 shows with Presley until 1977. The pairing was both destined and miraculous, as Wilkinson once snuck backstage to tell the legend that he didn't know how to play guitar. The slight -- from a 10-year-old Wilkinson -- was received warmly by the King, but it'd be another decade before they'd join forces. The rhythm guitarist died on on Friday (Jan. 11) after a battle with cancer.

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Mindy McCready has lost the man she calls her soulmate, and her son 9-month-old son, Zayne, has lost a father. McCready's boyfriend David Wilson was found dead on Sunday morning (Jan. 13). He was 34.

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Billy Ray Cyrus evokes sounds of the Mississippi Delta with his new single 'Hillbilly Heart.' The song leans against a big, bad, foot-stompin' guitar lick before the singer reveals his best blues voice. The result is ugly ... in a good way. 

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'Tim McGraw and Friends' -- a new compilation album put together by the singer's former record label partner Curb Records -- will feature 11 fan-favorite collaborations from a 21-year career. 'Twisted,' a duet with Colt Ford, has been announced as the album's single, but fans can look for other pairings with Lionel Richie, Randy Travis, Tony Bennett and Faith Hill when the compilation is released on Jan. 22, exclusively at Walmart.

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