Billy Dukes

Tim McGraw could make a pretty strong Christmas album if he chose to do so. His new release 'Mary and Joseph' is a creative -- but not too creative -- interpretation of the story of Jesus' birth. McGraw tells it like he's told the best stories of his two decade-long career, with a sweet reverence for the struggles his characters are living through.

Read More

Platinum certification for one million albums sold didn't begin until 1976, so while other recordings may have soared past this sales mark, 'Wanted: The Outlaws' became the first official platinum album that year. The project featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter and it would eventually go on to be certified double platinum.

Read More

Shania Twain proved she was still the most popular country music singer in the world when she released 'Up!' in 2002. The album features hit singles like the titletrack, 'I'm Gonna Getcha Good' and 'Forever and for Always.' The sad news related to this anniversary is that it also means it's been an entire decade since Twain has released a new album. 

Read More

Country stars shined on stage and on the red carpet at the 2012 American Music Awards on Sunday night. The ABC broadcast featured performances by Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, and moments to celebrate for fans of Underwood, Swift, Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum. These four artists were just a few of Nashville's best that turned heads on the AMAs red carpet.

Read More

Five-year-old Ava Schipke wanted three things for her birthday: a Barbie mermaid doll, a Doc McStuffins doctor kit and a phone call from Jake Owen. Thanks to Twitter, she got all three -- even though one was far-fetched.

Read More

Driving the tension during Wednesday night's episode of 'Nashville' (Nov. 14) was music from top country, rock and alt-rock singers. Songs from Loretta Lynn, Gary Clark Jr. and Lindi Ortega were worked into Episode 6, titled "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)."

Read More

Casey James is looking forward to kicking off the Taste of Country Christmas Tour with JB and the Moonshine Band this week in Abilene, Texas. When the 'Crying on a Suitcase' singer stopped by the Taste of Country Nights studio to talk about the tour, he revealed that his mother occasionally hops on stage with him. At least, she used to...

Read More

Tim McGraw will debut a new single from his upcoming 'Two Lanes of Freedom' album at the 2012 CMA Awards on Thursday night. The singer made the announcement alongside details of the new album on Tuesday morning. 'One of Those Nights' is part of a collection of songs that promises to cover his broadest emotional range yet.

Read More

The sanguine melody of Ashley Monroe's new bluegrass-tinged song 'Like a Rose' runs counter to the sad (at first) story the singer tells. This conflict makes her new recording one you may find on repeat for reasons you can't quite explain. It's beautiful in a tragic way.

Read More

Friday night's Taste of Country Showdown promised to be a battle of country music titans, but one didn't show up. Chris Young fans dominated supporters of the Band Perry, meaning his new single 'I Can Take It From There' is just one win away from retirement and enshrinement into the Showdown Hall of Fame.

Read More

Actress Ashley Judd could be looking toward politics for her next job. The younger sister to Wynonna Judd and daughter to Naomi Judd is said to be considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2014, but in a statement, she would only go as far as indicating that it's possible -- but too early -- to discuss the potential campaign.

Read More

This week, the 2012 presidential election dominated the news cycle, and a few country stars made headlines with tweets about the results. Hank Williams, Jr. caused the biggest stir with his opinion on the future of America. But was that the biggest country music news story of the week?

Read More