Billy Dukes

The 12th season of 'American Idol' began Wednesday night (Jan. 16), with Keith Urban taking the judge's chair for the first time. He spent most of the show dodging barbs between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. The two pop stars seem to be stealing most of the day-after press, but at least one country singer received a golden ticket. Can country music dominate 'American Idol' in 2013 like it did in 2011?

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A new version of the John Anderson classic 'Swingin'' appears in the upcoming movie 'Super Zeroes.' The legendary country singer re-cut the song with Colt Ford and created a song that truly blends the two singer's unique styles. During an interview shared exclusively with Taste of Country, Ford and Anderson explain the history of the song and the new recording.

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David Wilson's death -- a suicide -- comes after what friends describe as a jubilant time in his and girlfriend Mindy McCready's life. Apparently, the singer had just won a lengthy custody battle over her oldest son, Zander, before Christmas.

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Jake Owen found his niche with songs from the 'Barefoot Blue Jean Night' album, but the unidirectional theme is wearing thin with the arrival of his new single 'Anywhere With You.' There's a thread of spontaneity and nostalgia throughout all of Owen's most recent hits. He is the essence of carefree, which is refreshing... but no longer surprising. 

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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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Katie Armiger's new album, 'Fall Into Me,' features 14 songs that describe love's highs and lows. It's a rollercoaster ride that at times feels like that line from Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' i.e., "I say 'I hate you,' we break up, you call me, 'I love you.'" Fortunately, Armiger's way with words is more debonair.

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