Billy Dukes

Brantley Gilbert celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday (Jan. 20) by proposing marriage to his girlfriend, 'Whiskey' singer Jana Kramer. Kramer gave an enthusiastic "Yes!" meaning the two are now engaged.

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The votes have been tallied, and one of country music's hottest superstars has the No. 1 video this week. The other nine spots ... well, there are some pretty big names from Nashville there as well. Brantley Gilbert, the Band Perry, and Little Big Town all have new videos in the Taste of Country Top 10 Video Countdown. None of these three come in at No. 1, however. 

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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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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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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 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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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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'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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Listen closely to the end of 'Tornado,' the latest hit from Little Big Town. Is that a ringtone as the song fades out? Taste of Country Nights host Jeremy Robinson is convinced that's the case, and he's brought in special, complicated audio-isolation equipment to prove it.

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