Billy Dukes

How do you convince a skeptical country audience that you're country? You get Vince Gill to sing and play guitar on your first true country single. That's what Kelly Clarkson did with 'Don't Rush,' a song she'll perform at the CMA Awards on Nov. 1. The pairing is magic. 

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A new class of country heroes has taken over the Male Vocalist of the Year category at the CMA Awards. Once-familiar names like Chesney and Paisley have been purged from the list of nominees, with newcomers like Luke Bryan and Eric Church filling the spots in 2012. While one can argue for someone other than these five men, it's difficult to argue against any of them. Who do you think will win the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the 2012 CMAs?

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Proving she has one of the best senses of humor in country music, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles painted her very pregnant belly orange for Halloween and shared the picture with fans on Twitter. The singer is expecting her first baby with husband Justin in November. 

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Kelly Clarkson continues to dodge the inevitable marriage question, saying she and boyfriend Brandon Blackstock have a long-term future together without explaining why she wants to hold off on marriage. In an interview with Taste of Country Nights radio host Jeremy Robinson this week, the 2012 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year nominee explains why they're moving so slowly -- or at least slower than fans want them to. 

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Carrie Underwood used Twitter to announce that her new single would be 'Two Black Cadillacs,' the darkest song on a delightfully stormy new album called 'Blown Away.' The lyric pushes the normally plucky country superstar to the edge of evil. It's as far as she can go without falling off the cliff of believability. 

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No category at the 2012 CMA Awards will be as debated as the Female Vocalist of the Year category. The five women chosen this year range from pop to outlaw, with a sprinkle of traditional and a sniff of bubblegum. Kelly Clarkson is a first-time nominee, while Miranda Lambert is shooting for her third straight win in this category. Who do you think will win the Female Vocalist of the Year award at the CMAs?

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Hunter Hayes in nominated in the New Artist of the Year category at the 2012 CMA Awards -- a huge deal for a kid who's only 21. He'll even get a chance to perform, which he admitted he is a terrifying prospect. Taking the stage in front of country legends, the men and women he's idolized for years... "There's a lot of fear," Hayes tells Taste of Country Nights host Jeremy Robinson. 

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Eric Church heads into the 2012 CMA Awards with five nominations, including Male Vocalist of the Year. While he's excited -- and would be appreciative of any honor he can take back to his band -- the 'Creepin'' singer tells Taste of Country Nights host Jeremy Robinson awards are not what drives him. In fact, he finds the fast turn-around from one year ago a little bizarre.

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Two notes and two hand claps into the Band Perry's new single 'Better Dig Two' and one finds assurance that the sense of drama and danger the sibling trio infused into the best songs from their self-titled debut album will be back on album No. 2. Some ambient knocking combined with thin, haunting plucking make this song an instant soundtrack for Halloween. But it will likely have legs long after Oct. 31.

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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.

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