Billy Dukes

The magic of many of the songs on Kacey Musgraves' debut album -- including her new single 'Blowin' Smoke' -- is in the little details. 'Merry Go 'Round' thrived in efficient specificity. The follow-up is equally effective in its portrayal of a life waiting tables.

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Kacey Musgraves' Mercury Records debut album is everything a new artist dreams her first record will be. 'Same Trailer Different Park' is well-written, edgy (yet familiar) and coated in "cool." Musgraves is an original who at age 24 is surprisingly wise and adept at using her voice to share her experiences. 

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Thompson Square were going to give it one more shot and then move on to something else. The married duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson say they had one more showcase as a duo lined up, and if that didn't work out, well ... fans would never know hit songs like 'Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not' or 'If I Didn't Have You.' Fortunately that performance led to a deal with Stoney Creek Records.

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Eric Gunderson of Love and Theft is a first-time father as his wife Emily gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday (March 10). Everyone is said to be doing well, but the couple won't be at peace at home anytime soon, as the new arrival was born two months early and is in the NICU.

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The themes found on 'Hush Hush' -- the new single from the Pistol Annies' anticipated sophomore album 'Annie Up' -- work within the portrait of the hard luck, rural America that the trio of women painted on 'Hell on Heels.' One recognizes a few characters, but one element is missing:

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Toby Keith's bass player of 25 years has been killed in a two-car collision in Oklahoma. Carl "Chuck" Goff Jr. was Keith's bassist, band leader, friend and the co-writer on two of his best known songs. He died on Wednesday (Feb. 27) at the age of 54.

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Before there was Scotty McCreery, Carrie Underwood or even Kelly Clarkson, another country act got a start on a television singing competition. Ed McMahon's 'Star Search' named its first Vocal Group winner in 1983, and helped launch the career of a pack of hitmakers as reliable as any in the early to mid-90s. 

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Weather or a faulty power strip may be to blame for a fire that destroyed one building and damaged others at Loretta Lynn's home on Thursday night (Feb. 21). Firefighters arrived to Hurricane Mills at 7:30PM to put out the blaze. Lynn's management later tweeted to tell fans she was safe.

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During one of Mindy McCready's final conversations, the singer describes finding her dying boyfriend, David Wilson, and the miserable and frantic two hours that followed. The phone call was reportedly taped one day before she died and made available on Monday night.

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Billy McKnight -- Mindy McCready's ex-boyfriend and the father to her oldest son, Zander -- says he's not surprised that the singer took her own life on Sunday afternoon. Right now he is worried for his son, as well as McCready's son with David Wilson, 10-month-old Zayne.

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One day before Mindy McCready was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the singer sent a private investigator she had been working with a cryptic message. It was a single frame from a video they had been working on together of McCready singing a song called 'I'll See You Yesterday.'

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LeAnn Rimes is upset about her busted gums, so she's seeking damages from her dentist. The country singer has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Duane C. McKay for misdiagnosis that led to tooth pain, gum bleeding, a list of mouth surgeries and general misery.

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