Megan Pacella

It’s been a pretty big year for Hunter Hayes, to say the least. In addition to releasing his first No. 1 song, ‘Wanted,’ Hayes’ hit also achieved certified platinum status earlier this fall — not to mention dozens of accolades he’s received. Yesterday (Oct. 22), Hayes appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ to perform his most popular tune.

Earlier this summer, when ‘American Idol’ execs were trying to nail down their judges panel, several names of country music stars were thrown into the mix. Before Keith Urban accepted the gig, Toby Keith was approached with an opportunity to take a seat at the table. Now, the in-your-face country star admits that he didn’t hesitate at all when he declined the offer.

Taylor Swift’s ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ has been getting a lot of attention. But perhaps the most eye-raising use of the popular debut single from ‘Red’ tune is that it’s currently being used as the ‘official’ song of the NHL lockout.

After spending 30 days in treatment to help herself cope with anxiety and stress, LeAnn Rimes is back on stage and ready to open up about what prompted her enter a rehab program. Despite dealing with a lawsuit and heading out on tour, Rimes claims to be in a good place.

Before he even considered judging the upcoming season of ‘American Idol’ or sat down in that big red chair on ‘The Voice’ Australia, Keith Urban had plenty of experience with singing competition shows. As a young boy, the ‘For You’ hitmaker appeared as a contestant on an Australian reality show that is similar to ‘Idol.’ However, he wasn’t as popular as he is now… by any means.

Eighteen is not an insignificant number for Lauren Alaina. Not only is the 17-year-old country star’s latest hit called ‘Eighteen Inches,’ Alaina is about to embark on an 18-city Eighteen Inches tour. The tour kicked off last night (Sept. 21) in Bloomsburg, Pa., and will lead up to the singer’s 18th birthday on Nov. 8.

Have you ever typed your favorite celeb’s name into Google, only to find a bunch of bogus links created by computer hackers? It’s likely. The next time you search for Taylor Swift online, beware! A recent McAfee Most Dangerous Celebrities study named her the 15th most dangerous celebrity to search for on the internet.

Scotty McCreery has only been a country music star for a few years now, but the 18-year-old ‘The Trouble With Girls’ hitmaker is already breaking records. On Friday (Sept. 7), the Guinness Book of World Records announced that McCreery is the youngest male artist to ever enter the U.S. albums charts at the No. 1 spot.

Keith Urban is back on the road, and he’s so excited to be playing music for his devoted fans that he’s pulling out all the stops. The ‘You Gonna Fly’ hitmaker recently wrapped up a series of shows in Canada and the Northeast, pausing in New Hampshire to join forces with fellow country crooner David Nail. The two stars wowed fans by putting on their own rendition of Brooks and Dunn‘s ‘Brand New Man.’

Blake Shelton is pretty used to being nominated for big awards, but that doesn’t mean he’s not ecstatic to receive more nods at the CMAs this year. The ‘God Gave Me You’ hitmaker has racked up four new nominations in 2012. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Hunter Hayes is enjoying the first CMA nomination — and he’s eternally grateful.

In the past few months, Jake Owen has made it clear that he wishes it could be summertime all year long. In addition to releasing an ‘Endless Summer’ EP with four summery tracks, when the handsome country crooner became the headliner for this year’s CMT on Tour package, his multi-city trek was named the ‘Jake Owen: The Summer Never Ends 2012′ tour. He’ll close the tour in December with a stopover in his hometown of Vero Beach, Fla. There, he’ll hold his annual hometown fundraiser to raise money for Autism Speaks, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and several local charities and organizations.

Taylor Swift continually proves that she’s a world-renowned country hitmaker. The superstar will soon appear at the 2012 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, where she’s being honored with the inaugural Generation Award.