Joe Nichols

Nichols first met his now-wife Heather when he was 18 years old -- but it would take 12 years for the couple to tie the knot.

They may be stars now, but some of country music's most popular performers really paid their dues in their early days.

"I had that idea in my notebook for 8-10 years. For whatever reason, it never hit me in a way to write it in a song ..."

Do y'all agree?

Swift will perform on 'SNL' this fall.

Some of its biggest stars -- yes, even the ones who sing drinking songs -- are sober.

Country music may be known for its "tear in my beer" sad songs, not to mention its tunes about trucks, dirt roads and Southern living, but the genre also has a helluva sense of humor.

Nichols had been signed to BBR's Red Bow Records, which folded this summer.

Which is your favorite?

Who's the scariest man in Nashville? Country stars open up about what scares them the most ...