THEN AND NOW: The most iconic country stars of all time
- Country music stars have evolved over the years.
- Many country icons like Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are still creating music today.
- Keith Urban and Blake Shelton went on to be judges on shows like "The Voice" and "American Idol."
Dolly Parton has become a country icon.
From a girl who grew up on a farm to a household name in country music, Dolly Parton is now quite a country icon.
She made her debut in the '60s and soon became a household name with hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."
Dolly Parton has since made countless hits, won many awards, and opened her own theme park called Dollywood.
Recently, she was on the receiving end of a special tribute at the 2019 Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Luke Bryan went from working at a peanut plant to selling out stadiums.
Bryan worked at a family-owned peanut plant during the day and played gigs at night for years before taking the country music scene by storm. Before he was singing chart-toppers, Bryan actually wrote hits for fellow artists. He released his debut album in 2007.
Since then, he has sold out countless arenas, has released multiple chart-topping hits, and has acted as a judge on "American Idol."
Since then, he has sold out countless arenas and has released multiple chart-topping hits.
Bryan has also acted as a judge on "American Idol."
Blake Shelton began his rise to popularity when he was just 17 years old.
Born in Oklahoma, Blake Shelton's first number-one hit song "Austin" was released nearly 20 years ago.
Blake Shelton went from songwriter to TV judge.
Since then, he has been named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2017 and has served as a coach and judge on "The Voice."
He is also married to fellow judge on "The Voice" Gwen Stefani and the two have even released music together, including the holiday song "You Make It Feel Like Christmas."
Carrie Underwood won "American Idol" and shot up to superstardom.
Carrie Underwood made her entrance onto the country music scene in 2005 as the winner of "American Idol." She released her debut album "Some Hearts" that same year.
Since then, Carrie Underwood has had many multi-platinum albums and has won countless awards.
She also received a Grand Ole Opry induction award. The singer is now married to ice-hockey pro Mike Fisher and they have two kids.
When Rascal Flatts first entered the country music scene, they were sporting frosted tips and wearing camouflage and leather on the regular.
Their first album debuted in 2000, nearly 20 years ago.
Rascal Flatts is still putting out music.
With 16 number-one hits and over 23 million records sold, Rascal Flatts has continued to rise in fame over the past few years.
Keith Urban began his climb to success in country music in the early '90s.
Urban is a native of New Zealand who was raised in Australia and he released his debut album in 1999.
Keith Urban has been making music for decades.
Since his start, he has won many awards, has released several chart-topping songs, and has acted as a judge on both "American Idol" and Australia's "The Voice."
Taylor Swift landed in the country music scene at just 16 years old.
Taylor Swift took the music world by storm with her catchy love songs.
Today, her look has changed quite a bit, her success has grown tremendously, and her sound has entered the pop-genre territory.
In 2014 and 2017, she released the chart-topping pop albums, "1989" and "Reputation," respectively.
Tim McGraw began topping country-music charts in the early '90s.
He released his debut album, "Tim McGraw" in 1993.
Tim McGraw still has a dedicated following of fans.
McGraw is married to fellow country-music legend Faith Hill and he is still releasing chart-toppers.
Faith Hill moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a singing career when she was 19.
The songstress released her first album "Take Me As I Am" in 1993. The debut album featured the chart-topping singles "Wild One" and "Piece of My Heart." She continued to dominate the '90s and early 2000s with songs like "This Kiss," "Breathe," and "Cry." She even sang the National Anthem at the 2000 Super Bowl.
Since then, Faith Hill has taken home five Grammy Awards and 15 ACM Awards.
She continues to be one of the most popular country artists, alongside husband Tim McGraw.
Darius Rucker rose to fame with his band Hootie & the Blowfish.
With hits like "Only Wanna Be With You" and "Wagon Wheel," his solo career was also quite successful.
Rucker reunited with Hootie & the Blowfish in 2019.
Kenny Chesney began playing music when he joined a band in college while pursuing a degree at East Tennessee State University.
He signed his first record deal in 1993 and then released his debut album in 1994.
Since then, Kenny Chesney has been the recipient of countless awards, including entertainer of the year.
Reba McEntire began pursuing music in the ninth grade when she formed a band with her siblings.
The Encyclopedia Britannica lists Reba McEntire as "one of the most popular female country vocal artists of the late 20th century.
Reba McEntire remains wildly popular.
Over the years, McEntire has built an admirable career both in music and television. She even starred as the titular character in her hit show "Reba" for years.
She is also one of few performers to ever receive the National Artistic Achievement Award. And, in 2018, she became Kentucky Fried Chicken's first female Colonel Sanders.
Despite her first album not getting much attention, Shania Twain has broken a slew of records throughout her career.
She became the first female recording artist to have two consecutive albums break the 10 million mark in copies sold with "The Woman In Me" (1995) and "Come On Over" (1997).
Shania Twain has become the best-selling female artist in country music history.
She took a 15-year hiatus from the industry and released her fifth studio album "Now" in 2017.
She also broke the internet when she performed alongside Harry Styles at Coachella in 2022.
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