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Seven Country Crossover Stories

Rock and TV Stars Search for a Place in Country Music

With Taylor Swift venturing toward the pop world, it's worth noting country music has always held a certain allure for outsiders, attracting everyone from Hollywood actresses to former rock stars. Here are a few crossover stories from the past few years:

Lucy Hale: While she'll always be Pretty Little Liars' Aria Montgomery in our hearts (#RIPMona), Hale's first dip into country music has been pretty, too, with a Top 5 debut for her debut album, Road Between.

Jana Kramer: Jana Kramer surprised us all when she made the switch from One Tree Hill actress to country singer, earning an ACM Award and, at least temporarily, a certain country heart along the way.

Jamie Lynn Spears: It's probably time to stop calling her "Britney's sister." On her first country single, "How Could I Want More," Jamie Lynn Spears proved to have a voice of her own -- and a good one, at that.

Sheryl Crow: One of the great singer-songwriters of the past two decades, Crow emphasized her country side when she released her Feels Like Home album.

Lionel Richie: Lionel has yet to confirm a permanent switch over to the country side, but if the success of 2012's Tuskegee is any indication, it's a move worth considering.

Jewel: It's been a few years since she released a country album, but we're still holding out hope for another. Until then, we'll just keep listening to Perfectly Clear.

Darius Rucker: Perhaps the biggest crossover success story of the last few years, Rucker's transition from Hootie & the Blowfish's frontman to country superstar was solidified by his No. 1 cover of Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel."

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