Along the way Country Weekly has earned the rabid loyalty of fans throughout the U.S., as well as in several other countries, and has acquired a reputation as the "go to" source for country radio personalities who want the latest scoop on stars ranging from legendary icons to newcomers.

In a special Dec. 28 collector's edition of Country Weekly, on stands Dec. 21, the publication takes a look back at how far the magazine and the industry have come since 1994. It includes a timeline of major industry happenings over the past 15 years, plus often-funny photos of how current stars looked way back when. FYI, Taylor Swift was as cute as a 5-year-old as she is now, having just turned 20 on Dec. 13.

Also in the special issue are memorable covers throughout the years, selected photos from visits to artists' homes and a great selection of more than 50 comments from country stars—from the biggest superstars to the newest newcomers—wishing Country Weekly well and congratulating the publication for leading the way in covering country music for so many years.

"It's hard to believe 15 years have passed since Country Weekly was launched," says Editor in Chief Larry Holden. "Covering the industry and the music we love has been a labor of love for all of us on staff, and we couldn't be more grateful to our loyal readers and to the artists who've been so cooperative through the years as we've endeavored to tell their stories.

"Our goal is always to take our readers places they'd like to go—whether backstage at a concert, on an artist's tour bus, in a star's living room or inside the recording studio. We look forward to doing that and much more for at least another 15 years."