Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow wrote "Picture" and recorded it for his Cocky album. Eventually it'd become a big cross-genre hit and rank among the best country songs of the 2000s, but was that romance real?

It's the question everyone wondered at the time and in the years since the song's 2002 release. During this episode of Secret History of Country Music, we explore what led up to "Picture," why the rap-rocker's record label didn't want him to record it and why another woman was included on the initial release to country radio. There's drama, people!

Both Kid Rock and Crow coyly denied dating in interviews that followed, but he's rarely been candid about who he's been paired with, aside from Pam Anderson. She plays a role in this ep., and it's her involvement that best indicted the two singers as former lovers. Why else would she be jealous, right?

Some mean-spirited shenanigans from Crow's record label almost prevented the original duet from moving forward, but radio stations nationwide did what was best for their listeners and the song. The truth is, the pure country version wouldn't have had the shelf life that Rock and Crow's did, and the alternate singer didn't have the same chemistry with Detroit native. It's that chemistry that continues to intrigue to this day.

What do you think? Did they date or no? Watch this video and let us know in the comments section. The Secret History of Country Music is a new weekly series hosted by Taste of Country News host Ania Hammar. We'll go deeper inside the stories of country music's biggest hits, moments and figures. Look for episodes about Scotty McCreery and Miranda Lambert coming up, and be sure to subscribe to Taste of Country's YouTube channel so you never miss a new episode.

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