Table of Contents
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Swift’s “Tim McGraw”
3
Taylor’s Self-Titled Debut
3
On CMA’s Horizon
4
Grammy Acclaim for Miss Swift
4
Taylor Turns 18!
4
Taylor Tops CMT Awards
4
This One’s For Mama!
4
Taylor Dates A Jonas Brother
5Fearless
1
5
Swift’s VMA Diss
5
Taylor Squared
5
Sweeping the CMAs
6
Grammy Girl
6
Swift Goes Hollywood
6
Taylor Kisses & Tells
2
A
t 13, Taylor Swift, who began writing songs at age 5, signs with RCA Records. A year later, she gets out of the contract because she doesn’t want
to sing other writer’s songs. Around that time, she becomes the youngest
songwriter to sign a publishing deal with Sony – but doesn’t want her songs sung
by other artists. “She has a real inner vision, a real inner directedness,” says Scott
Borchetta, who eventually urges Swift to write and sing under a recording contract
with his indie label, Big Machine Records.
Swift’s “Tim McGraw”
Swift’s breakout single, “Tim McGraw,” which she began writing in her freshman
math class, hits country radio airwaves. The song is about hoping her love thinks
of her when he hears Tim McGraw’s music. It peaks at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot
Country Songs chart. While performing her hit at the Academy of Country Music
Awards in 2007, Swift finally meets McGraw when she walks into the audience to
serenade McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill.
Taylor’s Self-Titled Debut
Big Machine Records releases the 16-year-old’s self-titled
debut album. “I didn’t come in to this to be baby-sat,”
Swift tells the AP about having creative control. She also
says she isn’t afraid of the tough country music
industry: “Not by any measure. I’m intimidated by the fear of being average.”
Her debut eventually sells more than 2.5
million copies.
On CMA’s Horizon
At the Country Music Association Awards,
17-year-old Swift performs her latest hit,
“Our Song,” before winning the coveted
Horizon Award. “I can’t even believe that
this is real,” she says during her acceptance speech. “I want to thank God and
my family for moving to Nashville so I could
do this. The fans – you have changed my life. This is
definitely the highlight of my senior year!” Past winners
include Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks and Carrie Underwood.
3
Grammy Acclaim
for Miss Swift
Called upon to help announce the
Grammy nominations, Swift is
ecstatic when she hears her own
name in the category of Best New
Artist. An ecstatic Swift rushes
over to fellow announcers, Foo
Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Taylor
Hawkins, and hugs them. “Don’t
worry, Taylor,” Grohl says, “you
got it in the bag.” At the ceremony,
another talented singer-songwriter,
the troubled Amy Winehouse, nabs
the trophy.
Taylor Turns 18!
To ring in her milestone 18th
birthday, Swift’s parents, Andrea
and Scott, throw her a pink party in
Nashville. The birthday girl parties
with some 200 guests, including
Kellie Pickler. “This party is our
birthday gift to her,” her
mother tells PEOPLE. “She knows
the real gifts in life
are relationships.”
But the best part
about turning 18? “I
wanted a No. 1 record,
and I got that,” Swift
says of her chart-topper
“Our Song.” “And
I got something I
didn’t even ask for:
a Grammy nomination. It’s been a
great year.”
Taylor Tops CMT
Awards
At the fan-driven Country Music
Television Awards, Swift – barefoot
for most of the show – nabs two
major prizes, including Video of
the Year. “Are you sure? Are you
serious?” Swift says in disbelief
as she accepts her first award for
Female Video of the Year. Of her
lack of footwear, she later tells
PEOPLE, “I walked by Faith Hill
and I was like, ‘This hurts so bad.’
And she was like, ‘Take them off,’
Faith Hill told me to. So I did it.”
This One’s For
Mama!
“Mom, thank you so much. I love
you. This is for you!” Swift tells
the crowd as she tearfully accepts
the award for Top New Female
Vocalist at the 2008 Academy of
Country Music Awards. She also
gives a dripping wet performance
of “Should’ve Said No,” during
which water pours on her from the
ceiling.
Taylor Dates A Jonas Brother
Although Swift says Joe Jonas, 19,
is just a friend, the Jonas Brothers
cutie fuels rumors when he turns
up at her concert. Through her
rep, Swift says of Jonas, “He’s an
amazing guy and anybody would
be lucky to be dating him.” While
Jonas recently said, “She’s a great
girl...I think anybody would love to
go on a date with her.” In October,
they call it quits, and Swift writes
a track, “Forever and Always,”
inspired by their breakup.
4
Fearless
Swift’s sophomore effort, Fearless, tops the Billboard charts with 592,000 copies
sold in its first week. Rolling Stone calls Swift “a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture. If she ever tires of stardom, she could
retire to Sweden and make a fine living churning out hits for Kelly Clarkson and
Katy Perry.” Fearless resides at No. 1 for more than six straight weeks and earns
Swift Album of the Year at the Academy of Country Music awards.
Swift’s VMA Diss
While accepting the MTV VMA for
rupted by Kanye West, who comes
with her win. “Beyoncé had one of
time,” he says. After, celebs like
Clarkson and even President Obama
take West to task. He eventually
phones Swift to apologize.
best female video, Swift is interonstage and takes issue
the best videos of all
Kelly
Taylor Squared
After Taylor Lautner is snapped
at Swift’s concerts–including
one in which she runs offstage
to give him a hug–the Valentine’s Day costars attend
a hockey game together
in Los Angeles. Pressed
about their relationship,
Swift says, “He’s an
amazing guy and we’re really close.”
album of the year. “I just hope that you know how much this means to me – that
we get to take this back to Nashville,” she says in her acceptance speech. At the
ceremony, the country hitmaker also scores best country song, best female country
vocal performance and best country album.
Swift Goes Hollywood
Swift makes her big-screen debut in the star-studded movie Valentine’s Day with
former flame Taylor Lautner. The romantic comedy, which also costars Julia Roberts and Ashton Kutcher, debuts at the top of the box office. “She may win something as an actress very soon,” director Garry Marshall predicts of the acting newcomer. “I think she’s got a career.”
Taylor Kisses & Tells
With the release of her third album Speak Now, Swift nabs her first PEOPLE cover,
where she dishes on the guys (Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner and apparently John
Mayer) who inspired her new music. “I will say everything in my music,” says the
20-year-old country star. “There’s been extreme joy, extreme pain, extreme curveballs. Sometimes when things impact you so intensely, it takes writing a song to get
over them.”
Sweeping the CMAs
It’s a monumental night for Swift at the 2009 Country Music Awards, where she
takes home four awards, including album of the year for Fearless and entertainer
of the year. “I will never forget this moment because in this moment everything I
have ever wanted has just happened to me,” the 19-year-old says after becoming the
youngest-ever winner of the CMA’s top trophy.
Grammy Girl
Eight-time Grammy nominee Swift takes home four awards, including the coveted
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