Swift’s passion for music began at a young age, and she soon moved from parts in children’s theatre to her first performance in front of thousands. She sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game when she was 11 years old, and the following year she began writing songs.
Swift composed original songs that expressed her experiences of adolescent isolation, drawing inspiration from country music performers such as Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. Swift’s parents sold their farm in Pennsylvania. They moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee, when she was 13 years old, so she could dedicate more time to pursuing country record labels in neighbouring Nashville.
Swift met recording industry veterans through a development deal with RCA Records, and at age 14, she signed as a songwriter with Sony/ATV. At venues in the Nashville region, she sang many of her original songs, and it was during one of these performances that record executive Scott Borchetta took note. Swift was recruited by Borchetta to his nascent Big Machine label, and her debut single, “Tim McGraw” (inspired by and heavily mentioning her favourite country musician), was released in the summer of 2006.
Debut album and Fearless
Instantly popular, the song remained on the Billboard country singles chart for eight months. Swift launched her self-titled first album at age 16 and toured as the opening act for Rascal Flatts. In 2007, Taylor Swift was certified platinum for selling over one million albums in the United States. She continued her rigorous travelling schedule, and The performer has opened for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, among others. In November of that year, the Country Music Association (CMA) honoured Swift with the Horizon Award for best new artist, capping off a year in which she had emerged as country music’s most prominent young star.
Kanye West incident at the VMAs
In 2009, Swift went on her debut headlining tour, performing to sold-out crowds across North America. Swift also dominated the industry award circuit that year. The Academy of Country Music named Fearless album of the year in April, and she won best female video for “You Belong with Me” in September at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Kanye West argued that the award should have gone to Beyoncé for what he dubbed “one of the finest videos of all time” during Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech. Later in the show, as Beyoncé presented the award for video of the year, she brought Swift onstage to continue her statement.
This gesture earned both singers a standing ovation. In November of that year, Swift won all four categories for which she was nominated at the CMA Awards. Her selection as CMA performer of the year made her the award’s youngest-ever recipient and the first solo female singer to win since 1999. She began 2010 with an exceptional performance at the Grammys, where she won four honours, including best country song, a best country album, and album of the year.
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