Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is a pop diva and platinum-selling country music superstar. Growing up in Reading, PA, she developed a love for country music, especially Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. By the age of 10, she began singing and performing around her hometown at festivals, fairs, karaoke contests. She started writing songs at the age of 12, and this was the same time she got her first guitar.
Big Break
Taylor’s family realized her talent and determination, and they made regular trips to Nashville. At the age of 14, she became the youngest songwriter signed to a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. This is when the family packed up and moved to Hendersonville, TN.
Her self-titled debut was released in 2006. It debuted at No. 3, but 39 weeks later, it hit the top of the charts and has sold over 2.5 million copies, earning the young star a Platinum album.
Although her album came out in October 2006, it was 2007, that was really a career year for Taylor Swift. As mentioned above, her album reached the No. 1 spot on the charts and did so well that her label decided to re-package it with some video content, a few more songs, and release it as a Deluxe Limited Edition. Fans could listen to several new songs, watch all the videos released up until that time, plus watch a movie edited by Taylor herself.
In April, Taylor won her first award, at the CMT Music Awards, for “Breakthrough Video,” for “Tim McGraw.” She was so ecstatic, that she promised to take the award with her out on the road with Brad Paisley later that year. And, she did.
Taylor Swift gained a huge following through her MySpace page early on in her career. She made a point to connect personally with fans every day, and answer questions, and it has grown so much that she’s become the No. 1 Country artist on Myspace, and her music has surpassed over 40 million streams. In 2007, when she won CMT’s Breakthrough Video award, she thanked her “Myspace fans,” and said she would bring the award on the road with her when she went on tour with Brad Paisley, later that year, which she did. She even let fans pose with the award.
Before the end of the year, and her 18th birthday, she would reach another milestone, as her single “Our Song” became her first No. 1 song. Not only was it No. 1, but it remained in the position for six weeks, into 2008.
In 2008, Taylor continued touring (she was on the road with Rascal Flatts as well as headlining some shows), which she loves so much.
In November 2008, she released her sophomore release, titled Fearless. The singles “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” soared to the top of the Billboard charts, earned Taylor various awards including the 2010 Grammy for Album of the Year, and it ultimately became the best-selling album of 2009.
Preceded by the single “Mine,” which hit the top of the iTunes chart in just a few hours of release, Taylor continued her winning streak with the October 2010 release of her third album, Speak Now. The album staggeringly sold over one million copies in its first week alone.
She’s hardly the first country star to have a doll designed in her likeness, but in the fall of 2008, fans were able to buy Taylor Swift fashion dolls, and dress the doll in outfits that Taylor has worn. There’s even a replica of her trademark crystal guitar.
Taylor is the first female solo country artist to have written or co-written all the songs on her Platinum-selling debut. The album has since sold over 3 million copies.
