Taylor Alison Swift aka Taylor biography

Real biography: Introduction

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country music singer-songwriter . Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2006, Taylor made her debut on the country charts at age sixteen with the release of her debut single "Tim McGraw". Her self-titled debut album was released in late 2006, and has since been certified platinum by the RIAA for selling more than one million copies in the United States; to date, the album has produced three Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, all three of which have also reached Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2007, she also won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award.

Life Story

Taylor Swift was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and lives with her parents in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Swift's influences include her grandmother, who was an opera singer, and LeAnn Rimes. At the age of ten, Swift began to perform around her hometown, Wyomissing, singing at karaoke contests, festivals, and fairs, she also started writing her songs at age 10. Her first exposure to the music business consisted of recording demo tapes at a studio. At age 11, Taylor made her first trip to Nashville in hopes of attaining a record deal by handing out a demo tape she had made of her singing along to karaoke songs. She handed this tape to receptionists at every label on Music Row. Taylor returned to Pennsylvania; her break came at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, when her rendition of the national anthem moved the crowd.

In Nashville she wrote songs with local songwriters. The family decided to move to Hendersonville, Tennessee, an outlying Nashville suburb. When she performed at Nashville's premier songwriters' cafe, The Bluebird Café, she caught the attention of Scott Borchetta. Scott signed her to his newly-formed record label, Big Machine Records.

Swift's first single, "Tim McGraw", was released to radio in Summer of 2006. On October 24, 2006, her self-titled CD was released. The album, on which Swift wrote or co-wrote all of the songs, debuted at #19 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 61,000 during its first week. In 2007, it peaked at #1 at Billboard Top Country Albums and #8 at Billboard 200. It also spent eight consecutive weeks at the top of Top Country Albums.

On May 15, 2007, Swift performed "Tim McGraw" at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She sang the song to Tim McGraw in the audience, and introduced herself for the first time to him. Taylor has been an opening act for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their Soul2Soul 2007 tour. She is currently touring with Brad Paisley and has opened in the past for George Strait and Rascal Flatts as well.

In October 2007 Taylor's songwriting peers at the Nashville Songwriters Association International honored her with their Songwriter / Artist of the Year Award, making her the second youngest artist ever to win the award.