On Oct. 24, 2006, a little-known singer-songwriter from Wyomissing, Penn., released her self-titled debut album. That 16-year-old was Taylor Swift, who went on to become one of the most successful and influential recording artists of the past two decades — shattering sales, chart and box-office records.Yahoo Entertainment had a rising entertainers campaign, "Who's Next?" and that kid with corkscrew curls performed a song that apparently is still part of her tour today.
But 17 years before she was selling out a historic six-night "Eras Tour" run at Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium (and four months before Taylor Swift came out), she performed at Yahoo Entertainment's office in Santa Monica, Calif., on July 12, 2006. She was in her very first era, just a kid with corkscrew curls, cherub cheeks and a dream.
People who claim to be Serious Musicologists carp about her performance, or perhaps they grouse about her politics. It's not that the Custodians of High Culture have covered themselves with glory recently. Moreover, establishing yourself in entertainment is probably easier these days than it was when Lily Pons or Jenny Lind were coming up.
A little chutzpah can go a long way, all the same.
“I decided I wanted a record deal when I was 10 years old,” she told us at the time, sounding incredibly well-spoken and grounded even at such a young age. “I came to Nashville for the first time when I was 11 and had this little demo CD of me singing [Dixie] Chicks songs, and walked into every major record label and was like, ‘Hey, I’m Taylor. I’m 11. I want a record deal. Call me.’”The article gives no hint that her parents were living vicariously through her accomplishments, which is refreshing contemplating the early years of Britney Spears or Ludwig van Beethoven.
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