Y101

Y101 is your connection to Taylor Swift

This afternoon between 3-7pm you can drop by the Crazy Horse in Kanata for the Y101 Taylor-Gate Party as Nancy broadcasts live. Fill out a ballot for a chance to win Front Row seats to the show.

Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Growing up, she developed a love for country music, especially Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. By the age of 10, she began performing around her hometown, at festivals, fairs and sang at karaoke contests. She started writing songs at the age of 12, and this was the same time she got her first guitar.

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.

At a showcase at the Bluebird Cafe, Taylor caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, who was at the time planning to launch a new label. He signed her to his label, "Big Machine Records," and a career was born. 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. 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.

At the ACM Awards that year, Taylor finally got to meet her idol, and the namesake of her first hit song, "Tim McGraw." Not only did she meet him, but she actually sang "Tim McGraw" to him, as he and wife Faith Hill sat in the front row at the awards show. Fans will not forget when the song ended, she reached out her hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Taylor."

At the ACM Awards, Taylor collected the Best New Female Artist Award. In November at the CMA Awards, she took home the Horizon 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. In November 2008, she released her sophomore release, titled Fearless. Like the first album, it contains songs she's written and co-written. Since its release in November of 2008, FEARLESS has spent more weeks at #1 on Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 chart than any other album this decade and helped her sell more albums in 2008 & 2009 than any other artist, in any genre of music. 

It has produced #1 singles on both Billboard’s Pop and Country Radio charts and helped Taylor become the first country artist in the history of SoundScan to have not one, but two singles reach #1 on the Pop Chart. 

As for her first headlining tour in 2009 – the FEARLESS TOUR sold out every show in mere minutes, including every seat in Madison Square Garden in 60 seconds.

Her trophy case display is one of the most diverse of any artist today...and its collection is growing at an exponential rate. There’s the “Moon Man” for her Female Video of the Year win at the MTV VMAs  -- the first ever for a country artist. And, the golden belt buckles from her back-to-back wins for Female Video of the Year and Video of the Year at CMT Music  Awards.  Also, a handful of Teen Choice and American Music Awards mingling with her ACM Top New Female Artist Trophy from 2008, and the Academy of Country Music’s “Crystal Milestone Award.”  Only two artists have been honored to receive it.  One is Taylor.  The other -- Garth Brooks.

And the sparkling centerpieces -- the 2009 American Music Award for Artist of the Year, and the 2009 CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year, country music’s highest honor. Taylor is the youngest artist ever, and only the sixth female act in history, to win this prestigious award.

Then there is the trophy that perhaps best puts in to perspective Swift’s hypersonic ascent to superstardom.  In 2007, she took home the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award.  Just two years later, she swept the CMA Awards’ top prizes – winning four trophies: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Video of the Year. Later that same month, Taylor was the year’s big winner at the American Music  Awards, walking away with trophies for Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Artist (Country), Favorite Female Artist (Pop/Rock), Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Album (Country – for Fearless).

This young woman who, as a high school freshman, sang of “trying to find a place in this world” is now a global sensation.  FEARLESS has already reached Gold and Platinum status in fourteen countries spanning five continents.  Sales of FEARLESS and her debut album, TAYLOR SWIFT have now totaled more than 10 million. And, the first country superstar of the digital age has also sold more than 20 million downloads.

But perhaps the ultimate testament to the album’s place in country music history –the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and the American Music Awards ALL named FEARLESS the 2009 Country album of the year, making her the youngest artist ever to earn these awards.

And now with this re-release of the award-winning record, Taylor is offering even more music to her fans. For the FEARLESS: PLATINUM EDITION, Swift has added essentially a half an album’s worth of new songs to the original record. In addition to the new music, the PLATINUM EDITION includes a bonus DVD of exclusive photos, music videos – including the award-winning “You Belong With Me”.

Taylor’s rise to superstardom might seem at times to have happened in the blink of an eye, but in reality it has.

Taylor is the Y101 Artist of the Month for May. Her May 20th date at Scotiabank Place is sold out, but Y101 Country Club Members can win tickets to the show.