Did Toby Keith Really Help Launch Taylor Swift’s Career?

It’s been heartening to see the frankly surprisingly positive sentiments about Toby Keith from a majority of music and media outlets in the aftermath of Keith’s death. From Rolling Stone to The New York Times, outlets that tend to take advantage of these situations to use an individual as a punching bag did not in this case, and instead delved into the complex and nuanced nature of Toby Keith’s career and character.
Aside from a small segment of embittered [Dixie] Chicks fans (who prove their lack of knowledge on the subject by not dropping the [Dixie] from their name), most everyone is recognizing the major and important impact Toby Keith had on American culture at large. Maybe the rabid polarization of society isn’t as all-consuming as we previously believed.
But there is one point of order about Toby Keith that probably deserves to be clarified. Though in the aftermath of the death of people, you want to say positive things—and if you enter the realm of embellishment that’s probably more acceptable than in other circumstances—saying that Toby Keith was the impetus behind Taylor Swift’s career, or even a significant player, is misleading at best, if not outright false.
Did Toby Keith play a very minor role in the initial signing of Taylor Swift to her first deal as a performer? Sure. As the money man who was there to help Big Machine Records President Scott Borchetta get the label off the ground, he had some role in that process. But did Toby Keith discover Taylor Swift? No. Did Toby Keith develop, mentor, or shepherd Taylor Swift’s career? No. Was he involved in the creation of her music in any capacity? No. Did he sign her to his label? Not really.
Instead, Keith acted simply as a financial facilitator that helped launch the Big Machine label where Swift would ultimately begin her meteoric rise.
The misconception that Toby Keith helped launch Taylor Swift’s career comes from a now viral clip taken from a Channel 4 WSMV news story shot in 2005 that features a 15-year-old Taylor Swift singing and talking about her career. The pertinent part of the feature starts, “[Taylor Swift came to Nashville last year writing her own songs, singing them, and hoping someone would like them. Toby Keith did, so much so that he just signed her to his new record label. That makes them partners.”
Taylor Swift then says, “You’re in the room with him and you can feel it. There’s a power there. And you’re just like ‘Oh my God.” So I do think I will ever get to a point where I’ll see him and be like, ‘Oh my God that’s Toby Keith.'”
But notice that it’s the reporter that gives Toby Keith the credit, not Taylor Swift. Swift simply says she’s star struck when standing in the same room with the guy.
So then who does deserve credit for helping launch Taylor Swift’s career? First and foremost it is Scott Borchetta. Borchetta is the man who first met Taylor Swift in 2004 when she was signed to Sony/ATV as a songwriter and was in a development deal with RCA. Borchetta then saw her again perform at an industry showcase at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in 2005, and decided to do what nobody else was willing to do in Nashville, which was to give Taylor Swift as an actual performing and recording contract as opposed to a development deal.
Before starting Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta was a music executive at DreamWorks Nashville, which was a label founded by David Geffen in the late ’90s. Borchetta himself was the son of another label executive, Mike Borchetta. Scott had moved to Nashville when he was 16 when his father started his own label.
Once Scott Borchetta knew that he wanted to sign Taylor Swift, what happened next was sort of a convoluted set of circumstances that can get bogged down in details. But long story short, DreamWorks dissolved in September of 2005, Toby Keith started his own label called Show Dog, and Scott Borchetta started Big Machine. But since Toby Keith was the guy with the money due to all the major hits he had at the time, he helped seed Big Machine with the money to get off the ground, and Big Machine was initially an imprint or subsidiary of Show Dog.
Show Dog and Big Machine were basically sister labels for a short period, but Taylor Swift was never signed to Show Dog. She was signed to Big Machine. Though some overlook this fact, Taylor Swift was not in fact the first signee to Big Machine. It was actually Texas country artist Jack Ingram.
Big Machine and Show Dog officially split in 2006 shortly after Swift’s first single “Tim McGraw” was released, but Toby Keith kept his stake in the company as an investor. Though we don’t know exactly how large that investment continued to be, it was sizable. Also, Taylor Swift’s father had invested $120,000 in Big Machine for 3% stake in the company. This is where the idea that Swift’s dad “bought her career” comes from.
Long story short, Toby Keith was simply a behind-the-scenes financial investor that helped launch Big Machine Records. His direct or even indirect involvement in Taylor Swift’s development and career were marginal. In fact, by enacting his pound of flesh on Big Machine through his initial investment in the label, Scott Borchetta, and indirectly, Taylor Swift were having to pay Keith well beyond any involvement, which according to some, led to animosity.
“Toby’s a really smart businessman,” Borchetta once told Forbes. “I send him checks.” Keith’s continued investment in Big Machine is one of the reasons he continuously topped the Forbes list of highest paid country entertainers well past the time that Keith was landing hits on country radio. As Saving Country Music said in its obituary for Toby Keith, his significance as a businessman in country music cannot be overstated.
The two other people who also deserve significant credit for the rise of Taylor Swift are songwriter Liz Rose, and producer/musician Nathan Chapman. Like Borchetta, both of these people believed in Taylor Swift when nobody else did, and invested significant amounts of their own time to seeing Swift’s career take off. Rose would meet with Swift every day after school to help hone her songs, though Rose insists they were always Taylor’s ideas. Nathan Chapman became Swift’s one man band, recording demos and eventually her full songs almost solely playing and producing the music himself.
The reason the now viral local news segment about Taylor Swift and Toby Keith probably singled out Toby Keith is because in 2005, Keith was one of the biggest artists in all of country music, and nobody knew who Scott Borchetta was, let alone Liz Rose or Nathan Chapman. But these are the three people who deserve the lion’s share of the credit for Taylor Swift’s ascent.
Unfortunately though, news stories tying Toby Keith to Taylor Swift’s success now abound on the internet. Some have even used this growing misconception that Toby Keith was Taylor Swift’s benefactor to lash out at Swift for not acknowledging the death of her once super important “partner.”
Journalist and political commentator Matt Couch called out Swift on X/Twitter, saying, “Going to be interesting to see what [Swift] says about Toby Keith.. Without Toby Keith there wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift.. Toby signed her to his record label and gave her, her start..”
But it’s really hard to defend that characterization. Country artist/political commentator John Rich also chimed in, “When is Taylor Swift going to share some words about Toby Keith? The man who discovered her, got her the 1st record deal? Taylor, where are you today? #TobyKeith”
But again, Toby Keith did not discover Taylor Swift. This is how the mischaracterizations of a media story can reverberate into a monster of a misconception. Maybe Taylor Swift should say something, but she’s been a little busy lately.
Let’s not entirely discount that Toby Keith did play some very minor role in the rise of Taylor Swift. Sure he did. But not in the capacity that justifies the headlines and characterizations you’re seeing online, or the vitriol landing at Taylor Swift’s feet.
Ultimately, it was Taylor Swift’s own ambition, and her own songs that caught on and helped make her a superstar.
February 9, 2024 @ 12:18 pm
Trigger, this type of article is the reason why your work and this site truly is the best.
Wonderful piece, and clarifies my preconceived notions that Toby Keith had a significant role in discovering her. Every label needs a money man or investors, but I am glad to now know the people and the names that really helped launch her career. I knew of Scott of course, but not Liz and Nathan.
Great Journalism as always!
February 10, 2024 @ 10:52 am
Do you believe everything you read
February 10, 2024 @ 6:32 pm
Saw Tsylor Swift warm up for George Strait in Denver Colorado. Don’t recall the year.
February 12, 2024 @ 8:29 am
it was 2007. I went to the Columbus, OH show and Ronnie Milsap was on the bill also. Fun fact, I was driving in my car and the local radio station said that Taylor was doing an in-store appearance at the Meijer grocery store in Lancaster, about 20 miles away and not really a big destination (my hometown); I didn’t go, but “Tim McGraw” was starting to gain momentum and I’ve always been curious how many people showed up in the produce section. Still have the ticket stub and like to claim that my wife and I saw TS “before she was big” . I recall really liking Ronnie’s set.
February 29, 2024 @ 7:07 pm
So glad you wrote this story!!
I knew the truth but how can a LOL in south Florida compete with John Rich and his mouth!!
Get the facts, people!! Don’t believe everything some guy says!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!’
And I’m sure all Swifties will agree!
February 9, 2024 @ 12:25 pm
I think it’s not so much waning polarization as that it’s been so many years since he was cluttering the airwaves with idiocy about Afghans riding camels etc.
February 9, 2024 @ 2:04 pm
Funny, I don’t recall him ever directly mentioning Afghanistan or camels in any of his songs. Nor was he ever disrespectful to the Afghan people only the terrorists.
February 9, 2024 @ 3:29 pm
Yes he did write a song about an Aghan riding a camel and yes it was just as stupid as that war i.e. very very stupid.
February 9, 2024 @ 3:33 pm
And now we’re in some stupid wars again. Really should stop.
February 10, 2024 @ 11:17 pm
What song
February 9, 2024 @ 4:34 pm
Taliban song
“ You know someday soon we’re both gonna saddle up
And it’ll be ride, camel, ride
My old lady, she’ll be here with me, just smilin’ right by my side
We should do just fine out around Palestine or maybe Turkmenistan”
February 11, 2024 @ 11:24 am
Long and the short of it…
Any response from Taylor Swift would have shown respect and support to a fellow musician and his family during this difficult time. I guess some of us are too busy living the lavish life
February 20, 2025 @ 1:28 pm
I think tweeting condolences are tacky and lazy. Maybe Taylor actually picked up the phone which would take some class and called his family personally with a message of love. Nobody knows. So maybe we should not assume the worse.
February 9, 2024 @ 2:43 pm
Yeah how dare an American be pissed off about a terrorist attack he should have wrote a song about having empathy to the terrorist that was the reason so many died on 9/11.
February 9, 2024 @ 6:18 pm
The Taliban Song is hilarious and it never cluttered the airwaves. Because it wasn’t a single.
February 9, 2024 @ 8:37 pm
Right. It was part of what Toby used to call the Bus songs: Not-professionally-produced material that he’d tack on to the end of his CDs. (One of the others was “I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again” that he did with Scottie Emerick.) It was not p.c., but it was not insulting or nasty, either
February 9, 2024 @ 10:43 pm
So that’s where the song Runnin’ Block came from lol
February 10, 2024 @ 3:51 pm
Love that song.
“I tried to drink her skinny but she still weighted about 215.”
February 9, 2024 @ 1:15 pm
Trigger, great article – and I’m glad you brought it up, especially since a lot of punditd used this as a politics swipe at Taylor. I think the insinuation was that she didn’t comment because Toby leaned to the right politically (misconception) and was very pro-America (very true).
I’m not sure what your interest level in Taylor’s early days in Nashville (ha!), but last month a 20 page email from Scott Swift to Daniel Dymtrow shed light on Taylor’s early career and key players in Nashville, leading up to how Scott Borchetta “discovered” her. No mention of Keith, though. The email, legally public through a lawsuit, borders a fine line between personal family drama venting and fascinating Nashville business gossip. But if you’re ever in the mood, I think you’d find some of the names and topics quite interesting. The full email is on Reddit.
February 9, 2024 @ 1:28 pm
Great article and writing once again. I’m so glad you talk about Liz Rose. The story I had heard (from who knows who) was that Scott Borchetta asked Gerry House to cowrite with Taylor and he had no interest in writing with a 16-year-old. Borchetta then asked Liz Rose and the hit songwriting began. When I met Liz I asked her about whether she really wrote the songs from a generalized idea had or if it really was a co-write. As you wrote, she affirmed that Taylor Swift came in with fully formed tunes and lyrics and Liz Rose made them more Nashville-worthy. I’m so glad she did — Liz deserves the millions she’s earned! I’ve also heard varying stories about Mr. Swift’s investment, but regardless, Taylor’s talent is what took her to the heights she has reached now.
February 9, 2024 @ 7:00 pm
Last week Liz Rose was at Key Western Fest in Key West that featured an all woman lineup. She was a hoot all week, walking around in inappropriate trucker hats and cracking jokes. I’m still not exactly sure why she way there, but I’m glad she was.
February 9, 2024 @ 1:34 pm
I listened to Travis Kelce on that commercial and now the left side of my body is numb and it took me two hours to type this.
February 9, 2024 @ 2:15 pm
Great article. The headline was misleading to me..in a good way.
Somebody had to have helped her along the way. But the person with the biggest hand in her success is Taylor.
February 9, 2024 @ 3:20 pm
“enacting his pound of flesh on Big Machine”
whoa.
February 9, 2024 @ 3:30 pm
Why did John Rich need to chime in? I don’t like his face. It makes me want to do things to it.
February 9, 2024 @ 5:07 pm
Rich chimed in because because of the current right-wing’s obsession with demonizing Swift. Stay up with the times! ???? On a similar note, I’m looking forward to watching the rigged Superbowl on Sunday, haha.
February 9, 2024 @ 7:09 pm
My dislike of him transcends ideologies. That Save A Horse jig was the antithesis of authentic music, and he’s done nothing to redeem himself in the years proceeding. I also don’t know why they care about Tyler Swift and her pronouns, which I assume she has. She/hers are fine as long as they don’t force me to do it too.
February 9, 2024 @ 4:03 pm
I do feel however that there was plenty enough connection there that it warranted a response to his passing, even if not directly involved with all that stuff. There was enough connection.
February 9, 2024 @ 7:04 pm
It would be nice to see Taylor Swift acknowledge Toby Keith’s passing, but I also think it’s unfair to celebrities to demand they make public statements any time anyone dies or some natural disaster happens, etc.
There are numerous articles floating out there right now about how insanely busy Taylor Swift is. After the Grammy Awards, she flew to Tokyo for her world tour, and now is flying back for the Super Bowl. For all we know, she sent a private note to Keith’s family.
February 9, 2024 @ 8:05 pm
You very well could be correct, however I think anyone with a sane mind realizes there is a certain persona he had and it did not necessarily line up with her fan base. While it might not be the reason, it is something that has to be considered. You are right that celebrities do not have to say something, but I don’t buy their too busy thing for one bit.
February 12, 2024 @ 7:49 am
Just a thought…maybe she thought posting something would just stir up an unnecessary hive of fans (and casual observers, she’s a big enough deal that it’s hardly just the fans paying attention) taking potshots at Keith’s legacy, character, etc. Which is not particularly comforting to his grieving loved ones. But the fanbase of, say, Alan Jackson would be less likely to react like that, so of course a kind little tribute of some sort is appropriate.
Better to just send private condolences or, if she had a negative or ambivalent opinion of TK, just don’t say anything.
February 10, 2024 @ 1:59 am
Respect to you for your article and this response to others comments. No one knows what she may or may not have done to pay her respect, which I feel is nobody’s business but hers. If others, like Rich, don’t have something nice to say, they shouldn’t be saying anything. I’m sure The Big Dog himself wouldn’t appreciate his name or passing being used to throw shade on anyone.
Thank you for the clarification that shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place.
Excellent article, Great Job!!
February 16, 2024 @ 9:07 am
Let’s hope she did something respectful whether publicly or privately.even on a plane going wherever for whatever. I hope her family raised her better.
February 9, 2024 @ 4:44 pm
Excellent article! One other person who in my opinion deserves credit for the early success of Taylor Swift is Troy Tomlinson, the then head of Sony/ATV. As you mention, she was signed to Sony/ATV as a songwriter prior to her record deal with Big Machine when she was 14 years old. Unlike Scott Borchetta, she is still on good terms with Troy, as evidenced by the fact that she followed him to Universal Music Publishing once her deal with Sony was over.
https://www.universalmusic.com/taylor-swift-signs-exclusive-global-publishing-agreement-with-universal-music-publishing-group/
February 9, 2024 @ 5:45 pm
Also, many of the articles that have been written on this subject have mentioned that Taylor Swift sent a video message to Toby Keith upon his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Taylor says in her video that they hadn’t seen each other since when she introduced her at Country Radio Seminar in 2005.
https://www.facebook.com/tobykeith/videos/taylor-swift-matthew-mcconaughey-jimmy-buffett-more-are-congratulating-toby-on-h/10152875544807124/
February 10, 2024 @ 2:33 am
Thank you Matt for the link!! Definitely enjoyed watching ♡
February 9, 2024 @ 7:05 pm
Troy Tomlinson is another good name.
February 9, 2024 @ 5:16 pm
In any business. Financial backing is very important. You can be talented and work your tail off , but without someone believing in you and stacking dinero on the table. No deal would happen.
She absolutely should at least acknowledge Toby and wish his family well.
February 9, 2024 @ 8:06 pm
Let’s be honest, financial backing is the most important backing!
February 10, 2024 @ 6:49 am
…that fact hasn’t exactly reached the mind of some around here. there seems to be a widespread believe that a warm handshake and a pad on the shoulder fill up tour vehicles or buy food. how jolly romantic.
February 10, 2024 @ 3:48 pm
You are so right. Google will show Taylor Swift giving Toby Keith the Honor he deserved. I have not heard of any Honor to Toby Keith since he passed. If she has not she should be ashamed. I do not know but I have not heard of her giving him any credit or Honor. ????????❤️????????????????????????
February 9, 2024 @ 6:53 pm
You people gagging for moar music from rich entitled kids who never paid their dues or worked for anything is what Big Corporate Music likes to hear!
This article only touches on Keiths influence here, or Kenny Chesneys HUGE handout to Taylor for not being able to make his beer sponsored tour because she was underage.
Nashville didn’t want her for a reason: she has no talent. So her rich daddy and mommy coughed up hig cash for help from Avril Lavigne and Brittany Spears manager Adam Dymtrow. Even he couldn’t get her into music so she landed a modeling job at Abercrombie & Fitch, which netted her a music showcase for a Maybelline funded promo CD.
Eat truth. YUM
February 9, 2024 @ 8:14 pm
I’ve heard rumors that she slept her way to the top.
February 29, 2024 @ 7:11 pm
With who?
And what does that say about the men who promoted her fur their own ‘FUN.’
Why dont we blame them for having no restraint, moral fiber or common sense?
February 9, 2024 @ 9:16 pm
It’s a good thing that drunk posting is not a crime.
February 9, 2024 @ 10:58 pm
You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you Wes?
Gotta love when people trash Taylor Swift, while at the same time demand Toby Keith who they love get credit for launching her career. That seems like a conflict of interest.
Don’t forget to add Eric Church in there for getting kicked off the Rascal Flatts tour, opening up the spot for Swift to get her first extended major opening gig.
February 10, 2024 @ 2:31 am
Awesome response!!
February 9, 2024 @ 10:24 pm
I’m glad to hear Mr. Keith did in fact not have a major role in Mizz Swift’s career start. I would think less of him if he had. And God forbid that America’s military go after Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after Al-Qaeda murderered 2,977 innocents on American soil! And God forbid that an America-loving fella like Mr. Keith sing a song supporting America’s military killing the members of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan who murdered 2,977 innocent people! Incredible to me how different the Left and Right see everything.
February 10, 2024 @ 10:11 am
It’s amazing to think that Toby Keith, to a jingoistic person such as yourself, was rather center-left in his personal politics. But politics don’t have anything to do with the topic at hand.
February 29, 2024 @ 7:12 pm
Me too
February 10, 2024 @ 6:34 am
Couldn’t she still say something? Anything?
February 10, 2024 @ 7:55 am
The timezone is different in Japan.
February 10, 2024 @ 6:34 am
…it goes to show that the ol’ funeral snark still applies: “there never has a bad person been passing away”
February 10, 2024 @ 7:54 am
Trig’s new album dropping soon:
The Tortured Critics Department
February 10, 2024 @ 8:21 am
$120,000 is nothing to sneeze at. Having a rich ass daddy definitely didn’t hurt her career. That said I am very glad TS got her start because it kills me that people get so upset with her. The only thing that ever bothered me about her was that her music was ever considered country.
February 10, 2024 @ 9:45 am
Ian,Taylor wasn’t really Country,but any music which wasn’t pop or “urban” was regarded Country then.
February 10, 2024 @ 10:51 am
Yet another interesting article worth reading. He is someone that seemed to have a good reputation for helping others out. Still shocked by his loss.
February 10, 2024 @ 1:34 pm
I see you didn’t post my well-thought comment (one of the first comments on this thread) that corrected a few errors and added people you missed that were instrumental in Taylor’s success. It’s all good, Trig, no one knows it all, like you said to Wes. Don’t feel threatened when someone who was there knows something you don’t, bro. Lol.
February 10, 2024 @ 3:17 pm
Thanks for clearing it up that it was basically Toby Keith that launched Taylor Swift because he was the one with the money. Otherwise, the poor guy who first noticed her would have had her riding around county fairs for 10 or so years until she was too old for that and would get laughed off the stage for being 30 sharing time with teens.
February 10, 2024 @ 3:24 pm
Appears this person’s pretty sensitive. He likes banning comments.
February 10, 2024 @ 4:03 pm
Your comment wasn’t banned, it was sent to moderation and approved within 10 minutes of being submitted.
I can’t begin to express how fascinated I am that Toby Keith fans are demanding he be given responsibility for launching Taylor Swifts career, which they regard as terrible. And they will absolutely most certain die on this hill despite the overwhelming evidence that his impact was overblown because they’ve gotten so worked up over it on social media.
February 10, 2024 @ 5:08 pm
Not a Toby K fan at all except for some of his 90’s stuff, just pointing out it was his money. I have a lot of great ideas, but no money to spend unless I’m willing to take risks with my family’s well-being. I actually get the T Swift appeal, just pointing out the bottom line. TK was the money man, which means he was the man.
February 10, 2024 @ 6:25 pm
The now viral news clip that led to this whole thing said that Toby Keith signed Taylor Swift to “his” record label. That is incorrect. Show Dog was his record label. Big Machine was Scott Borchetta’s record label in which Keith was a minor investor.
The tweet from Matt Couch also states incorrectly that Taylor Swift signed to Toby Keith’s record label. The tweet from John Rich takes it even further to say that Keith “discovered” Taylor Swift.
That is what this article is clarifying. Was Toby Keith an investor in Big Machine? Yes. Is that explained in this article? Yes it is. Does Toby Keith deserve some minor credit as an investor in Big Machine? Sure. This is also stated in the article.
Would Taylor Swift not had a career if it wasn’t for Toby Keith? Would Big Machine Records never have existed if it wasn’t for Toby Keith? Those comments are difficult to verify. Scott Borchetta was also an investor in Big Machine. In fact, he was the majority investor. Taylor Swift’s dad was also an investor. Others were investors. It is plausible to believe that Scott Borchetta would have still launched Big Machine, and taylor Swift would have still had a career even if Toby Keith wasn’t involved.
Again, Toby Keith deserves some minor credit here. But acting like the misleading information is contained in this article as opposed to the viral news clip and numerous tweets feels like a weird version of cope.
There are so many more important issues in life right now.
February 11, 2024 @ 12:25 pm
In response to triggered,
Apparently not for you since you posted a novel in response to a limited reply and to everyone else’s comments. I’m glad this story moves your meter.
February 10, 2024 @ 3:52 pm
If I were Taylor Swift I would be too glad to give Toby Keith the credit and Honor he deserves. Very sad if she has not. It is not easy to get a record deal in Nashville. They have turned down the best. Some people forget very quick. No bird ever flies so high that it does not light down. ????❤️????????????????????????????
February 10, 2024 @ 3:57 pm
So sorry to hear Don Williams passed. I will never for his song, Lord I hope today is good. God bless his family????❤️????????????????????????????
February 11, 2024 @ 3:55 am
Taylor Swift rocks! Travis Kelce rocks! We are lucky to have such young talent who are wonderful 44role models, intelligent, and stand up for what they believe in! Go Kansas!
February 11, 2024 @ 6:59 am
Trigger,
Props to you. I don’t know how you haven’t lost your mind. I read the comments thinking I’d like to take part in the conversation and then think ‘what’s the point?’ Maybe it’s time to go to a mailbag format where you pick the comment and respond to it.
February 11, 2024 @ 7:27 am
Taylor Swift wears diapers on stage, and millions of people love her.
February 11, 2024 @ 9:23 am
Too bad Toby didn’t build a huge rocket, and launch Taylor Swift into the Sun. He’d have been doing a great, great service for humanity if so.
February 11, 2024 @ 9:51 am
No one cares
February 11, 2024 @ 11:58 am
Apparently not for you since you posted a novel in response to a limited reply and to everyone else’s comments. I’m glad this story moves your meter.
February 11, 2024 @ 9:23 pm
Excellent reporting, man. Your work in this space is second to none.
February 12, 2024 @ 10:53 am
Except he left out one major detail. Toby generously let Taylor Swift open for him on his huge mega tour for over a year. He also promoted her on social media at the time as well. If you think that didn’t help Taylor‘s career, then you’re crazy, because look at Susan Boyle, Ashton Kutcher had not retweeted on digg.com the episode of Britain’s got talent, which caused it to go viral …….Where would she be today? I can assure you the people in Nashville know that Toby was a huge supporter of Taylor Swift in the beginning. Politically that may not be popular right now, but it’s a fact! I was there and witnessed it.
February 12, 2024 @ 10:49 am
This article is almost correct but you are leaving out details. Toby took Taylor on tour with him. He was tremendously hot at the time, and I’m sure it helped kick off her career since she opened for Toby Keith for like a year on tour.!! it sure didn’t hurt her career. And let’s be real. I don’t think Toby would’ve given Scott money if he didn’t believe in Taylor Swift. Let’s be clear he did have an impact. Even Taylor in the video that was circulating, was obviously very grateful at the time for his help and assistance in launching her career. Being the money man and putting your money where your mouth is, it’s not something everybody is willing to do.
February 15, 2024 @ 4:43 am
He did it, and you can see what that got him.
I’m gonna vote for whoever she recommends.
February 18, 2024 @ 12:18 pm
I disagree with Dixie Chicks dropping Dixie from their name. Why did they capitulate to media BS…
July 1, 2024 @ 5:38 am
The Devil launched her career.