Spotlight on Taylor Swift Now

Posted by amyclark on 08/24/2008
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Taylor Swift on USA Today

Looks like a nice long weekend of exposure for Taylor Swift as the young Country Music star is featured on the cover of USA WEEKEND. Then Monday night the artist will present the USA WEEKEND Breakthrough Video of the Year at Country Music Television's Music Awards (8 p.m. ET/PT).
 
Taylor won the breakthrough award for the video of her smash hit, "Tim McGraw” in 2007. The Country Music singer followed that by winning the much-coveted 2007 Country Music Association Horizon Award -- and earned a Grammy nomination this year for Best New Artist.   Her self-titled debut album is approaching triple-platinum sales.
 
In an interview with USA WEEKEND Swift tells she still feels like she has so much to learn, and has benefited from association with major stars. "You can learn so much from watching how these guys approach their work on the road," says Swift, 18. "Kenny is up at the crack of dawn, walking around the venue, gettingto know everyone, from the sound-check guys to the people who sell the souvenirs to the fans. Then, Rascal Flatts stages this big production with all the flash. And George Strait? It's all about the music with him. He pays so much attention to building up the song, with the arrangements and the band and his singing. I'm so lucky to have these experiences. I can take something from each of the people I've toured with for my own act."
 
Taylor Swift says winning the breakthrough award last year is still big with her. "I still take the award with me to all the fan appearances so they can get their picture taken with it," Swift says. "It's a fan-voted award, which is why it means so much to me -- and them."
 
Taylor tells USAW when not touring, she relaxes at home with her family or takes in a Nashville Predators hockey game with Country Music pals Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood.
 
Taking a cue from her Country Music idols, Swift doesn't take her fans for granted. She e-mails them every day. And she draws the line at certain star behavior that defines the Britneys and Lindsays of today. "I have moms coming up to me now saying that they're so happy that their little girls love my music because they feel that I am a good role model," Swift says. "That message has stuck with me. I'm going to stay on course and not fall off the deep end. I don't want to end up in rehab. I promise you that I won't."