How Taylor Swift Marked One Of Her First Major Milestones In Nashville 20 Years Ago

Twenty years ago, Taylor Swift stepped onto a historic stage for the first time.

Swift was 16 years old when she made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. It was September 1, 2006. Then a budding country star, Swift performed her first-ever single, “Tim McGraw,” which she wrote with songwriter Liz Rose and released just a few months prior. The Grand Ole Opry posted a photo on Instagram in honor of the anniversary of Swift’s debut. The caption nods to Swift’s latest single, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which appeared on the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.

“We knew it, we knew you 🫶 On this day 20 years ago, Taylor Swift made her Grand Ole Opry debut!”

Swift, now 36 and a global icon, released her self-titled debut record on October 24, 2006. Swift became the first female solo artist in the history of the genre to write or co-write each song on a platinum-certified debut album, which also included “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” “Picture to Burn,” “Should’ve Said No” and more. The project introduced fans to Swift’s deeply-relatable songwriting, and led to countless other hits and milestones throughout her career.

See the photo from her Opry debut here: