KATHLEEN
KATHLEEN CHANNON TALK TO TAYLOR SWIFT WHEN SHE WAS OPENING FOR BRAD PAISLEY AT THE CUMBERLAND
COUNTY CIVIC CENTER IN
PORTLAND, THEY TALKED ABOUT
BEGINNING HER CAREER AT A YOUNG
AGE, AND HOW SHE HAS FUN ON
TOUR.
>> ♪ ♪4@
>>4@4@4@4@ IT ONLY TOOK ME 15 M
TO READ THAT 4@SONG, I THINK TH
BEST SONGS ON MY ALBUM ARE THE
BEST SONGS I HAVE WRITTEN WERE
WRITTEN FAST LIKE THAT.
I HAVE A NEW SINGLE COMING OUT
CALLED OUR SONG I WROTE ABOUT
MYSELF, AND I LITERALLY WROTE
IT WITHIN 20 MINUTES.
>> IT WAS CRAZY.
>> WHY DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU,
PEOPLE HERE YOU KNOW, BIG
SELLING MUSIC AND THEY 4@THINK
MUST'VE TAKEN WEEKS, MONTHS. 4@
>> SOMETIMES IT DOES, SOMETIMES
WRITERS WILL 4@GET TOGETHER AND
THERE ARE FIVE RIDERS IN THE 4@
ROOM AND THEY ARE BRAINSTORMING
AND THEY DON'T LEAVE FOR FOUR
HOURS BUT FOR ME, I JUST THINK
IT IS SO MUCH MORE FUN WHEN IT
FLOWS.4@4@
AND IT IS JUST NATURAL, AND IT
HAPPENS.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU GET LUCKY
LIKE THAT EVERY 4@ONCE IN A
WHILE, IT IS REALLY GRATIFYING.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS
ABOUT THAT SONG THAT STRUCK A 4@
CHORD WITH SO MANY PEOPLE IN
AMERICA?
>> I THINK THE SONG TO McGRAW,
I THINK ONCE THEY GOT PAST THE
TITLE, THE TITLE KIND OF GOT
PEOPLE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE THEY
ARE LIKE OKAY, WHAT?
SO, THAT MADE THEM PAY
ATTENTION AND LIKE HALF THE
BATTLE, WITH4@ RELEASING A SONG
TO RADIO IS GETTING THE RADIO
PROGRAM OR TO EVEN PUT YOUR CD
IN THE CITY PLAYER.
>> HE IS THE 4@REASON FOR YOUR
TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR.
THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME
WISHING ON THE WISHING STAR.
>> ♪ ♪4@4@4@4@4@4@4@
>> WE NEVER EVER BROUGHT THE
FACT THAT I WAS 16 AT THE TIME
TO THE FOREFRONT WE NEVER USE
THAT AS ONE OF 4@THE BULLET
POINTS I JUST HAPPEN TO BE
SOMETHING THAT WAS ANOTHER
DETAIL.
SO, PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE WITH
THE MUSIC FIRST AND THEN THEY
REALIZE THAT I WAS YOUNGER, SO
THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS A
GIMMICK.
>> A LOT OF 4@TIMES, A LOT OF
TIMES PEOPLE ARE SOLD IS ALMOST
GIMMICK. >> A LOT OF 4@TIMES, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE SOLD IS ALMOST@
A CHILD PRODIGY, OKAY, HE IS
15, HE IS 16, HE IS 20.4@
WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT
YOUR AGE NOT BE A FACTOR IN WHY
PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO YOUR
MU4@SIC?
>> I AM NOT A CHILD PRODIGY IN
MY MIND AT 4@ALL, I FEEL LIKE,
WAS ABLE TO HAVE A NORMAL
CHILDHOOD, I WAS ABLE TO GROW
UP WITH YOU KNOW CHRISTMAS IS 4@
WITH MY FAMILY AND GO TO HIGH
SCHOOL AND GO TO PROM, AND
HOMECOMING, AND STUFF LIKE
THAT, FOOTBALL GAMES, AND 4@THA
STUFF IS GREAT, BUT I FEEL LIKE
MY CAREER HIT AT THE PERFECT
TIME FOR ME, BECAUSE I HAD GONE
TO 2 YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL, AND
I WAS KIND OF GETTING LIKE YOU
KNOW, I HAVE BEEN HERE, THIS IS
FUN, BUT MY CAREER TOOK OFF AT
THE PERFECT TIME, I DON'T FEEL
LIKE I MISSED OUT ON ANYTHING.
>> STILL, YOU ARE 17 YEARS OLD.
BACK YET.
>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE
ROAD FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS.4@4@
AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING, YOU
HAVE TO 4@BE 4@EXHAUSTED.
>> YOU COULDN'T DO THIS, IF YO4
DIDN'T LOVE IT, IF IT WASN'T
WHAT YOU LIVED AND BREATHED, I
MEAN IT IS ALL-CONSUMING, YOU
KNOW PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME, ARE
YOU DATING ANYONE, IT'S LIKE
OKAY, WHEN I FIND SOME4@BODY TH
FASCINATES ME AS MUCH AS MY
CAREER DOES, THEN I WILL START
DATING SOMEBODY, BUT NOTE
SOMETHING TO FASCINATE ME SO 4@
MUCH, NOTHING HAS LIKE MUSIC.
>> WHAT IS BRAD PAISLEY LIKE TO
WORK WITH?
>> WITH BRAD, HE TREATS HIS 4@
OPENING ACT,4@ LIKE THEY ARE YO
KNOW, JUST ON THE SAME LEVEL AS
>> WITH BRAD, HE TREATS HIS 4@ OPENING ACT,4@ LIKE THEY ARE YO KNOW, JUST ON THE SAME LEVEL AS@
HE IS, HE BOUGHT US PRESENCE,
AND HE WILL COME AND TALK TO
US4@, AND JUST YOU KNOW, IT IS
VERY COOL TO BE4@4@ ON TOUR WIT
SOMEBODY WHO IS THAT 4@DOWN TO
EARTH, BECAUSE YOU WALK AWAY
WI4@TH THAT.
>> IS THAT UNUSUAL?
>> I WOULDN'T SAY IT IS UNUSUAL
BUT IT IS A BLESSING TO BE
HONEST TOUR WITH SOMEBODY WHO
DOESN'T THINK THEY'RE ALL THAT,
AND TO A WALK ON YOUR BUS AND
SAY HI, HOW ARE YOU DOING
TODAY?
>> 4@I UNDERSTAND HE IS A PRIES
>> YEAH, HE IS, I STARTED THE
PLANKING KELLY PICKLER IS
ANOTHER COUNTRY SINGER WHO IS
ON TOUR WITH US, SHE AND I
BECAME FRIENDS RIGHT OFF THE
BASS4@ BAT.
WE DECIDED TO PRANK IN FIRST,
SO HE'S GOT THIS HIT SINGLE AS
THE NUMBER ONE FOR HIM CA4@LLED
TICS.
AND SO, WE I ORDERED THESE
COSTUMES ONLINE,4@ THEY ARE 4@H
MASSIVE SUMO WRESTLER TICS
COSTUMES.
AND, WE DRESSED UP LIKE TICS,
AND RAN OUT ON STAGE AND DANCED
AROUND AND 4@EVERYTHING.
AND, PETTY LITTLE PRANKS.4@4@
>> WHILE HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE
OF A CONCERT.
>> SO, WHAT DID HE THINK ABOUT
THAT?
>> I THINK HE WAS AMUSED BY IT,
IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD HE IS
LIKE I'M GOING TO GET THEM BACK
SO MUCH.
>> HE HAS A LOT MORE MONEY 4@TH
WE DO, SO -- YEAH, UNLIMITED
RESOURCES, HE HASN'T GOTTEN ME
YET, BECAUSE I AM HEARING THAT
I'M GOING TO GET IT REALLY BAD.
MY LAST WEEK OF THE TOUR.
>> WELL, YOU ARE PREPARED,
RIGHT?
>> I AM PREPARED.
>> YOU SEEM TO BE TAKING A LOT
OF THIS IN STRIDE, HOW IS THAT?
>> I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
THINGS THAT SCARE ME ABOUT
THIS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT REALLY SCARES ME, AND
PROBABLY THE ONLY THING, IS THA@
I DON'T WANT TO BECOME ANYONE
WHO I AM NOT, YOU KNOW I WANT
TO BE THE SAME PERSON AT THE
END OF THIS THAT I WAS OF THE
BEGAN THE PROCESS.4@
I HAVE SURROUNDED MYSELF WITH
PEOPLE WHO I 4@WAS THERE WITH
WHEN I WAS BORN, I WAS HAVING
MY MOM AND4@ DAD ON THE ROAD WI
ME, THEY 4@ARE NOT THE TYPE OF
PEOPLE WHO WILL TELL ME WHAT I
WANT TO HEAR AT ALL, SO I THINK
IT IS REALLY GOOD TO LOOK AT
YOURSELF AS A NORMAL PERSON,
BECAUSE I AM, ALL THIS CHANGED
IN MY MI4@ND IS MY SCHEDULE.
YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN TOMORROW, BUT
MY STRATEGY HAS BEEN I WORK AND
I WORK AND I