Taylor Swift, Eric Church and Jennifer Hansen in November 2007.Photo: Rick Diamond
Eric Church recently shared a fond memory of Taylor Swift during his visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The country star recalled how, back in 2006, he was dropped as the opening act for Rascal Flatts’ Me and My Gang Tour — only to be replaced by a then-16-year-old Swift, fresh off her debut single “Tim McGraw.”
Church admitted it was tough news at the time, especially since he found out online, but said Swift personally reached out to reassure him. “She told me, ‘I hope there’s no bad blood. I love what you do,’” he remembered, even joking with Fallon about the coincidence of her later hit “Bad Blood.”
Despite losing his spot, Church encouraged Swift, telling her she’d thrive with that audience — and jokingly asked her to send him her first gold record when it happened. Just a week later, Swift earned her first gold plaque and, true to her word, gifted it to him with a cheeky inscription: “To Eric, thanks for playing too long and too loud on the tour. Sincerely, Taylor.”
Church said the plaque is now housed at the Country Music Hall of Fame as part of his 2023 exhibit, noting with a laugh that even he doesn’t get to keep it. Reflecting on the moment, he said it was clear from the start that Swift was “just an artist — through and through.”