Why Taylor Swift Gave Her First Gold Record to Eric Church

Eric Church shared a surprising story about his connection to Taylor Swift during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The country star revealed that back in 2006, he was unexpectedly dropped from the Rascal Flatts arena tour. “My first major arena tour, I was invited to no longer be a part of,” Church told Fallon, noting the news came just before a scheduled Madison Square Garden show. “If you’re going to not be invited to be a part of something, that’s the place.”

Shortly after, Church discovered that his replacement was a then-16-year-old Taylor Swift, who had just released her debut single “Tim McGraw.” He recalled, “I actually found out about it online … She had a song called ‘Tim McGraw.’ And so she calls. And it actually was great.”

Swift reached out personally to make sure there were no hard feelings. “She said, ‘I hope there’s no bad blood. I love what you do,’” Church recounted. “I said, ‘Listen, Taylor, I have seen this crowd. This crowd is going to love you … This is going to be really great for you, and you owe me your first gold record when this happens.’”

According to Church, Swift delivered on that promise faster than anyone expected: “Here’s what’s crazy — it took, like, seven days.”

Check out the clip below:

But fans won’t find the milestone plaque hanging on his wall. Instead, it’s on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame. “They don’t let me have it,” Church joked.