The homegrown country music sensation Taylor Swift has made a big career for herself in a big hurry. With her classic, sunny good looks, warm voice and intelligent songwriting, Taylor Swift has put up some respectable sales figures and earned herself a devoted fan-base, all before she's hit legal drinking age. What astonishes many of Taylor Swift's fans is not her young age, but rather her deep respect for country music's traditions. Although she was born in rural Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift grew up in the small town of Hendersonville, Tennessee. Taylor's grandmother was a successful opera singer, and a love of music in general is definitely in Taylor's blood. However, lucky for country music fans (but not for opera fans) Taylor Swift's taste drifted more towards the songs of LeAnn Rimes and Patsy Cline, and away from Pavarotti. At the tender age of ten, Swift began writing her own original songs, and at eleven she went to Nashville with her parents to try and live out her country music dreams. Taylor Swift scored a performing gig at Nashville's world famous Bluebird Cafe, where she caught the attention of representatives from the independent country start-up label Big Machine Records. Taylor Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw," was an instant hit, and the single told a sweet tale of remembering an ex-boyfriend whenever a certain song (later revealed to be McGraw's "Cant Tell Me Nothin") was playing on the radio. "Tim McGraw" proved that Swift knew her way around a melody, and also knew where she was coming from. On her debut album, the self-titled Taylor Swift, Swift co-wrote all of the songs, an achievement that the singer-songwriter is justifiably proud of. After "Tim McGaw" put her in the spotlight, Taylor Swift had the opportunity to expand her growing fan-base by opening for her idols Tim and wife Faith Hill, as well as industry mega-stars like George Strait, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley. With everything going for her-looks, talent and ambition-the future looks long and bright for the talented Taylor Swift.