By now everyone knows that Taylor Swift has been named “TIME” magazine’s “Person Of The Year” for 2023. But there’s a chance she never would have reached the heights she’s reached if it hadn’t been for a gesture from Kenny Chesney that is just now coming to light more than fifteen years after the fact.

In her interview with “TIME” alongside her receiving the prestigious honor, Taylor revealed for the first time just how instrumental Chesney was in the early stages of her career – and it came because she was dumped from the opening slot of his tour. When Taylor was seventeen and just starting out, Chesney named her as the opening act for his tour that year. Huge honor, and as Taylor tells it, “This was going to change my career. I was so excited.” That excitement would be short lived, however. One day Taylor came home to find her mother crying on the front steps. The bad news: Taylor was being removed from the tour because a beer company was sponsoring it – and Taylor was underage. “I was devastated,” Swift says.

Fast-forward to her 18th birthday party. Taylor sees Chesney’s promoter, who handed her a card from Chesney that read, “I’m sorry that you couldn’t come on the tour, so I wanted to make it up to you.” With the note was a check. “It was for more money than I’d ever seen in my life,” Swift says. “I was able to pay my band bonuses. I was able to pay for my tour buses. I was able to fuel my dreams.” Kenny Chesney – good guy.

Source: TIME