Taylor Swift made an emotional 21-minute speech in which she tearfully thanked her family as she made history by becoming the youngest woman to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her family uprooted from Pennsylvania to Nashville when she was 14 “so that I could hone my craft in the songwriting capital of the world”, she said at the New York ceremony.
“It couldn’t have been easy for my parents and my brother to just pick up and move our entire family,” she said.
“Even though words are supposed to kind of be my thing, I will never be able to express my gratitude to you guys for doing that for me. You’re the reason I’m here tonight.”
Swift, 36, was introduced at the ceremony by director Steven Spielberg, who she called a hero who had shaped her storytelling.
Songwriting was the only aspect of her career that had come naturally to her, she said.
“When I say that songwriting was the easiest part for me, I think what I mean is that it was instinctual.
“No-one taught me how to do it. I had to be taught how to entertain a crowd, and learn choreography, and be less annoying and navigate the industry and fiercely protect my own sanity through difficult lessons and massive amounts of trial and error and chaos and calamity.
“But songwriting for me was pretty much the only thing I naturally did.”
The honour follows a glittering few years for pop superstar, who broke her own sales record with her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, in October.
Swift is the second-youngest inductee after Stevie Wonder, who was 33 when he joined.
Her key tracks to be recognised by the Hall of Fame include All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version), Blank Space, Anti-Hero, Love Story and The Last Great American Dynasty.
She was joined by her fiance, NFL star Travis Kelce, as rumours swirl that they will get married next month.
Other inductees joining this year included Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and Kiss stars Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Also joining were Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, who has written for Beyoncé, Rihanna and Katy Perry; Walter Afanasieff, known for his work with Mariah Carey; Terry Britten, whose songs include Tina Turner’s We Don’t Need Another Hero; and Graham Lyle, who was behind Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Founded in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually honours those “whose work represents a spectrum of the most beloved songs from the world’s popular music songbook”.
Fewer than 500 people have been invited in over the last 50 years.
Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having made 12 studio albums and four re-recorded “Taylor’s Versions” albums.
She is also the first performer to have won the Grammy Award for album of the year four times.
By BBC News
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