Eric Church Details The Phone Call He Got From Taylor Swift When She Replaced Him On 2006 Rascal Flatts Tour

Eric Church played a big role in the beginning of Taylor Swift’s career.

It’s one of the most hilarious, unexpected, fateful stories in all of music history (in my humble opinion). Most have heard by now that, back in 2006, Eric Church had landed a dream gig opening up for Rascal Flatts on the Me and My Gang Tour. At the time, it was one of the biggest country tours in the world.

However, that dream didn’t last long, because Church’s time on the tour was cut short after he famously was kicked off after a show at Madison Square Garden for “playing too loud and too long.” As surprising as it may seem, Rascal Flatts and Eric Church were not a match made in heaven (that’s sarcasm, by the way). But looking back on how everything played out, it worked out for all parties involved.

It even birthed the story of how Eric Church ended up owning Taylor Swift’s first gold record of her career.

When Church was kicked off the tour, a young, up-and-coming country music artist named Taylor Swift stepped in to fill his opener role. Eric explained how he found out he was being replaced during a recent interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:

“When I was no longer invited to be a part of it, it was at Madison Square Garden. If you’re gonna not be invited to be a part of something, that’s the place to not be invited to be a part of something.

The following day after I was invited to not be a part of the tour anymore, I got a call from Taylor Swift. I actually found out about it online, that I had been replaced by… I think she was 16, blonde hair, had a song called ‘Tim McGraw.'”

You know, from her self-titled album that released in 2006 and launched her prolific country/pop career.

Swift may have been young, but she still knew that the right thing to do would be to call Eric Church and make sure everything was okay between the two of them. Church made the joke on The Tonight Show that she was checking in to make sure there was no “bad blood” as she took his spot on the tour.

He also apparently told (and accurately predicted) that being a part of the Rascal Flatts tour would be huge for her career:

“She calls and she goes, ‘Hey, hope there’s no (hard feelings). I love what you do. I’m taking over on the tour.’ I said, ‘Listen Taylor, I’ve seen this crowd. This crowd is going to love you. I love what you do. This is really gonna be great for you. And you owe me your first gold record when this happens.’ It took like seven days.”

Yeah, that gold record came a lot sooner than later for Taylor Swift.

And funny enough, she stuck to her and Church’s agreement. Church said that maybe a month later, Taylor Swift gifted the Chief with her first ever gold record:

“We were at a festival on the same bill probably not even 30 days later. She walks up on the bus, and had the first gold record of her career. She inscribed it, ‘To Eric, thanks for playing too long and too loud on the tour. Sincerely, Taylor Swift.'”

Oh, and before you go, make sure to check out Church’s musical performance from his Tonight Show appearance as well.

“Johnny”

The post Eric Church Details The Phone Call He Got From Taylor Swift When She Replaced Him On 2006 Rascal Flatts Tour first appeared on Whiskey Riff.