The Story Behind Taylor Swift's First Radio Play In 2003

Before Taylor Swift was selling out stadiums around the world, before the Eras Tour became a global phenomenon, and before she became one of the biggest artists on the planet, she was a teenager walking into country radio stations knocking on doors hoping someone would give her music a chance. I was at another radio station at the time, but I remember those early days.

One of those stations was right here in New Hampshire. 97-5 WOKQ. That was somewhere around 2003.

That's a pretty incredible New Hampshire connection.

According to a signed photo still hanging at 97.5 WOKQ, Taylor herself wrote that WOKQ was "the first station to ever play me." Multiple reports and station records point to WOKQ being the first radio station in America to put Taylor Swift on the air when she was just getting started.

LET ME IN!!!!!!

Funny story... apparently Taylor was trying to get into the station for her visit, but couldn't get in and she was knocking on the conference room windows from outside before anyone would let her in. LOL

Think about that for a second.

One of the biggest music careers in history got one of its earliest breaks right here on the Seacoast.

I remember being at her very first Grand Ole Opry performance. I was standing on the side of the stage when she walked up to me in a white dress and her guitar. We talked for about 10 minutes before the announcer introduced her. She finished her thought and gave my daughter and I a hug before walking on stage. I'll never forget that.

Now, decades after hearing her songs come through a radio speaker for the first time, Taylor is releasing a song for Toy Story 5, a movie that will introduce her music to an entirely new generation of fans.

This week, Swift released her brand-new song, "I Knew It, I Knew You," written specifically for Disney and Pixar's upcoming Toy Story 5. The emotional country-leaning track was inspired by Jessie, the beloved cowgirl from the Toy Story franchise, and marks a return to the country sound that first introduced Swift to the world.

You can hear "I Knew It, I Knew You" on WOKQ.

The song is already creating buzz among fans, not just because it's attached to one of the biggest movie franchises ever, but because it feels like a return to Taylor's roots. Swift said she grew up loving Toy Story and jumped at the opportunity to write for characters she had adored since childhood.

Not bad for a kid whose first spin happened right here at 97.5 WOKQ.