Weirdly enough, Eric Church and Taylor Swift came to prominence around the same time.

There is a 13-year age gap between the two, as Church is 48 and Swift is 35. Regardless, in 2006, both parties were looking for similar opportunities.

Well, Church found an opportunity, but lost it. Consequently, Taylor Swift replaced him and scored arguably one of the most important opportunities of her early career.

In 2006, Eric Church was the opener for Rascal Flatts on their Me and My Gang Tour.

However, Rascal Flatts kicked Church off their tour. Regarding the reason why he and his band were booted from the tour, Church recalled to Esquire, “We didn’t do things like we were supposed to. We played too long, we were a little loud, we were a little rowdy. A lot of rules, a lot of rules, and I broke all of them, and got fired from the tour.”

So, in need of a replacement, Rascal Flatts called up the 16-year-old Taylor Swift and gifted her the opportunity that Church squandered away.

However, Swift didn’t just take the opportunity and never acknowledge Eric Church’s mistake. Rather, she called Church on the phone and agreed to keep a promise.

The Promise Taylor Swift Fulfilled on Behalf of Eric Church

In that same interview with Esquire, Church stated, “Taylor called, ’cause she’s great, and said, ‘Hey, I don’t want there to be bad blood between us, I hope everything is good.’ I said, ‘No, it’s great, they are going to love you.’” Church continued, “I said, ‘the only request I have is your first gold album, I want it,’ and then about nine days later she walked up on a bus somewhere and had a gold album.”

The album that Taylor Swift gifted Eric Church was her debut album self titled solo album, Taylor Swift. Eric Church still owns that album to this day.

Though for a period of time, that album was a part of the Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

The greatest opportunities in life often come arbitrarily.

This one certainly did, and while it was seemingly a bit of a misfortune for Church, it was a milestone for Taylor Swift.

Her time on the Rascal Flatts tour was her first major gig and set her up to become unarguably the most notable pop star of the 21st century.