BMI Icon Billy Sherrill and Taylor Swift with her awards for BMI Songwriter of the Year and Co Writer of BMI Song of the Year and BMI President Del Bryant at the 58th Annual BMI Country Music Awards at BMI on November 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BMI)

Through songs such as “Mine,” “White Horse” and “Fifteen,” Taylor Swift has shown a real appreciation for great drama and complex character development.

This week, she’s experienced drama firsthand. On Tuesday, she won BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Year award, becoming the youngest person ever to claim it. And she and co-writer Liz Rose shared Country Song of the Year for “You Belong With Me,” recognized as the most-played country title over a full year, according to the performing rights organization.

Just a day earlier, Taylor sang at a funeral for a friend.

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Controversy sells. The media discovered that a long time ago, and Toby Keith found that out as well when he recorded “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)” in 2002.

Controversy — a big, long list of it — sold again when Toby introduced “American Ride” this summer, lampooning oil prices, plastic surgery, climate change and terrorism, among other topics. Performing rights agency BMI threw a party at its Nashville offices Wednesday to celebrate the song’s climb to No. 1. Songwriters Dave Pahanish and Joe West, several publishing companies and Toby’s Show Dog Nashville were all given awards from BMI, and Country Radio Broadcasters, the Country Music Association and Country Weekly magazine likewise added to the memorabilia cache.

Toby wasn’t on hand, but he was greatly appreciated — particularly by the song’s two authors.

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Toby Keith’s quirky “American Ride” video is one of the most-talked-about music pieces on TV, and Toby drops in this weekend to talk about the piece with host Nan Kelley on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Paced by the title track, which peaked at No. 1 on the singles chart, his American Ride album debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart this week.

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Toby Keith’s new American Ride album is debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

But while the public thinks of Toby as a recording artist and entertainer, he’s also quite successful as a songwriter. In fact, on Sunday the Nashville Songwriters Association International will recognize him as the Songwriter/Artist of the Decade, and that honor is forefront in his mind at the moment.

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Toby Keith’s Jib Jab-style video for “American Ride” has earned an enormous amount of attention, but the song was already making a statement for itself before the singer ever got the clip out to the public. The video certainly didn’t hurt Toby as the single hit No. 1 on both the Billboard and Country Aircheck singles charts.

Whether he’s dogging record executives, politicians or music critics, Toby’s never been one to hold back on his opinions. “Ride” bundles a bunch of issues — illegal immigration, global warming, religion and the price of gas among them — in four short verses and a chorus.

Toby didn’t write the song, but he was instantly interested when he heard its swipe at the news media.

“It’s not really news anymore,” Toby told The Oklahoman. Continue Reading

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Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog Nashville.

Toby Keith recently stopped by the GAC studio to answer questions sent in by fans. One fan wanted to know if Toby wore a helmet and sunblock while riding his motorcycle.

“No question on the helmet,” he told GAC’s Suzanne Alexander. “Yeah, I ride with a helmet. I don’t always wear my sunblock. But you know what? My dad didn’t wear sunblock and his dad didn’t wear sunblock. And like my song ‘American Ride’ says, ‘Look ma, no hands.’ The world’s gonna keep spinning. Continue Reading

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