Tyler Conroy and Taylor Swift first crossed paths in 2008 when Conroy was nearly crushed by the singer-songwriter’s tour bus at a concert.
“I was crossing the street, on my cell phone, like any good millennial always does, and my friend said, ‘Look out,’ and I saw this bus careening toward me with its horn blaring,” Conroy recalled. “And I see a giant silhouette of Taylor Swift on the side of it.”
Eight years and a couple of interactions later, the two are connected once again, this time with Conroy working as the honorary author of a book celebrating Swift’s life in the 10 years since her first album was released. Conroy spent months compiling information and fan input for the book, a project of New York publisher Simon & Schuster that put the content together for print. “Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song” was written by and for the Grammy winner’s most diehard fans, known as Swifties.
Conroy, a Conway native who lives in Sunderland, won the $10,000 title of honorary author earlier this year after submitting a video in which he parodies Swift’s hit song “Blank Space.” He sang, in part, about a YouTube video he made for Swift in 2010.
Conroy, 24, was in Austin, Texas, for Swift’s only scheduled 2016 performance at Formula 1 Racing’s Circuit of the Americas on Saturday.
“Swifties across the world are flocking to Austin,” he said over the phone from his hotel room on Friday. “Rumors are swirling she’s going to drop a new song or a new album.”
Conroy was also excited for a “Swift-along” concert slated for Alamo Drafthouse that night. He said he planned to perform with his guitar and premiere a song named after the fan-driven book. The venue’s 86 seats sold out in 14 minutes and every Swiftie in attendance got a free copy of the new book, which includes an introduction by Conroy, photographs of Swift, album-themed crossword puzzles and written tributes from her biggest followers.
Conroy recalled soliciting material from fellow fans. Swift was not involved.
“I kind of felt like I was a yearbook president of Taylor Swift fans,” he said, describing his idol as a Pennsylvania girl who had “a dream and turned it into an empire.”
According to Forbes, Swift was the highest-earning celebrity of 2016, pulling in $170 million.
With the book completed and published, Conroy credits Swift for what he calls his “Anne Hathaway moment.” Conroy said he held the final product and felt exactly like Hathaway winning an Academy Award in 2013 for her work in “Les Misérables.”
“It came true,” Hathaway said in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Conroy said he discovered Swift’s music as a high school sophomore, when bullying from his peers had reached its peak. He said Swift helped him find peace.
“I like Taylor Swift, I think, because she is such a good person,” he said. “She’s an amazing person. She’s an amazing role model. She is the reason I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. … When I couldn’t find answers to questions, I turned to Taylor Swift songs.”
Conroy even directed the first-ever Taylor Swift musical while attending Iona College in New York.
He has another “Swift-along” scheduled for Rizzoli Bookstore at 1133 Broadway on 26th St. in New York on Saturday and a third slated for 1 p.m. at Yankee Candle Village on Nov. 5.
Conroy said “Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song” are available at every major bookstore and on Amazon.com. Julia Prosser, the deputy director of publicity at Simon & Schuster, said profits will be used in various ways, most notably to subsidize future books.
Tenay Barker of Texas won the contest to name the book and Shanna Canarini, who grew up in Lowell, Ind., designed its cover.
You can reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 258.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli