Who Is Taylor Swift?
Musician Taylor Swift began earning renown as a country singer by age 16. Early hits like “Love Story” and “You Belong
With Me” appealed to country and pop fans alike and helped fuel the multiplatinum success of her albums, including the
award-winning Fearless. Now a pop megastar with 12 Grammys to her name, the “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” singer
released her latest album, Midnights, in October 2022. Swift is currently performing on her record-breaking Eras Tour
and is rumored to be dating professional football player Travis Kelce.
Where Is Taylor Swift From?
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift spent her early years with her
parents, Scott and Andrea, and brother, Austin, on the family’s Christmas tree farm in nearby Wyomissing. “I had the
most magical childhood, running free and going anywhere I wanted to in my head,” she told Rolling Stone. She learned to
ride horses and even competed for a time, but a greater passion soon took root.
Swift followed in the musical footsteps of her grandmother Marjorie Finlay, who was a professional opera singer. By age
10, Swift was singing at a variety of local events, including fairs and contests. She sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at
a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game at age 11 and began writing her own songs and learning guitar at 12 years old. Her
early music idols included Shania Twain and The Chicks.
To pursue her music career, Swift often visited Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. There, she cowrote
songs and tried to land a recording contract. Noting her dedication, her family moved to nearby Hendersonville when she
was 13 in an attempt to further young Swift’s career. She attended Hendersonville High School before finishing out her
education through the home schooling program of Aaron Academy, a private Christian school, once her musical career took
off.