Taylor Swift
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| Taylor Swift in 2025 | |
| Born | 13 December 1989 (age 35) West Reading, Pennsylvania, US |
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Hendersonville High School |
| Alma mater | Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts, New York University (2022) |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, director |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Music career, songwriting, performances |
| Notable works | Albums, singles, songs, videos, performances |
| Awards | Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Parents | |
| Religion | |
| Website | taylorswift.com |
Taylor Swift is a multitalented singer-songwriter and global icon, celebrated for her heartfelt lyrics, storytelling, and genre-spanning music.Considered by many to be one of the most influential musicians of our time, she became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times in 2024 when she won the award for Midnights (2022). She broke records that same year with her worldwide Eras Tour, which earned an unprecedented $2 billion and ended in December 2024 as the highest-grossing concert tour ever.[1]
Early Life & Education
Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Pennsylvania, with her father working as a stockbroker and her mother as a financial analyst. She is an actor with a younger brother named Austin, and Swift is of Italian, German, English, Scottish, and Irish descent. Swift’s early musical inspirations were fueled by her grandmother, an opera singer named Marjorie Finlay. As a child, she lived on a Christmas tree farm and participated actively in the local community. She was a Montessori student and later attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High, where she explored music and theatre and after being motivated by Faith Hill, focused on country music.
At 11, Swift visited Nashville with demo tapes but was turned down by record labels, which spurred her to write songs and learn the guitar. Swift snapped up an artist development contract with RCA Records at the age of 13, gaining exposure through modeling and music compilation albums. To help pursue her daughter’s dream, Swift’s family relocated to Tennessee when she was 14, and she was later homeschooled to finish high school as she fully committed to music.
Career
In Nashville, Taylor began co-writing with Liz Rose in the two-hour blocks reserved every Tuesday afternoon after school. Afterward, she became the youngest artist to sign a contract with the Sony/ATV publishing company, which she left when she was 14. Taylor thought she was running out of time and wanted to “freeze” the early years of her life, so she could later release them on an album. Scott Borchetta, a record executive, was attending a Bluebird Cafe showcase in 2005, when he was made aware of Swift. The very same year, she was one of the first artists to be signed with Big Machine Records, with her father purchasing a three percent share of the company.
Taylor Swift’s career gained momentum when she began working on her debut album and convinced Big Machine to hire Nathan Chapman as her producer. In June 2006, her first single “Tim McGraw” came out, followed by Taylor Swift in October the same year. The album did well, reaching #5 on the US Billboard 200 and staying there for 275 weeks. While doing her first tours in 2006 and 2007, she was also busy promoting her album on radio and TV, and opening for US country stars. All through 2007 and 2008, Swift had released four additional singles from the debut album, with each managing to secure a spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
In October 2007, Swift released her first EP, “The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection,” followed by “Beautiful Eyes” in July 2008. All three of her projects received accolades.
In 2007, she marked a new achievement when she was awarded the BMI Songwriter of the Year for the first time while also being the youngest recipient of the honour. She garnered wins at the CMAs, ACMs, and AMAs and was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 50th Grammy Awards.[2]