Taylor Swift’s parents have always pushed her to pursue her “wildest dreams.”

Long before the “Folklore” singer became a Grammy-winning sensation and the world’s highest-paid female musician, her parents were listening to her sing karaoke and driving her to local concerts near her hometown of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

“She was always singing music when she was 3, 5, 6, 7, years old,” her father, Scott Swift, told UDaily, the university newspaper. “It’s Taylor doing what she likes to do.”

Scott and Andrea Swift have been their daughter’s biggest supporters since she was born, supporting her skill and passion while striving to shield her from the pressures of fame.

“There would always be an escape hatch into normal life if she decided this wasn’t something she had to pursue,” Andrea told Entertainment Weekly in 2008. “And of course that’s like saying to her, ‘If you want to stop breathing, that’s cool.’”

Andrea, a former advertising agency marketing manager, married Scott, a Merrill Lynch stockbroker who later became vice president, on February 20, 1988, in Harris County, Texas. Taylor was born December 13, 1989. Taylor became a big sister just over two years later, on March 11, 1992, with the birth of her brother Austin.

The two siblings grew up on a 15-acre Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania before relocating to the Nashville suburbs when the “Teardrops on My Guitar” singer signed her first major record deal with Sony at the age of 14.

Taylor made her Grand Ole Opry debut as a rising country singer in September 2006, just a few years after taking that leap of faith. As her career progressed, Andrea began to accompany her on the road, while Scott remained at home with Austin.

Taylor’s chart-topping success propelled her to the Grammys in 2010, where she won four prizes and became the youngest artist ever to win album of the year with Fearless (2008). In her acceptance speech, she thanked her parents for their support and dedicated the honour to her father. “This is for all those times that you said I could do whatever I wаnted in life,” she went on to say. “And my mum, you’re my best friend.”

Continue reading to learn more about Taylor Swift’s parents, Scott and Andrea Swift.

They grew Taylor on a Christmas tree farm.

Taylor Swift’s throwbacks

Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, the “Lover” singer developed a deep appreciation for the holiday season. Though her family ultimately moved to Nashville, Taylor has always spoken warmly about her early memories on the farm, and she even returned to pay a visit in 2018.

In her 2021 song “Christmas Tree Farm,” she pays tribute to her childhood home by recalling wonderful holiday memories.

They named her with a business career in mind.

Scott Kingsley Swift and Andrea Finlay attend the 56th GRAMMY Awards at the Staples Centre on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

Taylor’s parents both worked in finance, which impacted the name they selected for her.

“My mom thought it was cool that if you got a business card that said ‘Taylor,’ you wouldn’t know if it was a guy or a girl,” she told Rolling Stone in 2009, noting that they thought an androgynous name may help decrease potential prejudice in the workplace. “She wаnted me to be a business person in a business world.”

Andrea and Taylor travelled everywhere together to pursue Taylor’s aspirations.

Taylor Swift (L) with her mother, Andrea Swift, backstage at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Centre on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Taylor was confident in her abilities and determination from an early age, and she strove to land a record deal to make her ambitions come true. Andrea was there for Taylor from the start, driving her to Nashville to show off karaoke recordings of her.

According to Taylor, in 2008, “My mother waited in the car with my younger brother while I knocked on doors all over Music Row.” “Hi, my name is Taylor,” I would say. I’m 11. Call me if you want to sign a record deal.

When Taylor returned from that dreadful trip to Nashville, where no one phoned her, she determined to learn to play the guitar and write songs in order to stand out. Her parents urged her not to start with a 12-string guitar since her fingers were still “too small,” but she set out right immediately to prove them wrong.

“Never tell Taylor you can’t do something or that you will never do it.” “She began playing it for four hours every day and six hours on the weekends,” Andrea was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

They relocated to the suburbs of Nashville to support Taylor’s profession.

She relocated to Hendersonville, just outside of Nashville, with her family in 2003, after being the youngest person to sign with Sony/ATV Publishing. Taylor, who was 14 at the time, relocated to advance her profession, but her parents attempted not to put too much pressure on her, assuring her it would be “a change of scenery.”

She told EW, “I never wanted to make that move about her’making it.’” “Because what a horrible thing if it hadn’t happened, for her to carry that kind of guilt or pressure around.” At the same time, Scott relocated The Swift Group, a financial advisory firm where he had worked for nearly 30 years and was part of Merrill Lynch, to their new location.

Andrea explained that they wanted to protect Taylor from the pressures of fame, which is why they did not head directly to Nashville. “And we moved far enough outside Nashville to where she didn’t have to be going to school with producers’ kids and label presidents’ kids and be reminded constantly that she was struggling to make it,” she went on to say. “We’ve always told her that this is not about putting food on our table or making our dreams come true.”

Scott frequently joined Taylor on tour—where he playfully did his best to embarrass her.

Taylor Swift and her father, Scott K. Swift, at the taping of CMT “GIANTS” Honouring Alan Jackson at The Ryman Auditorium on October 30, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Scott, like any other father, enjoyed making fun of his teenage daughter, but Taylor had no objections.

In 2009, she posted on MySpace, “My dad is coming with us on this trip.” “He likes being around people and being on tour.” “He loves it so much; he thinks it’s hilarious to make me look as bad as possible.”

“For example,” the 19-year-old stated, “I’m walking into the hotel lobby after coming back from dinner.” It’s serene and nice until all of a sudden a voice screams, “HEY!”” “That’s Taylor Swift!””Dad,” I said. “Please don’t do that again.”

He mocked her, but she insisted, “It’s pretty priceless having my dad out here with me.”

Taylor revealed to fans that Andrea has battled cancer twice.

Taylor Swift’s Best Day music video

Taylor normally expresses her emotions to her fans through songs, but in 2015, she addressed them directly in an honest Tumblr post that Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer.

I’m writing to you with an update I wish I wasn’t giving you, but it’s important and I’m used to sharing important events in my life with you,” Taylor said in a statement. “When awful things happen to me, I prefer to reflect on them and then make music about my feelings. You hear it a long time later.” My family and I thought you should know this right now.” She then said that Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer during a routine check-up that she had encouraged her mother to get.

“I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wаnted you to know,” Taylor went on to say. “She explained why she might not be attending as many shows this tour. She must prepare for a large battle.

In 2019, Taylor wrote an insightful personal article for Elle in which she revealed that her mother’s cancer has returned. “I’ve learned that there are real problems and things that don’t matter.” My mother’s cancer is a major issue. “I used to worry so much about the ups and downs of every day,” she admitted, adding that her priorities had shifted since then. “I give all of my worry, strеss and prayers to real problems now.”

Taylor revealed in the same piece that her father, Scott, had also been diagnosed with cancer, although she did not go into detail about his medical journey. “Both of my parents have had cancer,” she said in part, going on to elaborate on her mother’s condition but not her father’s.

Taylor told Variety in 2020 that Andrea was diagnosed with a brain tumour while undergoing cancer treatment.

Taylor told the news source, “Everyone loves their mum; everyone’s got an important mum.” She went on to discuss how the news affected their family. “But she’s really the one who guides me.” I consult her about practically every decision I make initially. It was obviously critical that she not discuss her sickness.

She also stated that it was “a really hard time” for her family, adding that “the symptoms of having a brain tumour are nothing like what we’ve ever been through with her cancer.”

Andrea introduced Taylor during the 2015 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Taylor Swift (L) gets the Milestone Award from Andrea Swift onstage at the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 19, 2015.

Andrea’s cancer diagnosis was revealed to fans just over a week ago. That same night, Andrea joined Taylor onstage at the ACM Awards, where he received the Milestone Award. As she introduced her kid, she told everyone that she was a “proud mom”.

“I’ve been a fan of this important artist since she was a little girl with tangled hair…” She is innovative and creative up to now, as she prepares for her next world tour. Andrea, amid tears, stated, “I’m a very proud mom.”