The female American singer began her music career making country songs, but Taylor Swift did not grow up below the Mason-Dixon line.
Taylor Swift grew up in Pennsylvania, USA. The singer was born in West Reading, PA and lived there until moving to neighbouring Wyomissing, PA, when she was 3 or 4 years old.
Let’s take a look at the pop sensation’s early life in more detail.
What was Taylor Swift’s childhood like?
Swift was lucky to be born into a privileged family. Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, was a successful stockbroker. Her mother, Andrea Gardner Swift, was a stay-at-home mom, who previously worked as a marketing executive.
Taylor’s first childhood home was a house on a Christmas tree farm that her father bought from a client of his.
Even though Swift was only a toddler when she lived on the farm, she still had to help out with the family business. Her job was to catch the praying mantis critters that would sometimes hideout in the trees.
The popstar even wrote a song about her time on the picturesque Winter Wonderland. Take a look at the music video, complete with Taylor’s childhood home movies.
The Swift family then moved to another luxurious home, which they rented for ten years.
Taylor attended a prestigious private school during her elementary school days—The Wyndcroft School, which costs $22,850 a year for the highest grade.
For her junior and senior high school days, Swift attended a local public school—Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School.
Despite not being a private school, it could certainly be mistaken for one. In fact, Taylor herself once remarked, “It mattered what kind of designer handbag you brought to school.”
How Did Taylor Swift become a singer?
Taylor first started to get interested in music at age nine. She performed in school musicals and was also part of the Berks Youth Theatre Academy, where she had parts in “Annie” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”
As a child, she would travel to New York City regularly to have singing and acting lessons and auditioned for Broadway productions several times, but never got the part.
Looking back on her childhood, Taylor said, “I think I first realized I wanted to be in country music and be an artist when I was 10. And I started dragging my parents to festivals, and fairs, and karaoke contests.”
It was aged 11 that Taylor landed her first breakthrough performance. She was invited to sing the National Anthem for a Philadelphia 76ers game.
Still aged 11, Taylor was invited to open the concert of country singer Charlie Daniels.
It was then that Taylor decided she needed to take the plunge into becoming a fully fledged country artist. She travelled to Nashville, Tennessee—the capital of country music—to submit a demo tape. Unfortunately for Swift, and the reluctant record label, she was rejected.
Taylor realised that if she wanted to become a professional country singer, she would need something other than a good voice. She began playing guitar to give her an edge over other hopeful young singers, and she took to it fast.
It’s at this point in Taylor’s life—around age 14— that her well-off family really comes in handy. Her whole family uproots themselves and relocates to Nashville to pursue the teenager’s dream.
Her father then buys a share of the record label Big Machine Records, which she signs to. Soon after, perhaps to celebrate, Taylor is gifted a convertible Lexus.
After this, the young singer sees little else than further success.
Where does Taylor Swift live now?
The country and pop superstar has several homes in the US.
She purchased a $2 million penthouse in Nashville in 2009.
In 2011 she took ownership of a ‘cape-cod style’ house in Beverly Hills for $3.55 million.
Beverly Hill mansions must come better in pairs, because in 2015 she bought a huge home and estate nearby.
In 2013, she spent $17.75 million on this gargantuan mansion that sits atop a seaside hill in Rhode Island.
Last, but certainly not least, in 2014, she parted with $20 million in return for a Manhattan penthouse.