Everything You Need to Know About Taylor Swift’s Parents, Who Are Always There for Her

Scott and Andrea Swift have been their daughter’s biggest fans since she was born, nurturing her talent and passion while attempting 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 star 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 awards and became the youngest artist ever to win album of the year for Fearless (2008). In her acceptance speech, she thanked her parents for their support and dedicated the award 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 mom, you’re my best friend.”

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

They raised Taylor on a Christmas tree farm
Taylor Swift throwbacks

Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, the “Lover” singer developed a strong love for the holiday season. Though the family later relocated to Nashville, Taylor has always spoken fondly of her childhood memories on the farm, and she even returned to pay a visit there in 2018.

She later paid tribute to her childhood home in her 2021 song “Christmas Tree Farm,” in which she recalls happy holiday memories from her childhood.

They named her with a business career in mind
Scott Kingsley Swift and Andrea Finlay attend the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California

Taylor’s parents both have backgrounds in the financial industry, which influenced the nаme they chose 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 explained to Rolling Stone in 2009, explaining that they thought an androgynous nаme could help reduce potential discrimination in the corporate world. “She wаnted me to be a business person in a business world.”

Andrea and Taylor traveled all over together to pursue Taylor’s dreams
Taylor Swift (L) and her mom Andrea Swift backstage during the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California

Taylor was confident in her abilities and drive from a young age, and she tried to land a record deal to make her dreams come true. Andrea was there for Taylor from the start, driving her to Nashville to show off karaoke recordings of her.

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

When Taylor returned from that terrible trip to Nashville, where no one called her, she decided to learn to play the guitar and write songs in order to stand out. Her parents told her not to start with a 12-string guitar because her fingers were still “too small,” but she set out right away 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 weekends,” Andrea told the news outlet.

They moved to the suburbs of Nashville to support Taylor’s career

Scott often joined Taylor on tour — where he playfully did his best to embarrass her
Taylor Swift and her Dad Scott K. Swift at the Taping of CMT “GIANTS” Honoring 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.

She wrote on MySpace in 2009, “My dad is coming with us on this trip.” “He likes being around people and being on tour.” He adores it; he finds it hilarious to make me look as bad as possible.”

“For example,” the 19-year-old explained, “I am walking into the hotel lobby after returning from dinner.” A sudden scream of “HEY!” interrupts the peaceful and lovely atmosphere. “That is 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 shared with fans that Andrea has faced cаncer twice
Taylor Swift, The Best Day music video

Taylor usually expresses her emotions to her fans through songs, but in 2015, she told 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 bad things happen to me, I like to reflect on them and then write music about my feelings. “You hear it a long time later.” My family and I felt you should know this right now.” Then she revealed that Andrea was diagnosed with cancer during a routine check-up that she had pushed her mother to have.

“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 introspective personal essay for Elle in which she revealed that her mother’s cancer had returned. “I’ve learned that there are real problems and other things that don’t matter.” My mother has cancer, which is a serious 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 mentioned in the same essay that her father, Scott, had also been diagnosed with cancer, but she did not go into detail about his medical journey. “Both of my parents have had cancer,” she wrote in part, going on to elaborate on her mother’s illness but not her father’s.

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

According to Taylor, “Everyone loves their mom; everyone’s got an important mom.” She then discussed how the news was affecting her family. “But she’s really the one who guides me.” I consult her before making almost any decision. It was obviously critical that she not discuss her illness.

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

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

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 daughter, 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 has been imaginative and creative up until now, as she prepares for her next world tour. Andrea, through tears, said, “I’m a very proud mom.”

Andrea has inspired two of Taylor’s songs
Taylor Swift (right) and mother Andrea Swift

In 2008’s “The Best Day,” the pop star first revealed how close she is to Andrea. The song recalls some of their fond memories from the past. Taylor released a lyric video for the song in 2021, which included adorable home videos of the two of them that no one had seen before.

In the Lover song “Soon You’ll Get Better,” Taylor discussed how difficult it was for her to deal with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. She said, “And I hate to make this all about me/But who am I supposed to talk to?” How should I act? If there isn’t you. During a YouTube Live, Taylor revealed that the family decided to include the song on the album. “I’m really proud of it, but it’s really hard.” I am unable to sing it. “That song makes it hard to just deal with your feelings,” she went on to say.

Scott worried about Taylor’s safety when decided to speak out about politics
Scott Swift and Taylor Swift

Taylor was chastised for years for not discussing her political views. In 2018, she broke her silence and publicly supported two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee, making her father nervous at first.

In the Netflix film Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, she and her father discuss the Instagram post. “I read the whole statement, and I’m scared right now.” In the film, Scott tells Taylor, “I’m the one who went out and bought armored cars.” Taylor told Variety that while she understood why he was concerned about her safety, she felt compelled to speak out.

“This was a situation where, from a humanity perspective, and from what my moral compass was telling me I needed to do, I knew was right, and I really didn’t care about repercussions,” she said. “My father has received numerous threats to my safety and life. Every day, we deal with a number of stalkers, and he must remember that this is his child.” This is where he came from.

Scott is still a hands-on dad
Scott Swift, singer Taylor Swift and Andrea Swift attend the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards; Taylor Swift Shares Sweet Photo of Backstage Pass She Made for Her Dad Ahead of Eras Tour

Scott and Andrea attended several shows during Swift’s Eras Tour
Taylor paid a sweet tribute to her parents during an Eras Tour concert in Houston in April 2023.

A TikTok video features her saying, “I love you, Houston.” “You treat us like Houston is where my mom grew up, which it is.” You talk to us as if this is where my parents married, which it is.

Then, during a concert stop in Philadelphia in May 2023, Scott was seen hanging out with Matty Healy, Swift’s rumored boyfriend.

On Mother’s Day, the Grammy-winning artist paid tribute to Andrea with the song “The Best Day.” In Philadelphia, Swift told the audience that she had given the song to her mother as a surprise in 2008.

In a video posted on Twitter, she said, “I wrote this song just putting together these sort of core childhood memories I had of her as both a mother and a friend.”

Then she recalled the day she finally let Andrea hear the song.

“That song is so lovely. “Where did you discover it?””It sounds exactly like what we went through,” Swift’s mother said. To which the singer responded, “I told my mother, ‘Mom, I wrote and recorded it in secret. “It’s our memories.” I believe she would have been surprised that I wrote a song about the two of us. It was the cutest thing ever.

Swift posted a TikTok video of her father riding his Segway backstage after a show in Santa Clara, California, in July 2023.

They both attended the premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour concert film in Los Angeles in October 2023.