All About Taylor Swift's Parents, Scott and Andrea Swift

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Rick Diamond/ACMA2013/Getty

Taylor Swift’s parents have always helped her chase her “Wildest Dreams.”

Long before she was aGrammy-winning superstarand theworld’s highest-paid female entertainer, the “Folklore” singer’s parents were listening to her sing karaoke anddriving her to local gigsnear her hometown of Wyomissing, Penn.

“She was always singing music when she was 3, 5, 6, 7, years old,” her dad, Scott Swift, toldUDaily, the newspaper of his alma mater, the University of Delaware. “It’s Taylor doing what she likes to do.”

Scott andAndrea Swifthave been their daughter’s biggest fans since birth, nurturing her talent and passion from a young age while striving to keep the pressures of fame off of her.

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

Andrea, a former marketing manager at an advertising agency, married Scott, a stockbroker-turned-vice-president for Merrill Lynch, on Feb. 20, 1988, in Harris County, Texas. The couple welcomed Taylor on Dec. 13, 1989. Just over two years later, Taylor became a big sister whenher brother Austin was bornon March 11, 1992.

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

Within a few years of taking that leap of faith, Taylor made her debut onstage at the Grand Ole Opry as a rising country star in September 2006. Andrea began to accompany her on the road as her career took off, while Scott stayed home with Austin.

By 2010, Taylor’s chart-topping successtook her to the Grammys, where she swept up four awards and made history as the youngest artist ever to take home album of the year for 2008’sFearless. She effusively thanked both her parents for their support in her acceptance speech, dedicating the award to her dad. “This is for all those times that you said I could do whatever I wanted in life,” she said. “And my mom, you’re my best friend.”

Keep reading for Swift’s parents, Scott and Andrea Swift.

They raised Taylor on a Christmas tree farm

Taylor Swift/Instagram

The “Lover” singer’s deep affinity for Christmas stems fromgrowing up on a Christmas tree farmin Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Though the family later moved to Nashville, Taylor has always spoken fondly of her memories on the farm, evenreturning to pay a visit therein 2018.

She later commemorated her childhood home in her 2021 song “Christmas Tree Farm,” on which she sings about her happy holiday memories from growing up.

They named her with a business career in mind

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Both of Taylor’s parents have backgrounds in the financial industry, something which influenced the moniker 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 toldRolling Stonein 2009, explaining that they thought an androgynous name could help reduce any potential discrimination in the corporate world. “She wanted me to be a business person in a business world.”

Andrea and Taylor traveled all over together to pursue the singer’s dreams

Christopher Polk/Getty

“My mom waited in the car with my little brother while I knocked on doors up and down Music Row,” Taylor toldEntertainment Weeklyin 2008. “I would say, ‘Hi, I’m Taylor. I’m 11. I wanted a record deal — call me.”

Upon returning from that fateful Nashville trip — where no one did call her — Taylor decided to take up guitar and focus on songwriting in order to help herself stand out. When her parents initially tried to dissuade her from starting with a 12-string guitar, suggesting that her fingers were still “too small,” she immediately set out to prove them wrong.

“Don’t ever say never or can’t do to Taylor. She started playing it four hours a day — six on the weekends,” Andrea told the outlet.

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

Rick Diamond/WireImage

“I never wanted to make that move about her ‘making it,"’ Andrea toldEW. “Because what a horrible thing if it hadn’t happened, for her to carry that kind of guilt or pressure around.” Meanwhile, Scott moved the financial advisory business where’d he worked for nearly three decades — The Swift Group, under Merrill Lynch — to their new home.

Part of the reason they didn’t move directly to Nashville was to offer Taylor a buffer against the trappings of fame as well, Andrea revealed. “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 explained. “We’ve always told her that this is not about putting food on our table or making our dreams come true.”

Andrea faced cancer twice

Taylor Swift/YouTube

While writing songs is primarily how Taylor processes and shares her emotions with fans, she opened up directly in a candid Tumblr post in 2015, informing fans thatAndrea 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 began. “Usually when things happen to me, I process them and then write music about how I feel, and you hear it much later. This is something my family and I thought you should know about now.” She went on to explain that during a routine check-up which she’d encouraged her mom to get, doctors discovered Andrea had cancer.

“I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know,” Taylor added. “She wanted you to know why she may not be at as many shows this tour. She’s got an important battle to fight.”

In a reflective personal essay forEllein 2019, Taylor revealed thather mom’s cancer had returned. “It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else. My mom’s cancer is a real problem. I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs,” she said, adding that her priorities had since shifted. “I give all of my worry, stress and prayers to real problems now.”

In the same essay, Taylor shared that her dad Scott had also previously been diagnosed with cancer, though she didn’t share specific details about his health journey. “Both of my parents have had cancer,” she wrote in part, going on to expand on her mom’s condition without elaborating on her dad’s.

While undergoing treatment for cancer, Andrea wasalso diagnosed with a brain tumor, Taylor revealed in 2020 toVariety.

“Everyone loves their mom; everyone’s got an important mom,” Taylor told the outlet, going on to express how the news was impacting their family. “But for me, she’s really the guiding force. Almost every decision I make, I talk to her about it first. So obviously it was a really big deal to ever speak about her illness.”

She added that it was “a really hard time” for her family, explaining that “the symptoms of what a person goes through when they have a brain tumor is nothing like what we’ve ever been through with her cancer before.”

Andrea introduced Taylor at the 2015 Academy of Country Music Awards

Cooper Neill/Getty

Just over a week after her first cancer diagnosis was shared with fans,Andrea joined Taylor onstageat the ACM Awards, where the singer was being honored with the Milestone Award. Andrea shared what a “proud mom” she was as she introduced her daughter.

“I’ve watched this milestone artist from the time she was a tangled-hair little girl … Full of imagination and creativity until right now, when she prepares for her next world tour. I’m a very proud mom,” Andrea said through tears.

Andrea has inspired two of Taylor’s songs

The pop star first gave fans a glimpse into her and Andrea’s close bond in 2008’s “The Best Day,” which references a handful of sweet memories the pair have shared together over the years. When Taylor released a lyric video for the track in 2021, she included adorablenever-before-seen home videosof the duo as well.

OnLover, Taylor opened up about the emotional trauma ofnavigating her mom’s cancer diagnosisin “Soon You’ll Get Better,” singing, “And I hate to make this all about me/ But who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do? If there’s no you.” During a YouTube Live, Taylor revealed that it was a family decision to ultimately include the song on the album. “It’s something I’m so proud of, but it’s just really hard. I can’t sing it. It’s hard to just emotionally deal with that song,” she explained.

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

Rick Diamond/Getty

After years of being criticized for not sharing her political opinions,Taylor broke her silenceand put public support behind two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee in 2018 — much tothe initial concern of her dad.

In her Netflix documentaryTaylor Swift: Miss Americana, she and her dad discuss the social media post. “I’ve read the entire [statement] and … right now, I’m terrified. I’m the guy that went out and bought armored cars,” Scott told Taylor in the documentary. Speaking toVariety, Taylor explained that while she understood his concerns for her personal safety, she felt she could no longer stay silent.

“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 explained. “My dad is terrified of threats against my safety and my life, and he has to see how many stalkers we deal with on a daily basis, and know that this is his kid. It’s where he comes from.”

Scott is a hands-on dad

Taylor Swift, Scott Swift and her handmade backstage pass.Rick Diamond/ACMA2013/Getty Images; Taylor Swift Instagram

Scott most recently joined his daughter as she kicked off her Eras Tour in March 2023. Ahead of her opening night concert, Taylorshared a snap of the backstage passshe created for her dad on her Instagram Story. The handmade card was marked “D.O.H. Pass” in gold lettering, with “(Dad of Headliner)” written below in Taylor’s handwriting.

“Made my Dad’s tour credential,” Swift captioned the photograph. “We are a small family business.”

Scott and Andrea attended several shows during Taylor’sEras Tour

In April 2023, Taylor gave her parents a sweet shout-out during anEras Tourconcert in Houston.

“I love you Houston,” she can be heard saying in a video posted onTikTok. “You treat us like Houston is my mom’s hometown, which it is. You treat us like this is where my parents got married, which it is.”

On Mother’s Day 2023, the Grammy-winning artist paid tribute to Andrea with a performance of “The Best Day.” Swift explained to the Philadelphia audience that she’d surprised her mom with the track back in 2008.

“I wrote this song just compiling these sort of core childhood memories I had of not just her as a mother, but her as a friend,” she could be heard saying in a video onTwitter.

In July 2023, after a show in Santa Clara, Calif., Swift posted a TikTok of her dadriding his Segwaybackstage.

“My dads on his segway s*** again,” she wrote alongside a clip of Scott trailing behind her golf cart as they weaved through the stadium’s tunnels.

Scott and Andrea both attended the Los Angeles premiere of Swift’sEras Tour concert filmin October 2023.

They were alsospotted in Vancouverin December 2024, where they watched one of their daughter’s final Eras Tour shows. A fan video posted onInstagramcaptured Scott and Andrea sharing an emotional moment as Swift played a mashup ofSpeak Now’s"Never Grow Up” and herFearlesstrack “The Best Day.”

Taylor’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, convinced Scott that he should be a Kansas City Chiefs fan

Maddie Meyer/Getty

Travis Kelceand Scott met for the first time inArgentina— a trip they both made to support Taylor at her Eras Tour concerts in Buenos Aires.

While on the trip, the NFL star successfully made Scott, who is a “huge football guy,” aChiefs fan.

Scott proved hisnewfound dedication to the Chiefsin December 2023 when he joined Taylor at twoNFL games.

However, their football adventures didn’t stop there.Scott and Andrea were also in attendancewhen the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, 2024.

Scott allegedly got into an altercation with a photographer

While in Sydney, Australia, for Taylor’s Eras Tour, Scott wasaccused of assaulting a 51-year-old photographerin the early hours of Feb. 27, 2024.

“Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water,” a rep for the singer told PEOPLE in a statement.

The photographer did not require medical attention.

Local authorities conducted an investigation, and in March 2024, Australian police released a statement viaRTEthat there would be “no further police action” taken.

Taylor mentioned Andrea in a song onThe Tortured Poets Department

The track list included a song called “thanK you aIMee” which appeared to reference her feud withKim Kardashian— not just because of the lyrics, but also because of the capital letters in the song title: K, I and M.

One part of the chorus seems to share Andrea’s feelings about Kardashian: “Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman/But she used to say she wished that you were dead.”

source: people.com