Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the artist. For the album, see Taylor Swift (album).
Taylor Swift

Swift at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater in 2012

Background information
Birth name Taylor Alison Swift
Born December 13, 1989 (age 23)
Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Genres
Country, country pop, pop, pop rock

Occupations Singer-songwriter,musician, actress
Instruments Vocals, guitar, banjo guitar, ukulele, piano

Years active 2006–present
Labels
Big Machine

Website taylorswift.com

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent labelBig Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's eponymous debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on thecountry chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2008 GrammyAwards.
Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me",Fearless became the top-selling album of 2009 and was supported by an extensive concert tour. The record won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Swift's third album, 2010's Speak Now, sold over one millioncopies in its first week of US release and was supported by the thirteen-month Speak Now World Tour. The album's third single, "Mean", won two Grammy Awards. Swift's fourth album, Red, was released in 2012. Its opening US sales of 1.2 million were the highest recorded in a decade, with Swift becoming the only female artist to have two million-plus opening weeks. The lead single, "We Are NeverEver Getting Back Together", was Swift's first number one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and became a worldwide hit. The Red Tour is scheduled to begin in March 2013.
Swift is known for her narrative songs about her experiences as a teenager and young adult. As a songwriter, she has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift's other achievementsinclude six Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, six Academy of Country Music Awards and thirteen BMI Awards. She has sold over 26 million albums and 75 million digital downloads worldwide. In addition to her music career, Swift has appeared as an actress in the crime drama CSI (2009), the ensemble comedy Valentine's Day (2010) and the animated film TheLorax (2012). Forbes estimates that she is worth over $165 million. As a philanthropist, Swift supports arts education, children's literacy, natural disaster relief, LGBT anti-discrimination efforts, and charities for sick children.
Contents
• 1 Early life
• 2 Music career
o 2.1 2004–08: Career beginnings and Taylor Swift
o 2.2 2008–10: Fearless, VMA controversy and Grammy backlash
o 2.32010–12: Speak Now; live and studio collaborations
o 2.4 2012–present: Red and tour announcement
• 3 Artistry
o 3.1 Influences
o 3.2 Lyrical themes and style
o 3.3 Musical and vocal style
o 3.4 Public image
• 4 Acting career
• 5 Philanthropy
o 5.1 Arts education
o 5.2 Children's literacy
o 5.3 Natural disaster relief
o 5.4 LGBT support
o 5.5 Charities for sick children
o 5.6 Othercharitable endeavors
• 6 Personal life
o 6.1 Politics
• 7 Awards and nominations
• 8 Discography
• 9 Concert tours
• 10 Filmography
• 11 References
• 12 External links

Early life
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, is a Merrill Lynch financial adviser.[2][3] He was raised in Pennsylvania and is the descendant of...