Taylor Swift's Parents: Who Are Scott And Andrea?
Since landing her first record deal at just age 14, singer Taylor Swift has transformed into one of the most famous, top-earning performers in the world. The multi-Grammy-winning singer has sold millions of concert tickets and albums and earned billions of dollars thanks to her loyal fan base of Swifties. However, her incredible success would likely not be possible without the help of her supportive parents, Scott and Andrea Swift.
The two have been devoted to Swift's career since she began showing interest in singing as a child. They even relocated to help Swift pursue her dream. As she continued to climb the musical ranks, both Scott and Andrea played different roles in their daughter's life. Throughout her career, Swift has praised her mom and dad for their support; however, fans around the world are still curious to know more about the mom and dad who raised one of entertainment's brightest stars.
Andrea Swift was born to a talented opera singer
If you've ever heard the song "Marjorie," you've heard about Andrea Swift's mom. In the song, Taylor Swift describes her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, as someone she wished she had learned more from. But the singer definitely got something from Marjorie — who coincidentally was born in Tennessee and died in 2003 right before Scott and Andrea relocated their family to Nashville — because she was actually an opera singer.
She was known for her ability to hit high notes. In 1950, she won a music contest and embarked on a 15-month tour. When she married Taylor's grandfather, Robert Finlay, in 1952, they moved around between Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Cuba — but in each place, she found a way to continue her music career. In an interview with Apple Music, Taylor revealed that her mom said the two are very similar, which you can see in the music video for "Marjorie," which features pictures of her grandmother, and the music video for "Wildest Dreams," in which her look is inspired by Marjorie.
Scott and Andrea Swift married in the late '80s
Scott and Andrea Swift married in 1988 in Houston, Texas, where Andrea grew up. They moved to a Christmas tree farm in Reading, Pennsylvania, and welcomed Taylor in 1989. The Christmas tree farm spanned 11 acres and provided the inspiration for Taylor's song aptly titled "Christmas Tree Farm."
In 1997, after living on the farm for a few years, the family relocated to Wyomissing, Pennslyvania, where they remained until 2004. This is when Scott and Andrea decided to move the family, including their son Austin, to Nashville to pursue Taylor's career. The 3,560-square-foot home sold in 2022 for $800,000. Renovators even claim to have found some of Taylor's old things inside the house, Philly Voice reported.
Even though the family was moving for an unconventional reason — so their daughter could become a country music singer — Taylor told Philadelphia magazine that she became a more normal teenager while in high school in Tennessee.
Scott and Andrea built the foundation of Taylor's career
Scott Swift attended the University of Delaware before starting a job at Merill Lynch. He later developed The Swift Group, where he still serves as managing director. Andrea Swift, on the other hand, worked as a marketing manager at an advertising agency. Their corporate careers helped them figure out the best way to promote their daughter once they were in Nashville.
Her parents started a MySpace page for Taylor — a move that was ahead of its time. Taylor's former manager, Rick Barker, told Entertainment Weekly that Scott and Andrea posted Taylor's music to the account to figure out which songs to form into an album. Before long, Taylor's music hit the radio, and she began opening for bands like the Rascal Flatts.
In a 2023 interview with Time magazine, which named Taylor Person of the Year, the singer-songwriter explained that she was slated to open for Kenny Chesney when she was 17. But Taylor came home to find her mother in tears — Chesney's tour was sponsored by a beer brand, and they wouldn't allow a teenager to perform. "I was devastated," Taylor admitted to Time. However, Chesney made it up to her by giving her enough money to take her career to the next level. And all of this happened because of decisions made by her parents.
They privately divorced in 2011
Scott and Andrea Swift have always appeared as a unified pair for their daughter, Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, both dedicated so much time to Swift's career that it actually put a strain on their marriage. Shortly after moving to Nashville to get the "Shake It Off" star more recognition, Swift's career took off. Andrea began accompanying her daughter on the road while Scott stayed home with Austin. This separation caused irreparable damage to the couple's relationship.
In 2011, the Swifts officially filed for divorce, though an anonymous family friend told Radar Online that the two had split a few years before filing the paperwork. Scott and Andrea worked hard to keep their separation private, deciding not to alert media outlets of the divorce. Swift has not directly addressed her parents' separation but has alluded to it in her music. In her record "Mine" from the "Speak Now" album, the songwriter sang about a woman who is slightly cautious of love due to her parents' marriage falling apart.
Both Scott and Andrea Swift were diagnosed with cancer
Sadly, serious health scares have hit close to home for Taylor Swift, as both of her parents have been diagnosed with cancer in the past. Her father Scott has been private about his bout with the illness, though Swift did confirm it in a personal essay in Elle. Regarding her mother Andrea, the singer has been much more vocal about her cancer journey.
In 2015, Swift announced that her mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In a Tumblr post, Swift said that Andrea wanted her to tell fans what was going on. Andrea went into remission, but the cancer came back in 2019. In another devastating blow, while undergoing treatment a second time, Andrea was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2020. During her chat with Variety, the singer shared that the tumor side effects were much more difficult to cope with than Andrea's previous cancer symptoms, which proved exceptionally difficult for her family.
Scott strongly encouraged Taylor to stay away from politics
In 2018, Taylor Swift released a statement on Instagram revealing she would not be voting for Marsha Blackburn, who voted against equal pay for women. Taylor had never discussed her political opinions before, but Blackburn was running for a senate seat in Tennessee — a place close to Taylor's heart.
At the time, Taylor was also being criticized for failing to voice her political opinions, causing speculations about what they may be. Little did anyone know at the time that the reason for this was her father, who feared for her safety. This was revealed to the public in the 2020 Netflix documentary "Miss Americana." Taylor later told Variety that she felt compelled to speak up despite her father's fears. "This was a situation where, from a humanity perspective, and from what my moral compass was telling me I needed to do, I knew I was right, and I really didn't care about repercussions," she said. "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 Swift delivered a speech (and a lot of money) at the Eras Tour
The U.S. leg of the Eras tour is estimated to have garnered $4.1 billion for Taylor Swift personally, according to The Washington Post. As a thank you to the truck drivers who orchestrated the tour's travel throughout the U.S. portion of the tour, Taylor gave them each a $100,000 bonus, which her dad presented them with. Michael Scherkenbach, the CEO of the truck company that employs the drivers, told CNN that this was a lot more money than the typical bonus — which is usually around $5,000 to $10,000.
"The Taylor family is always present and kind to our drivers but Scott generally doesn't lead the meeting," Scherkenbach revealed. "Scott gave a speech saying that he had discussed this with Taylor and they thought that it was only right that everybody received a bonus. Taylor insisted on writing a handwritten note to each driver and [added] a wax seal on the envelope with her monogram."
Scott's responsibilities on the tour, like this one, earned him the official D.O.H. ("dad of headliner") all-access pass that Taylor made herself. She joked in an Instagram post that they're "a small family business."
Fans loved Andrea at the Eras Tour, as expected
Andrea is a Swiftie in and of herself. Fans were especially excited to see her at the Eras tour, trade friendship bracelets with her, and get the chance to take a picture with her. One fan who got to meet her at two different shows some 10 years apart posted both encounters on TikTok, making it clear that they were happy just to get to see Taylor's mother up close even if they wouldn't ever get to meet Taylor herself.
Another fan, Reagan Baylee, told Today that she had the chance to have a conversation with Andrea at the Eras tour movie premiere on October 11. And after she took her seat, Scott approached her with some of Taylor's guitar picks to keep as souvenirs. She was touched by the way Taylor's parents went out of their way to make their daughter's fans feel loved, and said this was proof that her parents "go above and beyond."
Fans got to know Andrea a little better back in 2015 when she presented Taylor with the Milestone Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards. In her speech, Andrea revealed that Taylor wrote "Love Story" when she was 17 — after her parents made it clear that they "strongly disapproved of a boy she liked. Days after the awards show, Andrea's cancer diagnosis was announced, which inspired Taylor's song "Soon You'll Get Better."
Andrea is beloved by celebs too
As it turns out, Swifties aren't the only ones who love the Swift parents — celebrities love Scott and Andrea just as much. Selena Gomez has been seen with them at various high-profile events, which makes sense given how close she is with Taylor. But Taylor didn't always have friends within the industry, and Andrea did what she could to try and orchestrate friendships for her with other young female singers, like Hayley Williams.
The Paramore lead singer told Jimmy Fallon that Andrea came up to her at Timbaland's Grammy's afterparty in 2008 and asked if she wanted to be friends with Taylor. Both Paramore and Taylor Swift were up for the Best New Artist award that year — Amy Winehouse won — and all of them were living in Nashville at the time. Williams called Andrea a "legend."
Fallon also knows Andrea — she sent him a video of Taylor after getting Lasik surgery, which he played the next time he interviewed her. In the video, you can hear Andrea talking to Taylor, coaching her to do things, like eating a banana, and trying to have her avoid crying. When Taylor humorously freaked out over him getting this video from an unexpected source, he joked that he and Andrea have "been friends for years."
Scott Swift and Travis Kelce appear to get along
One thing on every Swiftie's mind in late 2023 is whether or not Taylor's parents like her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Although it's unclear if Andrea Swift has met the Chiefs tight end, Scott Swift spent some time with him at the Eras tour in Argentina. In fact, he was standing right beside him when Taylor changed the lyrics of "Karma" from "Karma is the guy on the screen" to "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs," which made the crowd roar with excitement.
Kelce got so into the moment that he missed a high-five from Scott. Someone caught this moment on video and Kelce issued a formal apology to Scott on his podcast "New Heights," which he hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. The brothers joked on the podcast that Scott, who played football in college, was persuaded by Travis to wear a Chiefs lanyard when the family is known for their allegiance to the Eagles.
Later, Taylor and her dad attended a Chiefs game, and Scott was sporting a Kansas City sweater. It's safe to say the two are getting along.