Taylor Swift Was Named After This Massachusetts Legend

She may have seen fire and she has no doubt seen rain, but sometimes-Rhode Islander Taylor Swift has certainly seen heights most of us can only dream of.

Swift, born December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania to parents Andrea (Finlay) Swift and Scott Kingsley Swift is, without doubt, one of the most famous people in the world.

Young Taylor spent the first 11 years of her life on a Christmas tree farm.

Taylor, or "Tay Tay," is a seasoned and talented singer, songwriter, producer, director, actress and businesswoman.

Also known as "Tay," "T-Swizzle," "T-Swizz," "Tate" and "Blondie," among other nicknames, Swift is an 11-time Grammy Award winner said to be worth as much as $600 million. She owns residences in Rhode Island, California, Nashville and New York.

Tay's fans are often known as "Swifties."

Swift, originally a country music singer-songwriter, began writing songs at age 14. She set the country music charts on fire. After crossing over to pop, her career exploded.

Swift has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, making her among the best-selling artists ever. Ticket sales for her recent concert tour crashed the internet. Swift recently performed a pair of sold-out shows at Foxboro's Gillette Stadium, one in the pouring rain.

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Swift was named after legendary Boston-born singer-songwriter James Taylor. IMBd.com says Swift's mother "believed that if she had a gender-neutral name, it would help her to forge a business career."

The website says Swift began acting in youth theater productions when she was nine and won a local singing competition at age 11. At 12, a computer repairman taught Swift to play three chords on a guitar.

Swift released her debut album Taylor Swift in October 2006. The rest is, as they say, history.

And yes, Taylor Swift and James Taylor have met and have performed together several times.