Taylor Swift has long been a fixture in the music community. Her earliest songs, “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar,” earned her acclaim for her expressive voice and old-soul lyrics. Meanwhile, her latest tunes, like “Cardigan” and “Willow,” prove Swift can reach fans of any age and music taste. 

While it seems as though Swift has been around forever, there was a time when she was just a struggling songwriter. Still, while Swift might not have been born famous, she had a leg up. Her father bought a significant stake in the major record label that signed the rising star.