Taylor Swift Was Actually Named After Another Famous Musician

Taylor Swift's parents chose a first name for the artist that came from another music powerhouse. As Parade wrote in a 2015, Swift was named after "Fire and Rain" singer-songwriter James Taylor. In the interview, Taylor explained that he'd shared the stage with Swift on a couple of occasions in the past. "Taylor and I played a gig together about two years before she became so amazingly successful," Taylor said. "Then she invited me to come finish one of her tours about four years ago at Madison Square Garden." The New York City performance took place in 2011 during Swift's Speak Now World Tour. Swift and Taylor sang "Fire and Rain" onstage, while Big Frog 104 wrote that Taylor and Swift also performed one of her hits, "Fifteen," together.

In a 2015 Stereo Gum interview, Taylor further opened up about Swift's first name. Taylor called it "hugely flattering" and "a delightful surprise" to learn that Swift's parents sought inspiration from his moniker while naming the "Love Story" singer. "[Swift] told me that her mom and dad had been really, deeply into my music, and I got a real kick out of the fact that she'd been named after me," Taylor told the music site. "Obviously it wasn't her choice, it was her mom and dad, but nonetheless a great connection I think." And like her namesake, Swift has gone on to attain worldwide acclaim for her musical talents.

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