Taylor Swift, an American pop and country music singer-songwriter whose tales of young heartache achieved widespread success in the early 21st century. Swift showed an interest in music at an early age, and she progressed quickly from roles in children’s theatre to her first appearance before a crowd of thousands. She was age 11 when she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game, and the following year she picked up the guitar and began to write songs.

Source: Britannica