Taylor Swift Brings Mom & Dad to the Academy of Country Music Awards
Scott and Taylor Swift at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Texas. Photo: Getty Images
Anyone who follows Taylor Swift on social media—or reads newspapers or magazines or the Internet—knows the country-turned-pop singer has plenty of besties: She was just named godmother to BFF Jaime King’s still unborn child, she counts all the Haim sisters as friends, covered Vogue with Karlie Kloss, regularly hangs with everyone from Lena Dunham to Lily Aldridge. She also has a new boyfriend, DJ Calvin Harris, with whom she’s been seen canoodling at LA clubs. But Swift ditched all of them in favor of the most important man her life: dad Scott. She brought him as her date to the Academy of Country Music Awards—and even tried to make him dance.
Taylor Swift dances at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Texas. Photo: Getty Images
Papa Swift might have laughed her off, but Taylor stayed true to her award show MO, dancing her way through the performances in her baby blue Reem Acra dress.
Earlier this month, Taylor Swift shared with her fans, via Tumblr, that her mother Andrea’s been diagnosed with cancer. She wrote, “I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know…She wanted you to know why she may not be at as many shows this tour. She’s got an important battle to fight.”
And while Mrs. Swift may not be attending every stop of Swift’s upcoming world tour, she did make it to the ACMA’s to present her daughter with the 50th Anniversary Milestone Award. Wearing a black dress and sparkly jacket, Mrs. Swift gave a heartfelt speech, thanking the entire music community and the millions of fans for “taking such good care” of her 25-year-old daughter.
“I’ve watched this milestone artist from the time she was a tangle-haired little girl growing up on our farm, full of imagination and creativity until right now. And ever since then, her favorite thing in the world has been to write a song, tell a story, play a guitar or a piano and I’ve seen those things carry through every emotion and experience in her life, good or bad,” mama Swift said.
She even let the crowd in on some Swiftie secrets: Like how one of her daughter’s major hits came to be and how she wasn’t necessarily the most popular girl in school.
“And every once in a while, her dad, her brother and I find ourselves to be the subjects of our songs. Sometimes we are merely the inspiration…like the time she was 17 years old and her father and I strongly disapproved of a certain young man, and rightfully so, but she was mad. And she went to her room, she closed the door and she came out about an hour later with a song called Love Story.”
She continued:
“For many years I was her constant companion and I witnessed a young girl, with very few friends, become a young women, with many…learning to stand up for herself and the things she believes in…having a voice against those who hate and giving of herself to those in need. I am a very proud mom.”
As if America could love the Swifts any more!
Related: Reese Witherspoon & Sofia Vergara Buddy Up at the Academy of Country Music Awards
Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift…They Were All Feminists in 2014
