People who grew up with Taylor Swift explain what she was like before she was famous

People who knew Taylor Swift before she was famous have offered insight into what she was like before making it big.

It's a question which tantalises a lot of people when it comes to the stars - what were they like before fame?

So, what have people said about Taylor Swift?

Well, previously classmates of hers from school have been less than flattering about how the future star was while at school.

TikToker Jessica McLane claimed that while at school 'most people hated her', drawing attention to her habit of writing songs about people in her life.

The TikToker remarked that there 'were not a lot of people in high school who had nice things to say about her'.

But not everyone agreed with McLane.

Taylor Swift performing in 2009. (Theo Wargo/WireImage for Clear Channel Radio New York)

Gena Levengood was at school with Swift, two years behind her.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, she recalled asking the future superstar if she was planning to audition for children's American Idol spin-off American Juniors.

“She said she considered it but decided not to, because there was a line in the contract about not being able to release an album within a certain number of years," said Levengood.

It seems that Swift was set on future stardom from a young age, even reportedly practicing her autograph in her notebook, according to local musician Pat Garret. Swift played with his band earlier in her career.

One of the people who knew Swift from a young age was Ronnie Cremer, a tech support worker who would teach her guitar from when she was around 11 years old.

Cremer told the Sunday Times: “I said I’d teach her what I know.

“She was sweet and kind and eager."

But how were Swift's skills early on?

Swift on her Eras Tour in Edinburgh in 2024. (Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management )

"She was never a guitar virtuoso," said Cremer, "but the idea was to teach her how to project into a microphone and play as if on autopilot — to allow her to perform.”

Swift famously moved to Nashville, Tennessee, a city steeped in musical heritage, in order to make it big.

The future star attended Hendersonville High School, where people were less-then-moved by her ambitious declarations.

A former classmate revealed that she had always had big ideas even from a young age, rolling up saying she was going to be a star.

“We kind of rolled our eyes because, being in Nashville, we hear that a lot,” said the classmate. “It was just such a strong statement for someone of that age.”

Of course, Taylor Swift went on to become one of the few people for whom that declaration would prove to be true.

While claiming people thought the young Swift was 'a bit of a brat', the classmate says people were in awe of her talent when she performed.

She said: "Everyone was pretty taken aback. Like - she had just come out of nowhere."