Did Taylor Swift sing The Star-Spangled Banner at a Philadelphia 76ers game at the age of 12? 

With 14 Grammys, over 250 hit musical numbers, and many other accolades, Taylor Swift is one of this generation's most decorated artists. The 34-year-old has broken multiple records post-pandemic with her Eras Tour.

However, before the fame and Grammy wins, Taylor Swift was just a newcomer from Wyomissing. She would make roundtrips to Nashville, hoping for a much-anticipated break. That break came in 2002 when 12-year-old Taylor got a chance to showcase her talents when the Philadelphia 76ers had a vacant spot in their list of national anthem performers.

Taylor Swift sang The Star-Spangled Banner at a 2002 Philadelphia 76ers game at the former First Union Center (now the Wells Fargo Center).

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Taylor Swift sang the national anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers game when she was just 12

On April 5, 2002, 12-year-old Taylor Swift performed the American national anthem in front of a stadium full of people at a Philadelphia 76ers game at the First Union Center. Donning a 'Stars and Stripes' sweatshirt and headband, teenage Taylor performed at center court in front of roughly 20,000 fans.

Talking about the experience in an interview with The Reading Eagle dated April 19, 2002, Taylor expressed:

"My mom and I were just jumping up and down we were so excited. I just really love doing that sort of thing. It is an adrenaline rush."

Matt Cord, the 76ers' public announcer at the time, was also interviewed for The Reading Eagle's April 19, 2002 edition. He recalled Taylor's father instructing him to introduce her as a country singer from Reading.

"She was from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania and I didn't know that town. Her dad was right here and he goes, ‘Just say Reading.’ So I went with Reading. We introduced her as a country star from Reading," Matt Cord recalled.

The 76ers game was a huge break for young Taylor's career and attracted the eyes of several big names in the industry. Just a month earlier, she was performing the national anthem at a high school basketball game in Wyomissing. From there to a 76ers game at the First Union Center was a huge upgrade.

Former Philadelphia 76ers manager of game operations Kathy Drysdale also praised Taylor Swift's voice when she sent her audition tape for the First Union Center performance.

"Her voice is so strong and powerful at 12 years old. You look at her and think, ‘Did that come out of her mouth?," Drysdale said.

Following her performance, Taylor Swift and her parents left the stadium with duffel bags filled with Philadelphia 76ers goodies and memorabilia signed by team members.

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Taylor Swift wanted to be a stockbroker as a child

Taylor Swift Performs at Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Taylor Swift wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a stockbroker as a child. In a 2011 interview with Fox 13 News, the Grammy winner quipped about wanting to be a financial advisor as a child. She even stated this in her school when asked about her aim in life.

"On the first day of school, they're like, 'What do you guys want to be when you grow up?' And everybody's like, 'I want to be an astronaut,' or, 'I want to be a ballerina. I'm like, 'I'm going to be a financial advisor,'" recalled Taylor.

In fact, her parents even chose a gender-neutral name for their daughter so that the inherent gender bias in the corporate landscape doesn't thwart her career. In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, she explained:

"My mom thought it was cool that if you got a business card that said 'Taylor,' you wouldn't know if I was a guy or a girl. She wanted me to be a business person in a business world."

However, the Ronan singer has since become one of the richest artists in the world and recently joined the billionaire club, largely due to her Eras Tour. Forbes states that Taylor Swift's net worth currently stands at around $1.1 billion.

The specialty of Taylor's fortune is that it is amassed without any subsidiary business, unlike most other artists with the billionaire tag. While other billionaires like Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West have multiple income sources to inflate their fortunes, Taylor earns her money solely through her performances, records, and sponsorship deals.

The Grammy winner invests heavily to diversify her assets. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Taylor Swift has real estate worth a whopping $150 million across the United States. Additionally, her sponsorship deals are some of the most lucrative ones in the industry. Taylor is the brand ambassador of companies like Capital One, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Wireless Keds, and many more.