Taylor Smith, also known as TJ Smith, was born on February 22, 1988, in Arlington, Texas. His mother, Sharon, was a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, and his father, Edward, was a minister and church choir director. At birth, TJ had to be rushed to the ICU due to a Strep infection.
At the age of two, TJ's father left him and his mother for another woman, and TJ's maternal family members, particularly his grandfather, "Doc," played a significant role in raising him. TJ started playing football and learning to play the cello in second grade, which he continued for 10 years.
Despite being an only child, TJ had an older half-sister, Mariel, who lived with him and his mother for five years before moving back to live with her biological mother. Tragically, Mariel committed suicide at the age of 16 when TJ was in fifth grade.
TJ's mother remarried Frank, who worked in the corporate sector of Kroger, and helped raise TJ. The family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, due to Frank's job transfer, where TJ joined the school's ski team and the Utah Youth Olympic Orchestra at the age of 13.
A year later, the family relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio. In high school, TJ was an accomplished student, participating in various extracurricular activities, including football, plays, musicals, the school newspaper, and the poetry club. He also started writing his own music.
After high school, TJ attended Yale University, initially majoring in Ethics, Politics, and Economics before switching to Psychology. During his time at Yale, TJ dated a girl named Nikki for two years before they broke up due to distance. TJ also co-founded a band called The Sandy Gill Affair with friends, including fellow YouTuber Kurt Hugo Schneider.
After graduating from Yale, TJ moved to Los Angeles, California, to focus on making YouTube videos and pursuing his acting and music career. He helped Kurt with his YouTube channel and later started working at The Game Station, which provided him with valuable experience and knowledge.
TJ created a vlogging channel in 2010 and a music channel in 2012. He gained popularity with his Highway Sing-a-longs, which included collaborations with friends and even car commercials for Nissan. In 2013, TJ released his own album, Ivyleaguepunk, and performed live on the Teen Vogue Main stage at Playlist Live in 2014 and 2015.
