During a visit to TODAY<\/a>, soul rocker Teddy Swims<\/a> revealed that one of the biggest reasons he chased his dream of becoming a musician was simple: his dad never stopped cheering him on.<\/p>\n The “Lose Control” singer, who’s appearing on\u00a0Kelly Clarkson<\/a>‘s Songs & Stories special<\/a> on September 2, looked back at his\u00a0come-up story\u00a0during an October 2024 episode<\/a> of TODAY<\/i>. While chatting about his smash album I\u2019ve Tried Everything But Therapy Part 2, Hoda Kotb<\/a> asked Swims if there was anyone in his childhood who nurtured his artistic flame. Swims explained he was “fortunate” to have an amazing support system growing up.<\/p>\n “I think it was a level of delusion,” Swims teased, getting a chuckle from Kotb and\u00a0Jenna Bush Hager<\/a>\u00a0before adding that he was lucky not to have any major “haters” while he was honing his craft. “Maybe that was just because I didn’t entertain people like that in my life. Or maybe I’m just lucky enough to have such a good support system in my life that was just always like, ‘You wanna go for it? Go for it, go for it!”<\/p>\n RELATED: This Teddy Swims Battle on The Voice Gobsmacks Iconic Coach: “I Can’t Believe…”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Swims then explained that his father played a significant role in his decision to pursue music as a career. In an alternative universe, Swims had believed he was going to be a barber, not a chart-topping artist. But Father Fate had other plans.<\/p>\n Teddy Swims smiles in a plaid suit jacket and hat.<\/p>\n Swims was keen to share his father’s role in his life-changing turning point with Hager and Kotb<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I was in cosmetology school because my mom’s been a barber my whole life, and she was like, ‘Well, baby, I’ll go get my cosmetology teaching license [at the] same time so we can go to school together.’ And we were doing that, I was in cosmetology school for about six months,” he recalled.<\/p>\n While his childhood had pointed him toward haircutting, Swims’ father could sense he had big dreams and even bigger star power brewing.\u00a0“My dad, when I was 19, told me, ‘Son, if you want to sing, drop out of school. Promise me you’ll never go back,” Swims said fondly, adding that a parent’s blessing can go a long way.<\/p>\n Swims concluded, “I tell everybody all the time, if you have kids that have dreams, do not underestimate the power of your father giving you permission, your parents giving [permission]. That was what I needed to light the fire.”<\/p>\n RELATED: You’ll Have Kelly Clarkson’s Latest Joyful Teddy Swims Cover on Repeat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Teddy Swims performs on stage in a cowboy hat.<\/p>\nTeddy Swims’ dad gave him “permission” to explore his dream career<\/h2>\n
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Teddy Swims opens up about the divine timing of his success<\/h2>\n
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