Covid 19 coronavirus: Taylor Swift digs deep for struggling Nashville record store

Taylor Swift has offered "direct relief" for an independent record store in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

The 30-year-old singer contacted Grimey's New & Preloved Music after the store was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic which has forced many businesses to close doors whilst struggling to keep paying staff.

The record store was also affected by the tornadoes that struck Nashville and middle Tennessee earlier this year, for which Swift also made donations.

Grimey's co-owner Doyle Davis has confirmed the Look What You Made Me Do hitmaker has given the store enough money for each of its employees, as well as providing three months' worth of healthcare so they can be seen by a medical professional during the pandemic if they need to.

"We were very surprised, and I would have to say amazed, that Taylor Swift reached out to us through her publicist to offer some relief during the Covid-19 pandemic," Doyle told Rolling Stone magazine.

"I didn't even know we were on her radar, but she really stepped up to help after the recent tornadoes that struck Nashville and middle Tennessee, and now she's trying to help a beloved small business in her city.

"Taylor generously offered some direct relief to my staff and to cover three months of our health care costs for our group-insurance plan. It's a huge deal to us, and now I have some peace of mind as we apply for [Small Business Association] loans to pay rent, vendors, and other expenses. This assistance from Ms. Swift helps give us a real shot at coming back on the other side of this."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

The business owners found it "totally surreal" to receive the donation from Swift, and were "deeply grateful" for her kind deed.

Buyer Will Orman added: "It's incredibly heartening and totally surreal that Taylor Swift has offered to help us out in such a significant way. With so much uncertainty about what lies ahead, we're deeply grateful to be able to look forward to returning to the store and continuing to share music and connect with our community, thanks to Taylor's generous support."

The news comes just days after Swift was revealed to have sent money to her cash-strapped fans who have lost their jobs as a result of coronavirus.