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Shania Twain

 
Who2 Biography: Shania Twain, Country Singer
Shania Twainn
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  • Born: 28 August 1965
  • Birthplace: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
  • Best Known As: Singer of the pop hit "You're Still The One"

Name at birth: Eileen Regina Edwards

Shania Twain released her eponymous debut album in 1993, the same year she married superstar music producer Robert "Mutt" Lange. Five years later she was one of country music's biggest stars thanks to talent, charisma, and a va-va-voom body lavishly displayed at every opportunity. Her 1995 album The Woman in Me won the Grammy Award for best country album and eventually sold over 12 million copies. Her 1997 follow-up Come On Over sold even more and confirmed her superstar status through hit singles like "You're Still the One," "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman." Early in her career Twain was a controversial figure among country music purists, some of whom felt her made-for-video musical style was too close to MTV pop, but such criticism was ultimately buried beneath her overwhelming success. Her 2002 album Up! sold two million copies in the U.S. in its first month of release. She released a greatest hits album in 2004.

Twain and Lange separated in 2008. Their son, Eja D'Angelo, was born in 2001... Twain was born Eileen Edwards, but later took her stepfather's last name... She changed her first name to "Shania" in 1990; it reputedly means "I'm on my way" in the Ojibway language.

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Biography: Shania Twain
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With her stunning looks and gritty, upbeat lyrics that often touch on a woman's prerogative, Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain (born 1965) has secured a large fan base of both male and female country and pop fans. With more than 65 million albums sold, Twain is the best-selling country artist of all time. Her 1997 album, "Come on Over", was the best-selling album of all time by a female artist in any genre. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith told "Music Week"'s Ian Nicolson: "She's not country, she's not pop, she's just a huge talent."

Awed Parents with Vocal Abilities

Twain was born Eilleen Regina Edwards on August 28, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, to Clarence and Sharon Edwards, who soon separated. Sharon Edwards then moved Twain and her two sisters to Timmins, Ontario, a mining and logging town on the northern stretches of Canada, where winter temperatures dip to forty degrees below Farenheit. In Timmins, Sharon Edwards met and married Jerry Twain, an Ojibwa Indian. Jerry Twain adopted the girls, making them official members of his native band, the Temagami Anishnawbe Bear Island First Nation. The new marriage produced two boys. Jerry Twain worked as a logger and mining prospector, but the family of seven struggled to make ends meet.

Early on, Twain's parents noticed her remarkable vocal talents. By age three, Twain could sing on key with a light vibrato, as well as harmonize. A self-taught guitarist, Jerry Twain decided to teach his daughter to play and the pint - sized singer quickly learned about frets, chords and tuning. Twain's arms barely fit around the guitar, which was longer than she was tall. By ten, Twain was writing her own songs.

Unleashed Talents on Local Community

Because they were perpetually poor, Twain's parents hoped Twain could parlay her abilities into a solid, money-making career. They pushed Twain early and often. As a youngster, Twain was shy and her dream was to become a backup singer for Stevie Wonder. Twain's parents, however, had bigger visions and her mother arranged gigs at community centers, nursing homes and hospital wards. As a preteen, Twain walked through nightclub doors after 1 a.m. when the bars stopped serving alcohol and allowed minors inside. Dressed in a denim skirt and a buckskin-fringed shirt, Twain belted out tunes to blue-collar crowds of loggers and miners.

Encouraged by their daughter's reception, the Twains invested in voice lessons, though the closest suitable teacher was in Toronto, which was a 20-hour roundtrip drive. At 16, Twain joined the Canadian rock band Longshot, which was popular in the Timmins area. As a member of Longshot, Twain sang hit songs from Pat Benatar, Journey and REO Speedwagon. She also supplemented the family income by working at McDonald's.

The family was so poor that Twain often relied on mustard sandwiches for lunch. "We would go for days with just bread and milk and sugar - heat it up in a pot," she recalled during an interview with Brian D. Johnson of Maclean's. "I'd judge other kids' wealth by their lunches. If a kid had baked goods, that was like, oh, they must be rich." Though Twain eventually escaped poverty, the memory of her childhood hunger pains never left her. She has continued to raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank and frequently plugs the charity at concerts and publicity events. As a child, Twain turned to music to escape her circum-stances. According to the Toronto Sun's Jane Stevenson, Twain prayed a lot as a child. "I just wanted to be swept away. I wanted music to take me away. I wanted music to adopt me and take me away from all that hell."

Endured Lossof Parents

After Twain graduated from Timmins High in the early 1980s, she moved to Toronto to pursue a singing career. There, she found plenty of rock and pop bands to sing with and was invited to record for the Toronto-based Opry North radio show. One of her first recordings included a duet with Tim Denis on his self-titled 1985 album. She also provided backup vocals for Kelita Haverland's 1986 album, Too Hot to Handle.

In 1987, Twain's parents were killed in an accident involving a logging truck. Twain, just 21, found herself responsible for her three siblings, who ranged in age from 13 to 18. The responsibility itself was overwhelming and Twain was further crushed to realize she had to give up her musical life on the road. Twain got a lucky break, however, and landed an entertainment job at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario. The job provided a steady paycheck with no traveling. It also offered variety. Some nights Twain sang country or pop hits. Other nights she sang Broadway revues. Singing daily, Twain became more comfortable as a performer.

Landed Recording Deal

Twain's siblings grew up and moved out, allowing Twain to proceed with her career. Around 1991 she hooked back up with longtime mentor Mary Bailey, a 1980s Canadian country music star. Bailey had heard Twain sing as a child and was instantly enamored with her talent. Over the years, Bailey had periodically helped out Twain. Working behind the scenes, Bailey used her connections to circulate Twain's tape. Twain eventually landed a recording contract with Mercury Records. Its executives liked Twain's voice, but not her full name, Eilleen Twain. She adopted Shania, an Ojibwa name that means "I'm on my way."

Mercury Records assembled a marquee roster of musicians to work with Twain, including a drummer who had played with Elvis Presley and a guitarist who had played alongside Jimmy Buffett. Mercury also gathered songs from the most fashionable songwriters. Soon, Twain realized Mercury had no intention of letting her record the songs she had written. When she objected, studio executives insisted she only had one chance to make it, so they choose traditional country songs. In the end, Twain co-wrote one song, "God Ain't Gonna Getcha for That," for her self-titled 1993 debut album.

The album was a flop. None of the radio singles even made it into the Top 40. Twain's videos, for "What Made You Say That" and "Dance with the One that Brought You," generated a bit more attention, though mostly because Twain bared her belly button, something Nashville disdained.

Drew Attention of Veteran Producer

When music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange caught a glimpse of a Twain video, the brunette singer's poise captivated him and he felt the urge to contact her. Lange had created several monster hits, including AC/DC's "Back in Black" and "Shook Me All Night Long" and Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Lange found a kindred spirit in Twain after just one phone call. At the time Lange lived in London and the two began calling each other regularly. Often, Twain would set down the phone and pick up the guitar, singing her songs for Lange, who found them quite refreshing. He was amazed Twain had not recorded any of them on her first album.

In June of 1993, Lange traveled to the United States to meet Twain in person. He also expressed an interest in producing Twain's next album, though he had never worked in country, and eventually hammered out a deal with Mercury. Next, Twain flew to London to work on the album. On December 28, 1993, they married.

Music insiders have said Twain and Lange are a peculiar mix. For starters, Lange is 16 years older than Twain, and whereas Twain spends time putting together her outfits and hair, Lange keeps his hair shaggy and prefers comfortable, slip-on shoes. Twain lives much of her life in the public eye, though Lange works hard to keep a low profile. Lange hates the public eye so much he has bought the rights to nearly every photo taken of him and has refused interviews for decades. The couple also adheres to an Eastern religion called Sant Mat, which includes spiritual practices such as daily meditation and abstinence from alcohol and drugs. They are also vegetarians.

Despite their disparate personalities, their talents meld perfectly. The husband-wife duo worked tirelessly on Twain's second album. Twain provided the spirited lyrics and Lange used his studio talents to add depth to the melodic lines. In some songs Lange interjected accordion flourishes; in others he piled instruments, such as the fiddle, so deep it sounds as though a full orchestra is backing Twain.

Produced Chart-Busting Albums

Released in 1995, The Woman in Me reached number one on the country chart, sold 12 million copies and earned a Grammy Award for best country album. There was some controversy, however, in Twain's decision not to tour. With only one decent album to fall back on for songs, Twain did not feel she could compete with such rivals as Reba Mc-Entire or Wynonna Judd. Critics began to question Twain's ability, suggesting Lange held all the talent and she was merely a studio puppet.

Nonetheless, Twain weathered the controversy and promoted herself through public appearances and videos. She followed with Come on Over in 1997, which sold 19 million copies and surpassed Garth Brooks's No Fences as the top-selling country album of all time. Come on Over was a true crossover album and included songs that became hits on different formats, from pop to country - songs such as "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "You're Still the One."

In May of 1998, Twain decided she was ready for a worldwide tour and entertained 2.5 million fans in 18 months, hitting the United States, Europe, Australia and the Far East. Following the tour, Twain and Lange retreated to Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland, to the couple's seventeenth-century chateau for a physical and mental break. "I needed to leave behind the whole 'Shania' thing and be myself," she told People. "I did a lot of hiking and cooking. I skied. I spent time with my horses. For the first time in my life, I was just resting."

Juggled Demands of Family, Career

Son Eja D'Angelo Lange was born in August of 2001, though that did not keep Twain from working on another album. The new parents spent their days playing with their son and worked on the album at night at their estate's recording studio. "I'd just put Eja to sleep in his stroller and wheel him over to the studio," Twain told People. "Mutt would be in the booth, I'd be in the singing room, and the baby would be in his own little spot with a monitor. And every few hours I'd stop and nurse him." In this manner, the husband-wife team produced the 19-song album Up!, released in 2002.

Twain's musical success brought other opportunities. She made a cameo appearance in the 2004 motion picture I Heart Huckabees. In 2005, she released a fragrance, called Shania by Stetson, and appeared on NBC's The Apprentice with Donald Trump in an episode where the contestants worked to develop a campaign strategy for the product. In addition, Twain also recorded a song for the 2005 ABC-TV Desperate Housewives soundtrack. Fans, however, need not worry that Twain is branching out and abandoning her musical career. She has said there will be more albums to come.

Books

Brown, Jim, Shania Twain: Up and Away, Fox Music Books, 2004.

McCall, Michael, Shania Twain: An Intimate Portrait of a Country Music Diva, St. Martin's Griffin, 1999.

Periodicals

Globe and Mail (Toronto), October 30, 2004.

Maclean's, December 18, 1995.

Music Week, January 31, 1998.

People Weekly, December 16, 2002.

Toronto Sun, November 18, 2005.

USA Today, November 9, 2004.

Online

"About: Award and Accolades," Shania: The Official Site, http://www.shaniatwain.com/about-awards.asp (January 16, 2006).

Artist: Shania Twain
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See Shania Twain Lyrics
  • Born: August 28, 1965, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
  • Active: '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Country
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "Come on Over", "Greatest Hits", "The Woman in Me
  • Representative Songs: "You're Still the One", "That Don't Impress Me Much", "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!

Biography

Emerging in the mid-'90s, Shania Twain became the most popular country music artist since Garth Brooks. Skillfully fusing mainstream, AOR rock production with country-pop, Twain and her producer/husband, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, created a commercial juggernaut with her second album, The Woman in Me. The record became a multi-platinum phenomenon, peaking at number five on the pop charts and eventually selling over nine million copies in America alone. Twain might have sold a lot of records, but like other mega-selling acts before her, she earned few good reviews -- most critics accused her of diluting country with bland, anthemic hard rock techniques and shamelessly selling her records with sexy videos. Fans ignored such complaints, mainly because her audience was comprised of many listeners who had grown accustomed to such marketing strategies by constant exposure to MTV. And Twain, in many ways, was the first country artist to fully exploit MTV's style. She created a sexy, video-oriented image -- she didn't even tour during the year when The Woman in Me was on the top of the country charts -- that appealed not only to the country audience, but also to pop fans. In turn, she became a country music phenomenon.

Twain was born in Windsor, Ontario, and raised in the small, rural town of Timmins, Ontario. As a child, she learned to play guitar at an early age and would spend much of her time singing, writing, and playing. Early on in her musical development, her parents pushed her on-stage, making her perform frequently around their little town; often, she would be pulled out of bed around one in the morning to sing at local bars, since as a child she could only appear in the clubs after they had stopped serving alcohol. In addition to bars, she sang on local radio and television stations and community events. When she was 21 years old, both of her parents died in a car crash, forcing her to take responsibility for her four siblings. In order to pay the bills and keep food on the table, she took a job singing at a resort in Deerhurst. With the money she earned at the resort, she bought a house and had the family settle down.

At the resort, she sang show tunes, from George Gershwin to Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as a little country. Twain stayed there for three years, at the end of which all of her siblings had begun lives of their own. When she was finally independent again, she assembled a demo tape of her songs, and her manager set up a showcase concert in Canada. Twain caught the attention of a few insiders with the concert, and within a few months Mercury Nashville had signed her to their roster. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1993, and although it wasn't a major hit, it performed respectably in the United States, launching two minor hit singles, "What Made You Say That" and "Dance with the One That Brought You"; in Europe, the album was more successful and Country Music Television Europe named her Rising Video Star of the Year.

Shortly after the release of Shania Twain, the singer met and fell in love with Robert John "Mutt" Lange, a hard rock producer known for his work with AC/DC, Def Leppard, Foreigner, and the Cars. Lange had been wanting to move into country music for a while, and after hearing Twain's debut album, he decided to get in contact with her with the intention of working on an album. By the end of the year, the pair had married and begun working on her second record. The two either wrote or co-wrote the material that eventually formed The Woman in Me.

The Woman in Me was released in the spring of 1995. Its first single, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," went to number 11 early in the year, quickly followed by "Any Man of Mine," which became her first number one single in the spring. The album's title track went to number 14 in the fall, while the fourth single, "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!," rocketed to number one toward the end of the year; early in 1996 "No One Needs to Know" became her third number one hit. By the beginning of 1996, The Woman in Me had sold over six million copies and broken the record for the most weeks spent at number one on the country charts. During the course of 1996, it would rack another three million in sales. Come on Over followed in 1997. She spent the next two years touring the globe in support of the album; by the end of 1999, Come on Over had sold 36 million copies.

Twain took a sabbatical and returned to her Swiss home for some down time with her husband. The next summer, she and Lange welcomed their first child. A son, whom they named Eja, arrived August 21, 2001. During this time, Twain brainstormed for a fourth album. While balancing a domestic life and a career, the end result was Up!, which appeared in November 2002.

Up! was released to considerable fanfare - not only was it accompanied by a huge publicity blitz but it appeared in three different mixes, designed to appeal to country, pop and international audiences - and it initially was a big success, selling over 870,000 copies in the US upon its first week and debuting at number one in the Billboard charts, but despite such hits as “I'm Gonna Getcha Good!” and “Forever and For Always,” it failed to have the same kind of staying power as The Woman In Me or Come On Over. Those two albums sold over 10 million copies a piece in the US, whereas Up! sold 5.5 million -- an impressive number that only pales when compared to her track record. As Up! worked its way down the charts, Shania released a Greatest Hits album in the holiday season of 2004; the compilation was a great success, going triple platinum in the US, where it peaked at number two on the Billboard charts. In the wake of Greatest Hits, Twain spent the next few years quietly, working on several non-music related projects and appearing only on soundtracks. As of 2007, she was still working on her follow-up to Up!. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Discography: Shania Twain
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God Bless the Child

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Thank You Baby, Pt. 1 [Germany]

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Complete Limelight Sessions

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Man I Feel Like a Woman [Australia CD EP]

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Man I Feel Like a Woman [Germany CD Single]

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I Ain't No Quitter Pt.1 (2 Tracks)

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Final Beginnings

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Specials [Video/DVD]

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Up! [Country Mixes -- Cassette]

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Up! [International Version]

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Up! [Pop Mixes -- Cassette]

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Up!

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Up! [DVD Audio]

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Up! [DVD Audio]

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Up! [Bonus CD]

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Up [Germany]

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Up!: Live in Chicago

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Star Profile

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Greatest Hits

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Up Close and Personal

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Platinum Collection

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Come on Over

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Come on Over [Australia Bonus CD]

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Come on Over [Australia Bonus CD]

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Come on Over [Australia Bonus Tracks CD]

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Come on Over [Asian Bonus CD]

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Come on Over [International]

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From This Moment On [CD5/Cassette Single]

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Shania Twain Live

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Beginnings

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First Time... For the Last Time

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When You Kiss Me, Pt. 2 [UK CD]

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When You Kiss Me, Pt. 1 [UK CD]

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When You Kiss Me

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Send It With Love

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Up [Australia CD #2]

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Dancing Under the Influence

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Forever & Always [Import CD #1]

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You're Still the One [UK]

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Interview

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Party for Two, Pt. 2 [Germany]

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Party For Two Pt.1 (2 Tracks)

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Party for Two, Pt. 1 [UK]

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Ka-Ching [Germany CD]

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Don't, Pt. 1 [Germany]

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Don't, Pt. 2 [Germany]

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Don't [UK]

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Don't, Pt. 2 [UK]

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Wild & Wicked

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Interview CD

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On the Way

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I Ain't No Quitter [Germany CD #2]

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Up [Australia CD #1]

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Shania Twain

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Forever and for Always [Australia]

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Hit Collection

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Woman in Me

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Woman in Me [UK Bonus Tracks]

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I'm Gonna Getcha Good, Pt. 1 [Australia]

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Up/I'm Gonna Getcha Good [Canada CD]

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I'm Gonna Getcha Good [Germany]

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I'm Gonna Getcha Good [Import]

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Wikipedia: Shania Twain
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Shania Twain

Shania Twain in concert, 2004
Background information
Birth name Eilleen Regina Edwards
Also known as Eilleen Twain (1967-1992)
Born August 28, 1965 (1965-08-28) (age 44)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Genres Country pop
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Years active 1993–present
Labels Mercury Nashville
Website www.shaniatwain.com

Shania Twain, OC (pronounced /ʃəˈnaɪə ˈtweɪn/; August 28, 1965) is a Canadian country pop artist. Her third album Come on Over is the best-selling album of all time by a female musician and the best-selling album in the history of country music.[1] She is the only female musician to have three albums certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and is also the second best-selling artist in Canada, behind fellow Canadian Céline Dion, with three of her studio albums being certified double diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. Twain has achieved both critical and financial success, having received five Grammy awards, 27 BMI Songwriter awards,[2] and she has sold over 65 million albums worldwide to date,[3] including 48 million in the USA alone. She is ranked as the 10th best-selling artist of the Nielsen Soundscan era, with approximately 33,591,000 sales through April 5 2008, based on relatively few releases.[4]

Contents

Early years

Shania Twain was born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, daughter of Clarence and Sharon Edwards, her stepfather later adopted her (née Morrison). Her parents divorced when she was two, and her mother then moved with Eileen and her sister Jill to Timmins, Ontario, where she married Jerry Twain, an Ojibwa. He adopted the girls, legally changing their last name to Twain. Because of her connection to her stepfather, in the past, people had presumed Twain's ancestry was Ojibwa, but she stated in an interview that her biological father was part Cree.[5] Through her mother she is a descendant of Zacharie Cloutier.[6]

One of five children, Eileen Twain had a hard childhood in Timmins. Her parents earned little, and there was often a shortage of food in the household. At one point, while Jerry was at work, her mother drove the rest of the family 425 miles (684 km) to a Toronto homeless shelter for assistance.[7] She did not confide her situation to school authorities, fearing they might break up the family. In the remote, rugged community, she learned to hunt and to chop wood. Aside from working at an Ontario McDonald's restaurant,[8] Twain began to earn money by singing in local clubs and bars from a very young age to support her family. She was singing in bars starting at the age of eight to try to make ends meet, often earning twenty dollars between midnight and one in the morning performing for remaining customers after the bar had finished serving. Although she has expressed a dislike for singing in such a smoky atmosphere at such a young age, Shania believes that this was her performing arts school on the road to becoming a successful singer.[9] Shania has said of the ordeal, "My deepest passion was music and it helped. There were moments when I thought 'I hate this'. I hated going into bars and being with drunks. But I loved the music and so I survived".[10]

Twain wrote her first songs at the age of ten, Is Love a Rose and Just Like the Storybooks which were fairy tales in rhyme.[11] As a child, Twain has been described by a close childhood friend Kenny Derasp as "a very serious kid who spent a lot of time in her room." The art of creating, of actually writing songs, "was very different from performing them and became progressively important".[11]

In the early 1980s Shania spent some time working on her father's reforestation business in northern Ontario, a business that the family was heavily involved in and employed some 75 Ojibwe and Cree workers. Although the work was very demanding and the pay very low, Twain has spoken of her experience, "I loved the feeling of being stranded. I'm not afraid of being in my own environment, being physical, working hard. I was very strong, I walked miles and miles every day and carried heavy loads of trees. You can't shampoo, use soap or deodorant, or makeup, nothing with any scent; you have to bathe and rinse your clothes in the lake. It was a very rugged existence, but I was very creative and I would sit alone in the forest with my dog and a guitar and would just write songs".[12]

Music career

Career as Eilleen Twain

At 13, Eilleen Twain, the future "Shania" Twain, was invited to perform on CBC television's Tommy Hunter Show. While attending Timmins High and Vocational School in Timmins, she was the singer for a local band called "Longshot" which covered Top 40 music.[citation needed]

After graduating from Timmins High in July 1983, Twain was eager to expand her musical horizons.[13] After the demise of her band Longshot, Twain was approached by a covers band led by Diane Chase called "Flirt" and toured all over Ontario.[13] She began taking singing lessons from Toronto based coach Ian Garrett and often in not having the money to pay for her lessons would clean his house in payment.[14] In the autumn of 1984 Twain's talents were noticed by a Toronto DJ Stan Campbell who wrote about her in a Country Music News article, "Eileen possesses a powerful voice with an impressive range. She has the necessary drive, ambition and positive attitude to achieve her goals".[14] Campbell happened to be making an album by Canadian musician (and present-day CKTB radio personality) Tim Denis at the time and Twain featured on the backing vocals on the song Heavy on the Sunshine.[15][16] Campbell later took Twain to Nashville to record some demos, which Twain found particularly difficult to finance. Around this time Twain became acquainted with a regional country singer Mary Bailey who had had some country chart success in 1976. Bailey had seen her perform in Sudbury, Ontario, saying "I saw this little girl up on stage with a guitar and it absolutely blew me away. She performed Willie Nelson's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Her voice reminded me of Tanya Tucker, it had strength and character, a lot of feeling. She's a star, she deserves an opportunity".[17] Bailey later said "She sang a few songs that she had written, and I thought to myself, this kid is like nineteen years old, where does she get this? This is from a person who's lived sixty years".[18]

Lake Kenogami where Twain spent much time practicing in 1985.

Mary Bailey bought the contract from Stan Campbell and Twain moved into Bailey's home on Lake Kenogami where she practiced her music every day for hours. In the fall of 1985, Bailey took Twain down to Nashville to stay with a friend, record producer Tony Migliore, who at the time was producing an album for fellow Canadian singer Kelita Haverland and Twain featured on the backing vocals to the song Too Hot to Handle. She also demoed songs with Cyril Rawson but without success, partly due to Twain's wish to become a rock singer, not a country artist and after five months she returned to Canada and moved in with Bailey in a flat in downtown Kirkland Lake.[19]

There she met a rock keyboardist Eric Lambier and drummer Randy Yurko, whom Twain was now dating and they formed a new band, moving three months later to Bowmanville, near Toronto. In late summer 1986 Mary Bailey had arranged Twain to meet John Kim Bell, a half Mohawk, half American conductor who had close contacts with the directors of the Canadian Country Music Association. Bell recognised Twain's ability as well as looks and the two began secretly dating, despite their clash of backgrounds.[19] In the fall of 1986 Twain continued to express her desire to be a pop or rock singer rather than country, which led to her falling out with Mary Bailey for two years and was not met with any success. Her first break came on February 8, 1987 when Bell staged a fundraiser for the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation at the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto where Twain performed with Broadway star Bernadette Peters, jazz guitarist Don Ross and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her performance received little acclaim but it convinced Bell, who loathed pop music, that Twain should stay well away from it and concentrate on country music.[20]

On November 1, 1987, Twain learned that her mother and adoptive father had died in a car accident.[21] She took care of her family, moving with her half-brothers Mark and Darryl and half-sister Carrie Ann to Huntsville, Ontario, where she supported them by performing at the nearby Deerhurst Resort.

1993-1994: Shania Twain

After Twain's siblings moved out on their own, she assembled a demo tape of her songs, and her manager set up a showcase for Twain to present her material to record executives. Twain caught the attention of a few labels, including Mercury Nashville Records, who signed her within a few months.[22] During this time, she changed her name to Shania [Sha-nye-uh] an Ojibwa word which means "On my way".

Twain's self-titled debut album was released in 1993 in North America, gaining her audiences outside of her own country. The album only reached #67 on the US Country Albums Chart; however, it gained many positive reviews from critics.[23] The album yielded two minor hit singles in the United States with "What Made You Say That" and "Dance with the One That Brought You". It was more successful in Europe, where Twain won Country Music Television Europe's "Rising Video Star of the Year" award.[22]

The album failed to sell significant copies initially, although Twain's future success generated enough interest for the album to be certified platinum six years later by the RIAA, denoting sales of over a million.

That same year, Twain sang harmony vocals on Sammy Kershaw's "Haunted Heart" album.

1995-1996: The Woman in Me

When rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange heard Twain's original songs and singing, he offered to produce her and to write songs with her. (Twain's manager, Mary Bailey, initially had no idea who he was.) After many telephone conversations, they met at Nashville's Fan Fair in June 1993. Twain and Lange became very close within just weeks. Lange and Twain either wrote or co-wrote the songs that would form her second studio album, The Woman in Me.[22][24]

The Woman in Me was released in the Spring of 1995. The album's first single, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" went to #11 on the Billboard Country Chart. This was followed by her first Top 10 and #1 hit single, "Any Man of Mine." Twain had further hits from the album, including the title track which peaked at #14 and three additional #1 hits: "(If You're Not in it for Love) I'm Outta Here!", "You Win My Love", and "No One Needs to Know".[22] As of 2007, it had sold more than 12 million copies.[25] The album was a quick breakthrough. Shania performed selected international venues and television shows with Nashville guitarist Randy Thomas (co-writer of the song "Butterfly Kisses") and Stanley T., formerly with the Beach Boys. Mercury Record's promotion of the album was based largely upon a series of sexy music videos.[26] The Woman in Me won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album as well as the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Year; the latter group also awarded Twain as Best New Female Vocalist.

1997-2000: Come on Over

In 1997, Twain released her follow-up album, Come on Over. This was the album that would establish her as a successful crossover singer. Slowly, the album started racking up sales. It never hit the top spot, but with the multi-chart hit single "You're Still the One", sales skyrocketed. Other songs like "Don't Be Stupid", "Honey, I'm Home", "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!", "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "From This Moment On" joined the 12 songs that eventually saw release as singles.

The album stayed on the charts for the next two years and Come on Over went on to sell 20 million copies in the United States and over 34 million worldwide, making it the biggest-selling album of all time by a female musician. It is also the eighth biggest-selling album by any type of artist in the US.[25]

Songs from the album won four Grammy Awards over the next two years, including Best Country Song and Best Female Country Performance (for "You're Still the One" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!") for Twain. Lange won Grammys for "You're Still the One" and "Come on Over". It was during this time that Twain cited on numerous occasions the influence of fellow Canadian musicians the Barenaked Ladies as a large influence on her songwriting.[27]

Despite the album's record sales it wasn't able to top the Billboard 200, reaching a peak of No. 2. In 1999, the "Come on Over" album was remixed for the European market as a pop album with less country instrumentation and actually gave her the big breakthrough in Europe she and her producer husband were looking for. "Come on over" went to No. 1 on the UK album charts for 11 weeks. It became the biggest selling album of the year in Great Britain and a bestseller in other big European markets as well, selling more than one million copies in Germany and nearly 4 million in the UK alone. The songs that had finally drawn European attention to the album were the pop remixed singles "That Don't Impress Me Much", a No.3 in the UK and Top 10 hit in Germany in the summer of 1999, and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" which peaked at No. 3 in both the UK and France in autumn of that year. Additionally, the album set the record for the longest ever stay in the Top 20 of The US Billboard 200, remaining in the Top 20 for 99 weeks.

Twain's mainstream pop acceptance was further helped by her appearance in the 1998 first edition of the VH1 Divas concert where she sang alongside Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan and Aretha Franklin, and by VH1's 1999 heavily-aired Behind the Music treatment of her, which concentrated on the tragic aspects of her early life as well as her physical attractiveness and Nashville's early resistance to her bared-midriff music videos.

In 1998, Twain launched her first major concert tour, aided by her manager Jon Landau, a veteran of many large-scale tours with Bruce Springsteen. The Come on Over Tour shows were enthusiastically received by audiences around the globe and answered critics[who?] who speculated that she could not perform live.

In 2000, Twain was initially scheduled to release a Christmas album, but plans to release one was cancelled later in the year.[28]

2002-2004: Up!

After a two year break, Twain and Lange went back into the studio, along with a management change (QPrime replacing Landau), and recorded her latest CD. Up! was released on November 19, 2002. About a year later, Twain kicked off the Up! Tour in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on September 25, 2003.

Up! was released as a double album, with three different discs—pop (a red CD), country (a green CD), and Indian film music (a blue CD). For North American markets, the pop disc was paired with the country disc and in international markets, the pop disc was paired with the world music disc. Up! was given four out of five stars by Rolling Stone magazine, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling 874,000 in the first week alone. It charted at the top for five weeks. The success of the album's pop version outside the US was equally amazing when "Up!" reached No.1 in Germany, No.2 in Australia and the Top Five in the UK and France. Especially in Germany it became a real long seller, certified quadruple platinum and stayed in the Top 100 for one and a half years.

The blue, world music disc was remixed with Bollywood-style orchestral and percussion parts recorded in Mumbai, India. The new versions were produced by Simon and Diamond Duggal, brothers from Birmingham, England. They were originally invited to contribute parts to the red, pop version of "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" which retains the Bollywood influence.[29]

Twain's popularity in UK was reflected by numerous appearances on the long-running music show Top of the Pops, performing singles from Come on Over from 1999. In 2002 an entire special show was dedicated to her on sister show TOTP2, in which Twain herself introduced some past performances of her greatest hits and new singles from Up!

The first single from the album, "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" became a top 10 country hit in the US, after debuting at an impressive No. 24 after only five days of airplay; but only made the Top 40 on the pop charts. It was a much bigger hit on the other side of the Atlantic, released in a pop version, the single hit the Top Five in the UK and Australia as well as the Top 15 in Germany and France. The follow-up single "Up!" reached the Top 15 in the US country charts but failed to reach the pop Top 40.

The second European single became the mid-tempo song "Ka-Ching!" (which was never released as a single in North America) with lyrics where Twain was criticizing unchecked consumerism. The song eventually became another smash hit in the important European markets, reaching No. 1 in Germany and Austria and other European countries, the UK Top 10 and the Top 15 in France.

The third single from the album would be the most successful in the US. The romantic ballad "Forever and For Always" was released as a single in April 2003 and peaked at No. 4 on the country chart and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and made as well the Billboard Top 20. Again success was even bigger on the other side of the Atlantic with "Forever and For Always" again reaching the Top 10 in both, the UK and Germany. Further singles were "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" a country Top 10 hit, while the last US single, "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing", made the Top 20 on both Country and AC.

Due to the enormous European success of Up! and its first three singles, two more singles were released in the second half of 2003 with up-tempo "Thank You Baby" (No. 11 in the UK, Top 20 in Germany) and just before Christmas the romantic, acoustic ballad "When You Kiss Me", at least a minor hit in both territories. The title track "Up!" also saw a single release in a limited edition of European countries, such as Germany, in early 2004. In January 2008, Up! had sold 5.5 million copies in the U.S. (Certified by the RIAA as 11 times platinum due to the organization's rules regarding double albums, which are counted as two units for certifications).[25]

In 2003, Twain participated in the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman, covering Parton's classic "Coat of Many Colors", with backing vocals by Alison Krauss. The cover peaked at No. 57 on the Hot Country Songs charts as an album cut. During the Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show Twain performed two songs, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and "Up!"

2004-2005: Greatest Hits

In 2004, she released the Greatest Hits album, with three new tracks. As of 2008, it has sold over four million copies in the U.S.[25] The first single, the multi-format duet "Party for Two", made the country top ten with Billy Currington, while the pop version with Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath made top ten in the United Kingdom and Germany. The follow-up singles, "Don't!" and "I Ain't No Quitter" did not fare as well. The former made Top 20 on Adult Contemporary, while the latter did not gain enough airplay to crack the Country Top 40.[30]

On November 19, 2004, she appeared on the BBC charity telethon Children in Need.[31] In addition to performing "Up!", she also acted as one of the celebrity assistants in an "all-star" magic act, in an illusion called "Clearly Impossible", in which she was sawed in half inside a clear-sided box.

In August 2005, she released the single "Shoes" from the Desperate Housewives soundtrack. It only peaked at No. 29 on the country chart and therefore, a video, which was scheduled to be created, was cancelled.

2006-present

At the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 16, 2007, Twain said she was currently writing songs for a new album, and was doing a "lot of soul searching" and "indulging in the writing."

Twain joined Canadian singer Anne Murray on the song "You Needed Me" on Murray's Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends album released November 13, 2007 in Canada, and on January 15, 2008 in the U.S.[32] On November 12, 2008 Twain made her first television appearance since her split from ex-husband Robert "Mutt" Lange, where she appeared as a surprise presenter at the 42nd CMA Awards.[33]

In early January 2009, Internet forums were reporting that Twain was planning to make an announcement regarding her new album on January 26, 2009 but on the 22nd a spokesperson from Mercury Nashville told Country Weekly that no new album would be coming "anytime soon".

In June 2009, Twain released a letter to her fans explaining the delays in the release of her next album.[34] In August 2009, at a conference in Timmins, Ontario, a spokesman for Twain's label said a new record from the singer is still "nowhere in sight".[35] On August 17, 2009, EW announced that Twain would be a guest judge on American Idol in Chicago, for the show's August 30 and 31 episodes.[36] On October 1, 2009 it was announced that Twain will be carrying the Olympic Torch as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay that will be coming through her home town of Timmins on January 1, 2010.[37]

Personal life

Twain married music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange on December 28, 1993, and they have a son, Eja D'Angelo (pronounced "Asia") who was born on August 12, 2001. On May 15, 2008, a spokesperson for Mercury Nashville announced that Twain and Lange were separating.[38][39]

She resides in a chateau in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland and on a high country 42,000-acre (170 km2) sheep station near Lake Wanaka, New Zealand. Twain practices Sant Mat, which calls for daily meditation and vegetarianism.[40]

Twain's commercial ventures outside the music industry included a series of cosmetic ads in 1999 based on "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" for Revlon. She also starred in ads for Candie's shoes and Gitano jeans, who also sponsored her 1998-1999 Come On Over Tour.

Despite the Revlon cosmetic ads and venturing into the perfume market, Twain has stated that she is uneasy about being a sex symbol and has often felt uncomfortable and stressed during photo shoots where she believes it is music that will last forever, not an image. "When I began singing I wanted to be a backing singer for Dolly Parton or Stevie Wonder,[41] I didn't sign up to be a model or actress and didn't want fame", she has said. "For me it's all about music. Music is when I feel at my best, spiritually, emotionally, and physically".[42]

According to Twain, one of her beauty tips is using ointment known as Bag Balm which is applied to cows' udders during winter months to protect them from harsh weather. Twain says she uses it on her legs and face for softer skin.[43]

In January 2005, Twain joined Scentstories by Febreze to create a limited edition scent disc with the proceeds going to America's Second Harvest.[44]

Late in 2005, Twain partnered COTY to produce her namesake fragrance "Shania by Stetson". A second fragrance was released in September 2007, called "Shania Starlight".[45]

Awards and honours

Twain's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

In addition to her various awards for her singles and albums, Twain has received a number of personal honors:

Discography

Studio albums
Compilations and other albums

References

  1. ^ Twain, Shania. "Biography". Shania: The Official Site. http://www.shaniatwain.com/about-biography.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-22. 
  2. ^ Twain, Shania, About: Awards and Accolades. Shania: The Official Site. Retrieved on: October 13, 2007
  3. ^ "Shania thanks fans for helping heal her 'broken heart'." CBC News. Retrieved on: October 26, 2009
  4. ^ "BLABBERMOUTH.NET - METALLICA Among Top-Selling Artists Of SOUNDSCAN Era". Roadrunnerrecords.com. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=94296. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  5. ^ "YouTube - Interview (Tore På Sporet, Norway)". Uk.youtube.com. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qY5T83wF3zA. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  6. ^ http://www.perche-quebec.com/files/loiseauHTML/menu/frame_accueil.htm
  7. ^ Shania's interview in the January 2005 Readers Digest.
  8. ^ "McDonald's Most Famous Employees - AOL Money & Finance". Money.aol.com. http://money.aol.com/special/mcdonalds-most-famous-employees. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  9. ^ Shania Twain Interview. Today with Des and Mel. ITV Productions
  10. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 41
  11. ^ a b Eggar 2005, p. 51
  12. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 62
  13. ^ a b Eggar 2005, p. 88
  14. ^ a b Eggar 2005, p. 89
  15. ^ "61.0 CKTB". 61.0 CKTB. http://www.610cktb.com/shows/510269. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  16. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 89
  17. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 90
  18. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 91
  19. ^ a b Eggar 2005, p. 92
  20. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 101
  21. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 103
  22. ^ a b c d Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Shania Twain - Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=SHANIA. Retrieved 2008-11-15. 
  23. ^ Shelton, Pamela. "Shania Twain Biography". Musician Guide.com. http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003683/Shania-Twain.html. Retrieved 2008-11-15. 
  24. ^ Jann S. Wenner, ed. "Shania Twain : Biography :Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone Biography From the Archives Album Reviews Photo Gallery Videos Discography. RealNetworks, Inc 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/shaniatwain/biography. Retrieved 2009-10-03. 
  25. ^ a b c d "RIAA Top 100 Albums". Riaa.com. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  26. ^ Wolff, Kurt. "Ch. 13 - Hunks, Hat Acts, and Young Country Darlings: Nashville in the 1990s". in Orla Duane. Country Music: The Rough Guide. London, England: Rough Guides Ltd.. pp. 544–545. 
  27. ^ Eggar 2005, p. 105
  28. ^ Brunner, Rob (2000-12-01). "Shania Twain cancels her Christmas album". Ew.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,90037,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  29. ^ "Shania's 'Asian inspiration' talks it 'Up!'". Bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/communities/masti/2003/03/16/diamond_duggal.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  30. ^ "((( Shania Twain > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic. 1965-08-28. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dxfwxqq5ldhe~T51. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  31. ^ "IMDb entry - "Children in Need" Episode dated 19 November 2004". Uk.imdb.com. http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0540546/trivia. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  32. ^ Ace Burpee (2007-08-02). "Anne Murray Releases Special Duets Album Entitled "Anne Murray Duets: Legends & Friends"". Hot103live.com. http://www.hot103live.com/node/564957. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  33. ^ November 13, 2008 (2008-11-13). "Shania Twain Returns to Nashville as CMA Awards Presenter". Cmt.com. http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1599226/shania-twain-returns-to-nashville-as-cma-awards-presenter.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  34. ^ "A Personal Message From Shania". www.shaniatwain.com. http://www.shaniatwain.com/news-item.asp?item=newsItem-090612.asp. Retrieved 2009-07-18. 
  35. ^ Shania's label rep: New album from country superstar is 'nowhere in sight'[dead link]
  36. ^ "'American Idol': Shania Twain will be next guest judge". ew.com. http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/08/17/american-idol-shania-twain-rumored-next-guest-judge/. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
  37. ^ "Shania Twain". Shania Twain. http://shaniatwain.com/news.html?articleID=36. Retrieved 2009-10-02. 
  38. ^ Shania Twain, Mutt Lange Separating After 14 YearsThey are now getting a divorce.
  39. ^ MSN news Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
  40. ^ Holly George Warren.Shania Twain 2
  41. ^ "A tribute to a musical legend". Oprah.com. http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200311/tows_past_20031104.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  42. ^ 22 september 2007 (2007-09-22). "Shania Twain Interview with Kate Thornton (Part 5/5)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7X9lR-duZM. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  43. ^ British Broadcasting Corporation. "Northern Ireland - Patrick Kielty, Almost Live". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/patrickkielty/guests/shania_twain.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  44. ^ "Superstar Launches a Spring-themed Scentstories Disc". Sev.prnewswire.com. http://sev.prnewswire.com/household-consumer-cosmetics/20050120/NYW01819012005-1.html. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  45. ^ Official Starlight press release
  46. ^ "The Greatest: 40 Greatest Women of Country Music". Cmt.com. http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76608/episode_countdown.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  47. ^ Shania Twain in Canada's Walk of Fame[dead link]
  48. ^ "Shania Twain Centre". Shaniatwaincenter.com. http://www.shaniatwaincenter.com. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  49. ^ "CTV". Ctv.ca. 2005-11-18. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051118/shania_twain_051118/20051118?hub=Canada. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 
  50. ^ Ottawa, The (2008-05-16). "Shania Twain splits from husband of 14 years". Canada.com. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=749834b3-7cda-4054-8bcd-cf6f1a4c5f2d. Retrieved 2009-10-01. 

Bibliography

External links

Preceded by
Sass Jordan & Michel Pagliaro
Grey Cup Halftime Show
2002
Succeeded by
Bryan Adams

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Shania Twain: The Ultimate Tribute (2002 Album by Evening Star Orchestra)
A Tribute to Shania Twain (2000 Album by Various Artists)
Shania Twain: Any Man of Mine (Music Film)

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