Shania Twain's Early Life
Eileen Regina "Shania" Twain was born on August 28, 1965 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Shortly after her birth, her parents divorced and she moved to Timmins, Ontario with her two sisters and mother to their step-father's house. Her childhood was difficult, the family earned little and food was often scarce. As a result, at the age of eight, she began singing at bars to earn extra money for the household.
At the age of 13, she performed on the CBC's Tommy Hunter Show and was part of a cover band, Longshot. After graduating high school, she toured Ontario with another cover band called Flirt and received attention from local talent and media. However, when her mother and step-father died in a car crash in 1987, she moved back home to care for her siblings. In 1991, when they moved out on their own, she began work on a demo and signed with a Nashville label and moved to the States, where she adopted the stage name "Shania."
Shania Twain's Career
In 1993, Twain released her self-titled debut album. While it failed to make a commercial impression in North America, it was slightly more successful in Europe, and yielded two minor hits in the United States, 'What Made You Say That' and 'Dance With the One That Brought You'. It was certified Platinum for a million copies in sales by 1999 after she achieved mainstream success.
Later that year, she met producer Robert "Mutt" Lange and collaborated with him on her sophomore record, 1995's The Woman In Me, which became a runaway country smash, selling over 12 million copies in the States and 20 million worldwide, producing hit singles like 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' and 'Any Man of Mine'.
After years of playing several venues locally and internationally, she released Come On Over in 1997, which established her as a country-pop crossover star and became a global sensation. It has sold over 20 million copies in the United States and over 40 million worldwide, the best selling album by a female solo artist till date. 12 of its 16 tracks were released as singles, with the songs 'You're Still the One', 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!', 'From This Moment On', 'That Don't Impress Me Much', and more becoming staples of the country-pop world.
Following a world tour and four Grammy wins, she released Up! in 2002, which was a commercial success as well, being certified Diamond in the States, although not as big of a seller as her previous two efforts. 'I'm Gonna Getcha Good!' and 'Forever and for Always' were the record's biggest hits. After releasing a greatest hits album in 2004, she took a seven-year hiatus from music, but returned with singles in 2011 and a Las Vegas residency and tour.
She released her first studio album in 15 years, Now, in 2017, which was another number one hit on the Billboard 200. She kicked off her popular Let's Go! Vegas residency in 2019 and following a hiatus due to the pandemic, resumed in 2021. In 2022, a Netflix documentary, Not Just a Girl, spanning her career was released and she followed it up with an album and accompanying tour, Queen of Me, in February 2023, her sixth top ten record.
Shania Twain's Personal Life
Twain and Mutt Lange, 17 years her senior, quickly bonded when they first met in early 1993, producing her second album and embarking on a romantic relationship. By the end of the year, they'd tied the knot, and he was instrumental in the production of her most successful records. They welcomed son Eja in August, 2001.
In 2008, Twain and Lange announced that they were separating after he had an affair with her best friend Marie-Anne Thiébaud, with their divorce finalized in 2010. That same year, she announced her engagement to Frédéric Thiébaud, a Swiss Nestlé executive and Marie-Anne's ex-husband. They were married on January 1, 2011. When not on the road, the couple maintain several homes around the world, including Las Vegas and the Bahamas, although spend most of their days in Geneva, Switzerland.
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