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Shania Twain: Country Survivor
Shania Twain (born Eileen Regina Edwards) was born in Windsor,
Ontario, on August 28, 1965. When she was young, her parents divorced
and Twain lived with her mom and two sisters. The kids were eventually
adopted by their mom's new husband. The family struggled with poverty,
and Twain's mother suffered from bouts of deep depression. Twain
turned to singing to find happiness amid her harsh reality. In 1974,
at the age of nine, she was already performing in honky-tonk clubs to
help pay the family's bills. At age 12, Twain appeared on a local
country show, and later she fronted a cover band, called Long Shot. In
1983, the teenager began singing full time after graduating from high
school. However, her career came to a terrible halt when her parents
were killed in a car crash in 1987.
Devastated, the 22-year-old Twain took on the task of raising her
sisters and two half-brothers; she supported them with a singing gig
at a tourist resort. By 1992, her siblings were all grown up and Twain
began to focus on her career. Although she soon scored a recording
contract, her big break turned out to be a disappointment — her debut
album wasn't a hit.
In 1993, the struggling singer took a call from the legendary Robert
"Mutt" Lang, a reclusive rock producer. The two began writing songs,
and it wasn't long before they were making beautiful music together as
husband and wife. Twain's second album, "The Woman in Me," which fused
country with pop, was released in 1995. It was a smash success,
spawning seven hit singles and winning Twain numerous awards. The
32-year-old's 1997 follow-up, "Come on Over," catapulted her to
superstardom.
But after three years of touring and celebrity life, the performer
needed a break. In 2000, she and her husband moved to Switzerland. The
couple had a baby boy, Eja (pronounced "Asia"), in 2001. While she
savored the tranquility of her life, Twain returned to the studio in
2002 to record the album "Up."
Captures by Fordw from
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