As the best-selling female artist in country music history, and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, Shania Twain is going to live on forever – at least in our hearts.
Often referred to as the “Queen of Country Pop”, she conquered the world and became a global superstar in the 90s.
But few know the struggles she has faced in her life. First, she was a poor, starving kid before her breakthrough. Not to mention the fact that her life changed completely at 22 – when an unbearable tragedy forced new responsibilities upon her…
Rocky childhood
Shania Twain was born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, on August 28, 1965. She would later change her surname when Shania’s mother, Sharon, remarried a man called Jerry Twain.
Since Shania’s biological father wasn’t present during her upbringing, she never publicly acknowledged him as her dad. Instead, Jerry took it upon himself to raise Shania, legally adopting her and her two sisters.
”My father (Jerry) went out of his way to raise three daughters that weren’t even his. For me to acknowledge another man as my father, a man who was never there for me as a father, who wasn’t the one who struggled every day to put food on our table, would have hurt him terribly,” Shania once said.
All things considered, Shania had a difficult childhood. She grew up in poverty in Timmins, rural Canada, and her family was far from wealthy. Her step-father Jerry, a full-blooded Ojibway, had a hard time providing for the family and earned little money.
As a result, Shania and her sisters didn’t always have food on the table. Sometimes, the only thing served was a dish known as “goulash”: dry bread with boiled milk and brown sugar. During the cold winters in Canada, Shania was forced to wear bread bags on her feet because her parents couldn’t afford proper boots.
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But as a young girl, she never told anyone about her situation. The future Queen of Country Pop feared that the authorities would break up the family if she spoke up about their hardships.
Lived in ”survivor mode”
Meanwhile, the marriage between Sharon and Jerry was also rocky. At one time, Shania convinced her mom to run away from Jerry, so Shania, her mom and her sisters fled to a homeless shelter in Toronto. However, when Shania was 16, her mother returned to Jerry, and they decided to give things another try.
Shania told how she lived in “survivor mode” into her adult years, due to the instability of her childhood home. She didn’t feel that she could rely on her parents to neither protect her or to be consistent caregivers.
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Now, when Shania turned eight, she had started singing at bars to help pay the bills at home. It was a daring move for a young girl, and Shania didn’t exactly like doing it. At the same time, though, she could earn as much as $20 a night, a vital economic injection in her struggling family household.
“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,” she said in Shania Twain: The Biography.
Performing at rural bars and in retirement homes in Canada also helped Shania develop her stage language and explore her talent. Before long, she was ready for a bigger scene.
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When she was 13, Shania got to perform on the Tommy Hunter Show, a legendary country music variety show that aired on CBC Television and ran for 27 years. Hosted by Tommy Hunter, known as “Canada’s Country Gentleman,” it gave Shania an excellent opportunity to promote herself as a country singer.
In the mid-1980s, Shania was a struggling singer-songwriter trying to establish herself in the music industry. She had joined her first band, Longshot, as a 16-year-old, but relocated to Toronto when she was 21.
As time went on, more and more people began to discover the talented and beautiful songstress. When famous country singer Mary Bailey saw Shania perform in Sudbury, Ontario, she was stunned.
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“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,” Bailey, who would later become Shania’s manager, recalled.
“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”.
In 1987, the road was open for Shania, and she had every opportunity to break through as a country artist. Nashville and big money were waiting for her.
Then tragedy struck and changed everything.
Parents passing
On the afternoon of November 1, 1987, Shania’s parents were driving on a remote logging road on their way to a work site.
Unfortunately, they collided with a truck loaded with timber. Both Jerry and Sharon died in the crash, leaving behind two sons and three daughters.
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“I feel like I’ve been this tree with good sturdy roots for 30 years, then all of a sudden someone comes along and is trying to cut me down, cut a part me off,” Shania said.
When she heard the news, Shania was devastated. She decided to return to her native Timmins. Instead of focusing on her music career, Shania had to take care of her younger siblings, who were 13, 14, and 18 at the time.
“It was a very, very difficult time. But it was also a turning point in my life that, I think, matured me, brought me up to where I should have been in the first place at that age,” she told CBC.
She raised them all by herself, ensuring they had the support they needed. Later, Shania decided to move to Huntsville, Ontario, with all her siblings. There, she landed a job as a singer and dancer at the Deerhurst Resort.
“I was just going to give up music,” Shania said in 1995.
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“I thought, my family comes first. I have to take care of them. I didn’t even think of my future…. I’m lucky I got the job at Deerhurst, because it was music. I didn’t know where I was going to go from there.”
Road to stardom
During her time at Deerhurst, the gorgeous singer, with her signature brown hair and beautiful voice, developed her skills as an entertainer.
After putting together a demo tape of her song, she caught the attention of a Mercury Nashville Records executive. Shania was invited to Nashville and released her self-titled debut album, Shania Twain, in 1993. It wasn’t a commercial success, but received positive reviews from critics.
One person who really loved what he heard was South African record producer Mutt Lange. In fact, he was so impressed that he reached out to Shania and asked if he could produce and write some songs with her.
After meeting at Nashville’s Fan Fair in June 1993, they started an intense collaboration and became very close in a short time. Six months later, the couple married. Shania was more than a decade younger than Mutt, but the couple obviously had something special. Together, they wrote many hit songs on the forthcoming albums that would catapult Shania into stardom, The Woman in Me (1995) and Come On Over (1997).
By 2007, The Woman in Me had sold more than 12 million copies in the United States. At the time of its release it was a huge success, turning Shania Twain into a star overnight.
“We just took a stab in the dark, followed our instincts, and it worked out. I think there was something on that album for everybody,” Shania told The News Tribune in 1997.
Most often, Shania wrote the lyrics, and Mutt created the music. While producing Come On Over, Mutt tried to slip in riffs from rock-n-roll; he had previously worked with AC/DC and Def Leppard.
The outcome was a marriage of country & rock, resulting in an international pop breakthrough and 40 million copies sold worldwide. The 1997 album featured many of Shania’s most famous songs, including “You’re Still The One” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman”.
“In my mind, I was just being myself and that was the great thing of all — to just be able to be myself and let my personality come through in the music,” Shania told The Associated Press.
It is no exaggeration to say that “Shaniamania” hit America full force in the late 1990s. Today, Come On Over is the ninth highest-selling album by any type of artist in the US, and the top-selling country album in history.
Shania Twain marriage
On August 12, 2001, Shania and Mutt Lange welcomed a son. They named him Eja (pronounced “Asia”) and, according to the media, Shania delivered her son at a hospital in Switzerland, without any “media fanfare”.
The down-to-earth charm that earned her admiration from all over the world was reflected in her pregnancy. Shania kept things quiet and private – she released no details about Eja when he was born.
Cried constantly
A few years later, however, she would be forced to go through a public divorce, one where less flattering details came out in the media.
For many years, Twain’s marriage had been plagued by rumors – some gossip columnists claimed that the couple had huge problems. Shania commented on the rumors in 1997, denying that the couple would divorce.
”Mutt and I are an unlikely pair,” she said.
“There’s been talk in the tabloids that we’re divorcing, but we are very happy. We love each other in every way. We have a great creative relationship and a great personal relationship. We feel as strong as ever – and “Still the One” is sort of my own personal song about marriage.”
In 2008, though, Shania and her husband separated. The reason? Lange had engaged in an affair with Shania’s best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Shania was, of course, completely heartbroken. She said she cried constantly and took five baths a day. According to the country star, she was ”ready to die”.
“I’ll be honest: when your husband leaves you, and falls into the arms of your close friend, your self-esteem can really suffer,” she said.
Shania and Marie-Anne were really good friends who had first met when the latter was hired as an assistant and interpreter for Mutt Lange. After finding out about the affair, Shania confronted her so-called friend.
”I just told her that she was a bad person – that’s all I could get out!’
‘When I left her, I thought, “You’re such a wimp, you coward!”‘
Shania Twain husband
Soon, things would take another unexpected turn. While trying to cope with her heartbreak, Shania found love again.
In 2011, Shania married businessman Frédéric Thiébaud, Marie-Anne’s former husband. The two bonded over the heartbreak and tied the knot in Puerto Rico in front of 40 people, mostly close friends and family.
“I don’t take any day for granted any more. Fred has give me a new lease on love,” Shania told the Daily Mail.
Shania said she had found “a true friend and a dear gentleman” and that her husband of 10+ years is a true gift to her. When they started dating, Fred surprised her with romantic trips – once he flew her to a Swiss glacier, and once he hired a whole movie theatre just for her.
“It’s twisted. So beautifully twisted,” she said.
“To express my love, words are not enough. I’m more in love with her every day,” Thiebaud added.
Shania Twain today
Shania Twain is a long-time resident of Corseaux, Switzerland, where she resides with her husband. She rarely gives interviews and the Queen of Country Pop is known for being notoriously private.
In recent years, she has released several albums with varying degrees of success. Right now, she’s doing a show in Las Vegas, where she takes “fans on a journey through her award-winning career with the best elements from her iconic videos and visual spectacles of her sold out global tours.”
She has also tried her luck in the film industry, appearing in several movies over the years. In 2019, she starred alongside John Travolta in Trading Paint, and in 2020 portrayed the mother of singer Jeremy Camp in the autobiographical movie I Still Believe.
Though Shania does not appear as often on the top lists today, she has left a massive mark in popular culture. Once the reigning queen of country music, she helped influence artists such as Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood.
“I think we were all definitely influenced by Shania, even if we don’t realize it. (Her music) was so different and kind of revolutionary at the time. She definitely paved the way for a lot of us,” Carrie Underwood told AP in 2016.
Shania Twain on aging
Shania was also very forward-thinking with her outfits and classic supermodel looks. In 2009, she was voted the No. 1 Most Beautiful Canadian by readers of Hello! magazine. Over the years, the country star has been pretty open about her secrets as regards looking young.
Reportedly, she’s a vegetarian, eats a lot of raw food, and meditates on a daily basis.
“A happy heart comes first, then the happy face,” she said.
Shania, now 59, also revealed how she’s dealing with the effects of age.
“I’m pretty insecure about my changing body… I’m letting ‘the girls’ hang loose under my sweat clothes around the house and when someone comes to the door, I cross my arms under them for support,” she told EW.
“For me personally, I’m sure it’s very different for everybody, but I just started with time. Stepping out of battles that I couldn’t win. I mean, you know, aging is a battle you can’t win,” she said in 2020, in the LadyGang podcast.
“That battle and the focus and energy it takes, is taking up too much space! In my life, my emotional state, my mental state. I’ve got songs to write. I’m not gonna sit around,” said Twain.
Minha esposa fez 50 anos e de repente mudou seu guarda-roupa e cabelo – pensei que ela estava me traindo, mas não esperava por isso
Quando Miranda fez 50 anos, tudo mudou: suas roupas, seu cabelo e até seu perfume. No começo, pensei que era só para o aniversário dela, mas depois virou rotina. Ela estava me traindo ou era algo completamente diferente?
Minha esposa, Miranda, sempre foi o tipo de mulher que preferia conforto à alta costura. Jeans, camisas de botão e seus tênis velhos e surrados definiam seu guarda-roupa.
Uma mulher em sua casa | Fonte: Midjourney
A maquiagem era uma reflexão tardia, e seu cabelo, um corte prático que ela mesma fazia, raramente merecia atenção. Sua beleza não era chamativa, nem precisava ser. Ela ficava incrível em qualquer coisa.
Quando chegou o aniversário de 50 anos de Miranda, a transformação me deixou sem fôlego — e não da maneira que eu esperava.
Sentei-me na beirada do sofá da sala de estar, mexendo no meu relógio, pronto para um jantar tranquilo no restaurante italiano favorito dela. O barulho dos saltos dela no chão de madeira me fez levantar.
Um homem sentado em um sofá | Fonte: Midjourney
Salto alto? Miranda não usava salto alto. Olhei para cima, e lá estava ela, emoldurada pelo brilho suave da luz do corredor.
Por um momento, não consegui encontrar palavras.
A mulher diante de mim parecia Miranda, mas polida, elevada e inteiramente nova. Seu vestido verde-esmeralda profundo deslizava por sua figura com uma sofisticação que eu não associava ao seu guarda-roupa habitual.
Uma mulher usando um vestido verde | Fonte: Midjourney
Um par de brincos de ouro refletiu a luz, balançando sutilmente enquanto ela se movia. Seu cabelo não estava mais no corte simples que ela sempre usava, mas em vez disso caía em ondas suaves pelos ombros.
“Bem?” ela perguntou, girando levemente como se estivesse testando a bainha do vestido. “O que você acha?”
“Você… está incrível”, gaguejei.
E ela fez. Ela estava deslumbrante, mas algo em toda aquela exibição me perturbou.
Um homem sentado em seu sofá | Fonte: Midjourney
Era tão diferente dela — o vestido, os saltos, até mesmo o perfume suave, mas distinto, que permanecia enquanto ela atravessava a sala.
“Você está muito bem vestido para o Giovanni’s”, eu disse despreocupadamente, esperando aliviar o nó no meu peito.
Ela riu, alisando o vestido sobre os quadris. “É meu aniversário. Pensei em tentar algo diferente.”
Enquanto dirigíamos para o restaurante, eu disse a mim mesmo que Miranda estava apenas se divertindo se arrumando. Mas a mudança não parou no aniversário dela.
Carros no trânsito | Fonte: Pexels
Na manhã seguinte, eu a encontrei cuidadosamente sombreando e aplicando uma variedade de cremes e pós em tons de pele no rosto com a precisão de alguém que fazia isso a vida toda. Um dia depois, um novo conjunto de sacolas de compras apareceu no armário, cheio de blusas de seda e saias sob medida.
Logo, sua rotina de maquiagem e cabelo cuidadosamente estilizado se tornaram rituais diários. Seus jeans e tênis foram relegados ao fundo do armário.
Toda vez que ela entrava em uma sala, eu tinha que me lembrar de que essa era minha Miranda. Mas a crescente sensação de desconforto nunca me deixou.
Um homem preocupado | Fonte: Midjourney
Por 30 anos, eu conhecia os padrões de Miranda, suas preferências e sua essência. Isso… não era ela. Ou era?
O Dia de Ação de Graças foi a primeira vez que pisamos em um ambiente público desde que a transformação de Miranda havia se enraizado. Ela passou horas se preparando e, quando finalmente emergiu, estava deslumbrante.
No momento em que entramos na sala de jantar, o ar mudou. Garfos tilintavam contra pratos, conversas caíam no meio da frase, e todos os olhos se voltaram para ela.
Convidados assustados para o jantar de Ação de Graças | Fonte: Midjouney
Minha mãe (que nunca se segura) suspirou audivelmente, então se inclinou em direção ao meu pai. “Ela parece uma mulher diferente”, ela disse no que provavelmente pensou ser um sussurro.
Miranda não vacilou. Ela deslizou para dentro da sala com uma facilidade que eu invejei, oferecendo calorosas saudações e abraços como se nada tivesse mudado.
Lynn, sua irmã, chamou minha atenção. Sua expressão era uma mistura de curiosidade e algo beirando a diversão. Nossos sobrinhos e sobrinhas de vinte e poucos anos que uma vez provocaram Miranda por ser uma “Jane simples” ficaram boquiabertos, olhando como se a estivessem vendo pela primeira vez.
Convidados chocados no jantar | Fonte: Midjourney
Eu me vi pairando atrás dela, dividido entre orgulho e desconforto. Miranda parecia intocada pela reação, rindo facilmente enquanto entregava à minha mãe a garrafa de vinho que ela havia trazido.
“Apenas algumas pequenas mudanças”, ela disse com um sorriso sereno quando a mãe perguntou sobre a transformação.
Sua calma desviou a maior parte da curiosidade, mas fez pouco para acalmar a minha. Conforme a noite avançava, não pude deixar de observá-la. Sua risada veio mais livremente, e ela se manteve com uma nova confiança.
Uma mulher confiante | Fonte: Midjourney
Isso era realmente só sobre o aniversário dela? Ou era algo mais?
Quando finalmente saímos da festa e voltamos para casa, não consegui mais manter meus pensamentos engarrafados. Esperei até que ela tirasse os saltos e colocasse o xale na cadeira.
“Miranda”, comecei hesitante, “podemos conversar sobre… tudo isso?”
Ela levantou uma sobrancelha, divertida. “Tudo isso?”
Uma mulher sorridente | Fonte: Midjourney
“Os vestidos. A maquiagem. O… tudo”, eu disse, gesticulando vagamente em direção a ela. “É só… repentino.”
Sua expressão se suavizou, embora seu tom permanecesse leve. “Você não gosta?”
“Não é isso”, eu disse rapidamente. “Você está linda. Você sempre esteve. É só… diferente.”
Ela se aproximou e passou a mão no meu braço.
Uma mulher falando com alguém | Fonte: Midjourney
“Não é nada para se preocupar”, ela disse com um sorriso tranquilizador antes de pressionar um beijo na minha bochecha. “Estou apenas tentando algo novo.”
Eu queria acreditar nela. Mas enquanto ela se afastava, o perfume sutil deixando um rastro atrás dela, eu não pude deixar de sentir o espaço entre nós aumentando. Algo havia mudado, e não importava o quanto eu tentasse, eu não conseguia nomear.
O desconforto me corroía. Eu estava perdendo ela? Ou ela simplesmente tinha encontrado algo — ou alguém — que eu não sabia?
Um homem preocupado | Fonte: Midjourney
Incapaz de deixar para lá, procurei Lynn no dia seguinte. De qualquer um, ela saberia o que estava acontecendo.
Enquanto tomávamos café, inclinei-me e perguntei: “Miranda disse alguma coisa para você? Sobre o que… mudou?”
Lynn congelou no meio do gole, estreitando os olhos. “Espera, você não sabe?”
Meu coração pulou. “Sabe de uma coisa?”
Ela colocou a xícara no chão e pegou as chaves. “Vamos.”
Uma mulher segurando as chaves do carro | Fonte: Midjourney
Mal tive tempo de pegar meu casaco antes de me encontrar no carro dela, os nervos à flor da pele enquanto acelerávamos pela cidade. Eu queria respostas, mas o silêncio de Lynn era pior do que qualquer coisa que ela pudesse ter dito.
As possibilidades rasgaram minha mente como uma tempestade. Miranda estava me deixando? Ela estava doente? Meu peito apertava a cada milha que passava.
Lynn entrou no estacionamento de um prédio de escritórios moderno e elegante.
Um edifício de escritórios | Fonte: Pexels
Minha testa franziu. “O escritório dela?”, perguntei, incrédula. “Por que estamos aqui?”
“Só observe”, disse Lynn, com um tom estranhamente triunfante, enquanto me levava para dentro.
Segui Lynn por um corredor até chegarmos a uma sala de conferências. Através das paredes de vidro, eu a vi.
Miranda estava na cabeceira de uma mesa, gesticulando confiantemente enquanto um grupo de profissionais qualificados prestava atenção em cada palavra sua.
Uma mulher falando em uma reunião | Fonte: Midjourney
Sua voz (segura e autoritária) filtrava-se pela porta em pedaços. Minha esposa, a mulher que costumava evitar atenção, era agora o centro inegável dela.
Virei-me para Lynn, esforçando-me para entender o que estava vendo. “É por isso… é por isso?”, perguntei, com a voz embargada.
Ela assentiu. “Ela encontrou seu ritmo. Ela não é apenas Miranda, sua esposa, mãe ou Sra. Seja Lá o Que For. Ela está entrando em algo maior.”
A porta se abriu e Miranda nos viu.
Uma mulher em uma sala de conferências | Fonte: Midjourney
Sua fachada confiante vacilou quando ela se aproximou, suas mãos se apertando nervosamente.
“O que você está fazendo aqui?”, ela perguntou, seu tom era uma mistura de surpresa e cautela.
“Tentando entender o que está acontecendo com você”, respondi, a tensão palpável.
Ela exalou, então gesticulou em direção à sala de conferências. “Podemos conversar?”
Entramos em um canto tranquilo do prédio.
Interior do escritório | Fonte: Pexels
Miranda cruzou os braços, sua expressão em partes iguais defensiva e vulnerável. “Eu não queria que fosse um segredo”, ela começou, sua voz suave. “Simplesmente… aconteceu.”
“O que aconteceu?”, insisti, com minhas próprias emoções à flor da pele.
Ela desviou o olhar, reunindo seus pensamentos. “Tem uma mulher com quem eu trabalho”, ela disse finalmente. “Sylvia. Ela tem 53 anos, e quando a conheci, percebi… que eu estava me segurando.”
Pisquei, surpreso com sua honestidade. “Se segurando como?”
Um homem falando com alguém | Fonte: Midjourney
“Por pensar que era tarde demais para eu crescer, para ser mais do que sempre fui.” Seus olhos encontraram os meus, firmes agora. “Sylvia me mostrou que eu ainda podia ser vibrante, que eu não precisava desaparecer no fundo só porque sou mais velha.”
“Então não se trata de…” Parei de falar, envergonhada de terminar o pensamento.
“Um caso? Não.” Sua risada era suave, mas tingida de tristeza. “Isto é sobre mim, não sobre deixar você.”
Uma mulher rindo | Fonte: Midjourney
As palavras dela me atingiram como um bálsamo e um tapa ao mesmo tempo. Eu estava tão envolvido em minhas inseguranças que tinha esquecido quem Miranda realmente era: uma mulher capaz de me surpreender, mesmo depois de trinta anos.
“Achei que você estava indo embora”, admiti, com a voz rouca.
A mão dela encontrou a minha, quente e familiar. “Não vou a lugar nenhum”, ela disse. “Mas preciso que você entenda que estou fazendo isso por mim. E preciso que você me apoie.”
Uma mulher séria | Fonte: Midjourney
Eu assenti, o nó no meu peito se afrouxando. “Eu posso fazer isso.”
A viagem para casa pareceu mais leve. A transformação de Miranda não foi apenas uma mudança na aparência; foi uma declaração.
E quando entramos na garagem, percebi algo profundo: o crescimento dela não ameaçou nosso amor. Ele o aprofundou.
Um homem sorridente | Fonte: Midjourney
Juntos, nós entramos, de mãos dadas. O futuro, parecia, era tão brilhante e surpreendente quanto a própria Miranda.
Aqui vai outra história: Quando criança, minha mãe tinha uma regra inquebrável: nunca toque no armário dela. Eu nunca entendi o porquê, e ela nunca explicou. Depois que ela faleceu, eu voltei para casa para arrumar as coisas dela. Eu finalmente abri o armário proibido, mas o que eu encontrei lá me deixou questionando tudo o que eu achava que sabia. Clique aqui para continuar lendo.
Este trabalho é inspirado em eventos e pessoas reais, mas foi ficcionalizado para fins criativos. Nomes, personagens e detalhes foram alterados para proteger a privacidade e melhorar a narrativa. Qualquer semelhança com pessoas reais, vivas ou mortas, ou eventos reais é mera coincidência e não intencional do autor.
O autor e a editora não fazem nenhuma reivindicação quanto à precisão dos eventos ou à representação dos personagens e não são responsáveis por nenhuma interpretação errônea. Esta história é fornecida “como está”, e quaisquer opiniões expressas são as dos personagens e não refletem as opiniões do autor ou da editora.
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