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Shania Twain Profile |
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Birth Date: August 28, 1965
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Birth Place: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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Birth Name: Eilleen Regina Edwards
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Height: 5'4"
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Biography |
Shania Twain was born the 28th
of August, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, to parents Sharon and
stepfather Jerry Twain, a forester by trade. The second
oldest of five siblings, Shania and her family lived in a
rather unstable financial home. Despite the family's
financial troubles, the Twain home was always full of music.
Shania indulged in writing and singing songs, and found
inspiration in popular contemporary tunes. Tammy Wynette and
Willie Nelson were among her favorite country musicians,
while she also loved such artists as Stevie Wonder, The
Mamas and the Papas, and The Carpenters.
Shania's parents encouraged her to take her writing and
singing talents to the public, by waking her up in the
middle of the night and taking her to afterhour clubs to
perform. By the time she was 8, the Twains had taken their
young ingénue to every public venue; everywhere from church
and community events to performing with local bands at bars.
With the encouragement of her mother, Shania always made
performing a part of her life. While Shania spent her summer
vacations from high school helping her parents financially
by taking on part-time jobs, she still continued to be the
lead singer of a cover band.
After graduating from high school, Shania went to Toronto to
attempt to further pursue her life-long dream of becoming a
professional singer/songwriter.
Tragedy struck the Twain family when Shania's parents were
killed in a car crash, in 1987. She returned home from
Toronto and became the surrogate mother to her younger
brothers and sisters. In order to support her siblings,
Shania worked at a resort, singing and dancing.
While singing show tunes at the resort for three years,
Shania continued to work on her career by releasing a demo
tape that a representative at Mercury Records in Nashville
heard. When she finally became a Mercury Records artist,
Shania, who was still known as Eileen Twain at the time, was
urged to change her family name for a name that would go
better with Eileen. Loyal to her family's origin, she chose
the Ojibway name Shania instead.
"Shania", which means "I'm on my way" in the Native American
language, was indeed well on her way. While her first album,
Shania Twain was not successful, her second album, The Woman
In Me -- released in 1995 -- went on to sell 18 million
copies, more than any other female country artist. The album
not only broke records, it also spawned seven hit singles.
Two years later, Shania went on to shatter more records with
the release of her third album, Come On Over, selling 34
million albums worldwide. Come On Over has become the
best-selling album by a female solo artist and the
best-selling country album of all-time.
With huge hits such as "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" and "That
Don't Impress Me Much", it's no wonder that Shania was
featured as one of the divas to perform at VH1's Divas Live,
with fellow divas at large Celine Dion, Whitney Houston,
Mariah Carey, and Gloria Estefan. The album of the live
performances was released in 1998.
The price of huge success is controversy, which Shania was
no stranger to. Die-hard country fans did not appreciate
Shania's assertive lyrics, which portrayed a strong,
independent woman behind the lyrics, nor did they like her
midriff-baring look, which practically became her trademark.
Even more disturbing to country fans was the fact that
Shania did not hail from Nashville.
When not working as a Revlon cover model and breaking
records in both the pop and country charts, the navel-baring
musician is the wife of rock producer Robert "Mutt" Lange,
who produced her last two albums.
Shania and Mutt now live in Switzerland, where Shania is
learning to speak French. Following the extensive touring to
promote Come On Over, the couple took some well deserved
time off to start a family.
Shania gave birth to a son named Eja (pronounced "Asia") on
August 12, 2001. The arrival of Eja had put the release of
her fourth album, Up! on hold until November of 2002. She
has also rescheduled her next tour until sometime in 2003,
but has kept busy by performing at the American Music Awards
and the Super Bowl half-time show (where the general
consensus was that she was lip-synching). She is also set to
host the 2003 Juno Awards, Canada's answer to the Grammys.
Up! sold two million copies in the U.S. in its first month
of release, and has already spawned the hits "I'm Gonna
Getcha Good!" and the title track. Let's see what kind of
records she breaks this time around. |
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Other
Information |
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list.
(December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)
Voted "sexiest vegetarian alive" by PETA
Gave birth to first child, a son, Eja (pronounced "Asia").
[12 August 2001]
Name "Shania" means "I'm on my way" in Ojibwa.
Has scored seven No. 1 hits on Billboard magazine's country
singles chart. Her biggest hit is the country-pop smash
"You're Still the One" (1998, No. 1 country, No. 2 Hot 100);
the song won Grammy Awards for Best Country song and Best
Female Country Performance.
Another of her biggest hits, 1997's "Love Gets Me Every
Time," became the first country No. 1 released by a female
country artist to spend five weeks atop Billboard's country
chart since Dolly Parton's 1977 hit "Here You Come Again."
Named the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the
Year in 1999. She also received the CMA's International
Achievement Award that same year.
Is one of only four native Canadians to reach the peak of
Billboard's country chart since its inception in 1944. The
other top hitmakers are Hank Snow (who first turned the
trick in 1950), Anne Murray (first No. 1 hit in 1974), and
Terri Clark (first and only No. 1 hit in 1999).
Her other country No. 1 hits: "Any Man of Mine" (1995); "(If
You're Not in it for Love) I'm Outta Here!" "You Win My
Love" and "No One Needs to Know" (1996); and "Honey I'm
Home" (1998). Other big hits include "Whose Bed Have Your
Boots Been Under" and "The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in
You)" (1995); "Don't Be Stupid," "From This Moment On" and
"That Don't Impress Me Much" (all 1998, the second a duet
with country singer Bryan White); and "Man! I Feel Like a
Woman," "You've Got a Way" and "Come On Over" (all 1999).
Has sold 19 million copies of "Come On Over" domestically.
Uses her married (and legal) name Eilleen Lange in the
credits for her latest CD, titled 'Up.' It is her first
release since 1997's multi-platinum effort 'Come on Over.'
Will host the 2003 Juno Awards (Canadian Grammy Awards) in
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on April 6.
Performed at the National Football League's Super Bowl
half-time show where it was well known that she had been
lip-synching the song. [January 26, 2003]
Won three 2003 Juno Awards: Juno Fan Choice Award, Artist of
the Year and Country Recording of the Year.
She received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada (June 25, 2003).
Her German Shepherd dog Tim is named after her hometown of
Timmins, Ontario, Canada.
Her heritage is Irish and French-Canadian. She was raised in
the Ojibway Indian culture by her stepfather, a full blooded
Ojibway native.
She owns a cottage near the town of Huntsville in the
Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada.
Shares a birthday with LeAnn Rimes.
Her parents were killed in a car crash when she was 22.
The album, tour and merchandising for the album "Come On
Over" made over $40,000,000 in Australia alone, where it
still remains one of the longest charting albums in
Australia.
Her name is correctly pronounced 'Shu-nye-ah'.
Received the "Order of Canada", Canada's highest honor on
November 18, 2005.
Named #39 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Lives in Switzerland with her husband and son.
Her album "Up!" (2002) sold two million copies in the United
States during its first month of release.
Named #33 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005"
special supplement. (2005) |
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