Shania Twain on her “very long road” to getting it right
A Bond Beyond the Stage
Wertynews.com – While Shania Twain is known for her commanding presence on the concert stage, her truest self often emerges in the presence of horses. “I just love being with them,” she shared. “I ride in my pajamas in the mornings! … It’s just a great escape.” This affinity mirrors her approach to music, another lifelong passion that propelled her to the top of the country charts. At times, she blends these worlds, taking her horses on tour—a practice she admits requires meticulous planning.
The Journey from Eileen to Shania
Twain’s rise to fame began in the humblest of settings: rural Ontario, Canada, where she grew up in poverty. Her mother, however, recognized her talent and would transport her to local bars for performances. As a teenager, Twain was only permitted to perform after last call, a time she described as “an uncomfortable place to be as a child.” It wasn’t until her 50s that she finally embraced her voice, her audience, and her success with a sense of liberation. “Whoa,” she said, “I’ve got my voice. I have an audience. I have everything to just celebrate. And the fear just dropped away.”
From Bars to Billboard
Her new album, Little Miss Twain, released later this month, captures this evolution. “It’s me, now, looking back at my child’s self and the journey that child went through,” she explained. “From starting out in those bars at eight years old, right up to when I got my recording contract in Nashville.” She revealed that her first Top 10 record came at 30, after years of singing as a cover artist in dimly lit venues, collecting songs that would later define her career.
Lessons from the Past
Twain recalls the hardships of her youth in the album’s lyrics. “According to my mother, I’m the next Tanya Tucker,” she sings. “She drives me to sing in the bar. Push start the Chevy, it’s old and it’s heavy. And I’m still smaller than my guitar. Smoking like a chimney, coachin’ it in me.” These lines reflect a time marked by her mother’s depression, the household’s instability, and the physical and emotional toll of her early struggles. “There was a lot of violence in the house,” she said. “And we didn’t eat well a lot of the times. … We weren’t clothed properly a lot of the time.”
Overcoming Obstacles
Twain’s path has not been without setbacks. Her parents passed away in a car crash when she was 22, leaving her to care for her younger siblings. Later, she faced a divorce from her record producer-husband, Mutt Lange, and a prolonged battle with Lyme disease that silenced her voice for 15 years. After undergoing experimental open throat surgery, she regained her ability to sing. “Once I made a sound, it was just there,” she said. “I feel lucky. I don’t want to make it sound easy! It wasn’t easy, it was a very long road, but I just feel very grateful and very lucky that I have it back.”
Her voice now carries a distinct edge, with “more of a fry to my voice, a little gravel,” she noted. “I don’t mind that. I’ve embraced it. It’s now part of my sound.” When asked how she transformed her vocal style over time, she chuckled: “I know, tell me about it! How does one do that? You just adapt.”
“According to my mother, I’m the next Tanya Tucker I’m gonna be a star Yeah, I’m gonna be a star”
Twain’s story is one of resilience, shaped by the contrasts of her past and present. “What makes me feel so accomplished,” she said, “is staying connected to where I came from. It’s the contrast that makes it feel so good.”
