Born Eilleen Regina Edwards in 1965 in Windsor, Ontario, Shania Twain grew up in poverty in the remote town of Timmins. Her stepfather Jerry Twain adopted her and her sisters, but the household struggled financially and emotionally. Shania began singing in bars at just 8 years old to help support her family, encouraged by her mother, Sharon. Her home life was turbulent—marked by abuse and her mother’s depression. Music became her escape and purpose. Alongside performing, she worked jobs like McDonald’s to help make ends meet.
At 22, tragedy struck when both her parents died in a car crash. Suddenly responsible for her younger siblings, she took a steady singing job at Deerhurst Resort to provide for them. There, she honed her craft and eventually caught the attention of music industry professionals.
Her breakthrough came with her 1993 debut album, but real success followed with The Woman in Me (1995) and Come On Over (1997), which became the best-selling country album ever. Her bold country-pop style redefined the genre and earned her global fame.
Despite later facing Lyme disease and a painful divorce from producer Mutt Lange, Twain persevered. She found love again with Frédéric Thiébaud and rebuilt her life and voice. Shania’s