Canadian singer and songwriter Shania Twain is one of the most successful female country artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has won five Grammy awards and sold more than 100 million records. But while she has shined on stages and inspired countless female artists to pursue their dreams, her success certainly didn’t come easy.
During her childhood, Twain’s family faced financial struggles and her stepfather was prone to violence and alcoholism. However, despite these challenges, her mother embraced her musical talent and made sacrifices they often could not afford in order to get her to lessons and gigs.
Her love for music began at an early age: she was singing by the age of 3, playing guitar at 8, writing songs at 10, and with her mother’s encouragement, she grew up performing in clubs and at community events. At 18, she tried to launch a career in Toronto. She found work, but unfortunately without taking odd jobs, it didn’t make ends meet.
A few years later, in 1987, her life was turned inside out when her parents were killed in a car accident and she returned home to support her younger siblings. But once again, she did not give up on her dreams and continued to write songs in her spare time.
Her work made it to Nashville where she eventually released her debut studio album in 1993. In 1997, her album ‘Come on Over’ became another great success followed by an international breakthrough.
But her adulthood was also full of battles. In 2004, she contracted Lyme disease, which led her to developing dysphonia that affected her vocal cords. On top of that, few years later, she went through an emotional divorce with her then-husband. During that period, she not only lost her partner, but also her voice and so she put her musical career on hold.
“In fact, I am actually grateful for what I’ve gone through and wouldn’t change a thing—although I admit I wouldn’t want to live it over again, either. Once was enough,” she said.
She finally returned to the spotlight with a memoir in 2011 and triumphally came back with a Las Vegas residency in 2012, reclaiming her place at the top of the charts. Despite her dark times, Twain truly demonstrated she is a survivor, saying “Life unravels the way it does, and it has an effect on you, but you have to take responsibility for dealing with it.”