Shania Twain's spectacular run as a country/pop superstar can be summed up in three words - Come On Over. That is the title of her breakout 1997 album that became part of indelible music history. Per Pitchfork, "With its hard-charging hooks, sassy kiss-offs, and radiant sparkle, it became one of the defining titles for the 'I don't like country, but...' crowd...Twain set a new standard for pop-country crossovers." With tracks like "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "From This Moment On," and "You're Still the One," fans could not get enough of this singer and her album. Twain was on the map to stay. But she began her sensational career very inauspiciously.
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Twain's Hardscrabble Childhood Sounds Like Something From a Charles Dickens Tale
Per rocksbackpages.com, Twain's early life was filled with tough challenges, at say the least. She said, 'There were many days when we had to huddle round the stove because we couldn't pay the heating bill. We went to bed wearing our coats, literally freezing. It's not the way you want to live, you can die in those conditions. I don't think our parents would have allowed us to die, they would have taken us to a shelter, but we definitely endured what we could, we pushed it to the limits."
She Sang at Clubs as a Frightened Youngster
Twain got her start as an eight-year-old. Per the outlet, she did all kinds of material - "'Me & Bobby McGee,' anything by Dolly Parton and originals for which she'd written out chord charts for the band." You might think, aw, that's so sweet, but according to Twain, it was anything but charming and wonderful.
She recalled, ""I was scared s***less. I had terrible stage fright. It was a good thing my parents encouraged me. If I'd had it my way, I'd have taken the easy option and remained a songwriter, not a performer. I loved music but I was never passionate about being a performer."
As an adult, Twain sure did outgrow that skittishness about taking the stage. Today, at 59, she is an unbelievably dynamic performer who truly captivates audiences.
