Shania Twain | The success story of the ‘Queen of Country Pop’

Shania Twain is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is often referred to as the “Queen of Country Pop”. Selling over 100 million records, she is the best-selling female artist in country music. In addition, she is also one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Twain started songwriting and singing from a very young age. She released her debut album in 1993 which became a commercial failure. Twain did not lose hope and her second album, titled The Woman in Me, garnered her worldwide success. Her third album became the best-selling studio album by a female act and the best-selling country album of all time. Twain had a difficult childhood but she pushed through all the hardships and rose to fame. Here’s her success story.

Early life and struggles

Shania Twain was on August 28, 1965, in Ontario, Canada. When she was two years old, her parents divorced, and Twain moved away with her mom and sisters. Twain had a difficult childhood. Her parents earned little money due to which food was often less in their household. From a young age, she witnessed violence between her mother and stepfather. In addition, Twain’s mother also suffered from depression. Twain did not disclose her situation at school as she feared the authorities might break the family apart. At the age of eight, Twain started singing at bars to earn money and help pay the bills. 

In an interview, she said, ” My deepest passion was music and it helped. There were moments when I thought, ‘I hate this.’ I hated going into bars and being with drunks. But I loved the music and so I survived.” Twain attended Timmins High and Vocational School and during that time, she was also the singer for a local band. In the early 1980s, she spent some of her time working at her father’s reforestation business. She used to walk long distances every day carrying heavy loads of trees. But Twain’s passion for music led her to sit alone in the forest with her dog, a guitar and write songs. 

Shania Twain’s career

In 1987, Twain’s mother and stepfather died in a car accident. She moved back to her town to take care of her siblings and earned money by performing at the nearby resort. Twain released her first self-titled album in 1993. Unfortunately, the album did not sell well and became a commercial failure. In 1995, Twain released her second studio album, titled The Woman in Me. The album brought her widespread success and became Twain’s breakthrough hit. In the following years, Twain established herself in the industry as a successful singer.

Her next album, Come On Over, went on to sell 40 million copies and became the biggest-selling album of all time by a female musician. Twain continued to break boundaries internationally for female country singers. She won four Grammy Awards for this album. According to the RIAA, Shania Twain is the only female artist in history to have three (consecutive) albums certified Diamond by the RIAA. She is one of the greatest musicians of all time. 

Lessons we can learn

Shania Twain faced various hurdles while growing up. However, she never gave up on her dreams and went on to become one of the greatest singers in the world. Her success story is an inspiration to many. We can only achieve our goals if we believe in ourselves and learn from our mistakes. Secondly, hard work is the ultimate key to success. It teaches us discipline, dedication, and discipline. 

Also read: Michael J. Fox | The success story of the actor, author and activist