When she was 21, her parents were killed in a car accident. She took over the care of her younger brothers and picked up various singing jobs around Timmins, Ontario. By 1990, the youngsters were old enough to fend for themselves and Shania got serious about her singing career. Friend and manager Mary Bailey helped her with a demo tape and Nashville took notice.  They suggested a new first name and Shania was chosen. Her first album had
only one of her original songs, God Ain't Gonna Getcha For That, it gave a hint to her talent as a first rate songwriter.

The video for What Made You Say That was spotted by noted rock producer Mutt Lange.   Taken by her beauty and talent, he persistently called until he got her on the phone. They met in June of 1993 at Fan Fair in Nashville. By December they were married and proceeded to travel around the country writing songs. By early 1995 they recorded and released the multi-platinum album The Woman In Me. It spawned hit after hit and rocketed Shania to the top of the music charts. Nashville was less than pleased.  Shania wasn't playing by their rules and Nashville was serious about rules.  Though surprised by Nashville's attitude, Shania didn't let it get her down. She started work on the third album, Come On Over, and is now on tour supporting its recent release. Recent shows in Texas (Dallas and Austin) gave fans a taste of her exciting live performance. On a second leg of the tour she returned to the Lone Star State with shows in Houston and San Antonio. Her concerts are as lavish as Janet Jacksons' and Reba McEntires'. Just like the other major acts on the road, Shania has certain perks to make her touring schedule a little more bearable.

One of her more interesting requests is that she be allowed to ride her horse in a nearby city park at midnight. She often requests that a security guard be close by with a mobile phone handy in case of an emergency. That's right, she tours with a horse trailer and horse! Think that's the first I've ever heard of this one, and trust me, I've heard a lot of tour stories. I guess the midnight ride helps her unwind after her concerts. Once the show is over, she's rushed from the venue so fast it would make Elvis blink twice. Since most venues aren't located near a park, much less one that would break curfews and let her ride at midnight, she often resorts to staying near an equestrian center. This is what she did in
Austin and it worked out perfectly.

Since she's extremely shy of the press and rarely gives interviews, I decided to surf the Internet and get some info from fans across the States. A fan from New York noted: "I really enjoyed the part of the show where they carry her on a board like Cleopatra. Though it looked like the roadies were having a tough time and weren't smiling." A fan from Austin
made this comment: "I work at Salt Lick BBQ and her entourage came in to eat. Shania picked at her food and only ate veggies. Why would a vegetarian want to eat at a BBQ place?"

One fan on a country music chat line in Florida had this to say:  "The crowd really seemed to love her music. Everyone was singing along with her songs. She invited some fans on stage to join in. When they forgot the words, she kinda made fun of them by saying, "What's wrong? You were singing out there. Why can't you sing up here?" They took it good naturedly and didn't seem to mind being the brunt of her joke."   Another Charlotte, NC. fan wrote: "Before her show we ventured behind the coliseum to see the tour busses. Outside her bus was Tim, her German Shepard. There was a sign that read something like, "Hi, my name is Tim. Don't feed me, pet me, talk to me or I will bite you." It said something like that. I started to take a picture of it but the security guard asked us to leave."

An item about her current tour that everyone seems to agree on is that it's very exciting, loud and has lots of costume changes. Twain, a petite girl weighing barely 100 lbs, packs a huge wallop for such a small person. She dresses very casual, rarely using makeup until show time. One security guard in Austin didn't even recognize her when they passed in a backstage corridor. This reminds me of the persistent rumor that many of her publicity photos have some major touching up before released to the press.  At each stop on the tour she invites local high school bands to join her during a portion of the show. It's this relationship with the her younger audiences that keeps her music popular. Todays record buying public is made up of primarily teenagers, thus explaining Shania's need to appeal to that age group. Performers of Shania's stature are often called demanding, even difficult. In her defense, she insists that it's her intense need for privacy that motivates her. So much so, she and Mutt are considering moving to Switzerland, just so they can maintain the level of privacy they require. But for now, privacy takes a backseat. Shania is on tour, playing to sold out crowds around the country.