After a long break from recording and performing, superstar Shania Twain is getting back in the spirit of things — the Christmas spirit, that is. In a new interview, the Canadian songbird reveals that before she delivers new anytime studio music, she is “dying” to make a Christmas album.

“I’m concentrating on the show and not really getting any closer to recording a new album, even though I’ve done so much of the writing,” she explains. “I’m more inclined to make my next record a Christmas album. I’ve been dying to do a Christmas album for so long and I think now is the best time to do that. Once the show is underway I’m just going to, no pun intended, chill and fall into one of my nostalgic modes and make a Christmas album.”

Read the rest of the article at Taste of Country. 

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Ticket demand for country and crossover queen Shania Twain’s upcoming residency at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace is proving so strong that 14 shows have been added to the March and April schedule, with tickets for the new dates on sale Friday. And it’s still six months before her run begins Dec. 1!

Here is Shania’s latest message to her fans.

This morning, Caesars executives revealed that Shania herself is the creator and executive producer of her show. They also confirmed our earlier story that Raj Kapoor will serve as director.

Said Shania: “My first step in creating the show was writing out the song list, building my ideas from there. I wanted to keep the hits at the heart of it all while weaving elements of surprise throughout the experience.

“My vision is to bring the atmosphere of each song alive through multi-dimension sensory and share the journey of my life and career with the audience from a unique perspective. The Colosseum is heaven for an artist, and the opportunity to collaborate with such a brilliant team is making my dream show a reality.”

Raj continued: “Shania wants her fans to share her spirit and passion in 4D, and this show will capture the essence, soul and inspirations of Shania and her timeless music and lyrics brought to life with extraordinary beauty and powerfully intense visuals.

For the full article, check out LasVegasSun.Com 

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OFFSTAGE: Own Shania Twain's Slip & Fall High Heels

August 17, 2011; Written by Alison Bonaguro

Shania Twain
Photo Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)

Remember in June when Shania Twain fell on her way up to the CMT Music Awards stage? She was on her way to present the male video of the year award, walking to the tune of her own "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," and her feet just kind of gave way. She got up and laughed it off -- because she's awesome. Later that night in a video on her website she said, "I never want to see those shoes again." And now she actually wants you to have them. So she autographed them and has put them for sale on eBay. (The proceeds from the sale will go to Shania Kids Can, which helps underprivileged children in Canada.) There's a catch, though. You need tiny feet and a gigantic bank account. These strappy BCBG satin 3-inch heels are only a Cinderella-ish size 6, and the bids already exceed $6,000. If you win, may you have better luck walking in them than she did.

Shania Twain No Longer an ‘Outsider’ in Nashville
6/14/11
By Gayle Thompson

Shania Twain is back, and she is better and stronger than ever. The Ontario native just celebrated sales in excess of 75 million albums, but she says that pales in comparison to what she sees on the horizon.

"For the very first time, I really feel like I belong here," she said at a party last week celebrating her return to Nashville (quote via CMT). "That might sound a little bit weird, but when you come from a small town in Canada, it's not like America needs any more talent. It has everything it needs. So I always felt like an outsider -- because I was."

The songstress catapulted to the top of the charts time and time again in the late '90s and into the new millennium, with hits like 'You Win My Love,' 'You're Still the One' and 'Come On Over.' But while she was achieving international superstar status, the five-time Grammy winner says she didn't enjoy all the accolades.

"At the peak of my career, I was in such a whirlwind that I was too tired to really enjoy what was happening," Shania acknowledges. "I was meeting everybody, and it was all just whizzing by, and I didn't take it in. Now I've been welcomed with open arms like never before, and it's just a really good feeling. I love what I do, and I'm so glad I'm back doing it again."

The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member is enjoying time with her new husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, while she works on a new album. She will head to Las Vegas next year to begin her 'Still the One' concert series at Caesar's Palace. Her new single, 'Today Is Your Day' is steadily climbing the charts.

A Happy Shania Twain: ‘My voice is stronger today than ever’
By Robin Leach

Monday, June 13, 2011 | 12:55 p.m.

It was incredibly only two months ago that superstar Shania Twain finally committed herself to the new two-year, 120-show run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Even when the world’s bestselling female country artist traveled here last fall to check out The Colosseum, she couldn’t make the decision instantly because of a next-day visit to doctors treating her for major vocal problems. Shania also admitted that she’d arrived overwhelmed and scared, but after watching Cher’s show, she was dancing while exiting the theater.

Shortly after the official announcement June 8 of her Strip residency and before her return appearance that evening on the Country Music Television Music Awards in Nashville, the notoriously private singer-songwriter talked at length with me in an exclusive interview. Her decision to return after a seven-year hiatus was revealed on the season finale of her Oprah Winfrey Network reality TV series “Why Not? With Shania Twain” yesterday. Her first show at Caesars, Dec. 1, 2012, coincides with the National Finals Rodeo.

Shania hasn’t released a new album since 2002. Her last stage performances were in 2003. Her highly emotional and almost unbelievable journey of return began a year ago. Last June 26, AEG chieftain John Meglen, who oversees Caesars entertainment at The Colosseum, met with Shania, her business agent and her manager at a hotel in Nashville. The date is well remembered because later, they went to see Sir Paul McCartney in his debut Nashville appearance.

Robin Leach: You all had this first dance with an offer for Vegas while McCartney is playing in the theater nearby, and you agree to come to Vegas and watch Cher. Two months later, you walk all alone in The Colosseum after seeing her perform the night before. That following day, you go up on the roof of Caesars to shoot for Oprah’s network, which is why I first wrote about you coming here. When you left Vegas after that trip, had you made up your mind then, or was it really dependent on seeing the vocal doctors the next day?

Shania Twain: It was totally dependent on the doctor because that was the key to me ever singing again, and it was genuinely in real time, so it’s not like we pasted it together. I had gone to Vegas reluctant, that I would get overwhelmed and that it would just scare me more than anything, to be honest. But I felt really good walking in there. The Colosseum had such a great sound.

Anybody who is sensitive to acoustic and vocal environments, a sound environment, can appreciate how great that room feels. That struck me first. Just speaking, I felt good in there. There was so much space in there, yet it felt very intimate. I had a very good sense of my voice and my speaking sound.

Dysphonia [a disorder making it difficult to produce vocal sounds from an enfeebled voice] is not a singing problem. It’s a voice box issue in the muscle on the voice, very different from having a nodule on the vocal cords, which I’ve never had. I’m lucky that I’ve never had that. It needs a long renewal time, and even today, I am still addressing it. You have to go through the entire recovery process. So once I visited the doctors after I left Vegas, I was more confident. I think once you understand what’s going on, you just feel better already.

When you go to the doctor and you’ve had this pain and you don’t know what it is, you’re worried, you’re concerned, you don’t know what to expect, you almost don’t want to know. I think everyone has experienced that, so I was relieved to know that they were optimistic, and it was something identifiable, that there were specialists who would deal with it. It made everything a little less mysterious, and that took a lot of the anxiety away from me. I still hadn’t committed to Vegas, but then I was trying because I wanted to do it.

RL: How long did it take you before you said yes to yourself -- in your mind?

ST: I had certainly decided before the journey of the Oprah series was over. It was near the tail end of filming the series that I finally felt the conviction -- two months ago. So really more last minute when you think about it, deciding that I wanted to do it. I’ll admit, though, I probably wouldn’t have gone to The Colosseum had I not known that that’s what I wanted.

RL: But you didn’t know if you’d be able to sing again?

ST: Exactly! I asked myself if I was confident in myself to do this while on the Vegas trip. I wasn’t. But today in making the announcement is both therapeutic for me and my voice. A tremendous medicine. Very meaningful. It was a moment of unleashing a lot of things. Putting a stamp on things just helps you say, “Hey, yesterday I was there, and today I’m here.” It’s another step forward, and it feels like another turning point and an unleashing of creativity, and now I’m going to start focusing on the show and the production, the fun stuff that comes with it.

The concern with making the decision to commit and then announcing all of that, it’s like a load off my shoulders. It’s been a healing year. I am now in a very happy place. I am genuinely excited about coming to Vegas to perform the show. This is really beautiful, really lovely. I’m beyond excited. I feel like I’m on top of the world. Honestly, I feel like I’ve climbed a very giant mountain, and I’m just standing right on top with my arms wide open and breathing rarified air.

My voice is stronger today than ever. My confidence is better than ever. I’d never missed a show in my entire career -- never missed any vocal performance. The show always went on sometimes against what was better for me. Now this time the show will go on because I’m feeling confident and good about it. I wish I could get started tomorrow.

Now the focus is shifted. I feel as though I’m about to step into a world of endless creative possibilities. That’s so exciting for an artist to take songs and translate them into such a magical place on a magical platform. This will be like no other platform I’ve ever been on before with my songs. It’s a whole new beginning!

RL: I don’t want to dwell on the ugly journey of the broken marriage, the shock of discovering your husband is having an affair with your best girlfriend and the divorce. It’s like a country song in itself! You’ve been through the mill, but I will ask since you describe all this as a healing year and your voice coming back, do you think you really had to go to the very bottom in order to get back to the very top and appreciate it?

ST: I think the contrast is necessary in order to appreciate both. You have to have the bad to appreciate the good. I’m always grateful for that part of the bad. You’re just so glad when it’s over, and you come up for fresh air and you’re just like, “Wow, there’s fresh air here, and I’m just so grateful for the simplest things.” I think you learn to appreciate the simpler things whenever you come out of a difficult time. I thought I never wanted to find love again. I didn’t want to. But now I have, and it’s become very beautiful.

Getting my voice back and getting my confidence back is a day-to-day struggle, and it’s really all about finding my expression again. It has been and is very cathartic, and that’s the perfect word for it. It’s rediscovering soft expression that I slowly lost for many years and until it was more than I could bear. I was petrified of writing a new song -- it was a whole new world for me. It had been many, many years since I wrote by myself. That was new and scary.

But the song ["Today Is Your Day," released yesterday] really, every day, cheered me up so much, I thought I should share it. It really set me off ready to get back into the studio. It revived my creativity. I’ve written a whole bunch of other things, and I’ll record those over the summer. Some of the new material might not even be released in time for Vegas because I am not going to put pressure on myself ever again. When it is ready, it will be ready.

In Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Shania tomorrow, we’ll explore her timetable for the new show and how she will develop it this summer. Since she’s going to ask her fellow Canadian superstar songbird Celine Dion for advice about the Las Vegas experience, we’ll also find out just what’s in the water north of the border that produces so many stars!

Shania Twain Gets Hollywood Star, Releases New Single

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 02: Singer Shania Twain is honored with the 2442nd Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on June 2, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Shania Twain received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (see photos HERE). In two weeks she’ll release her first new single in six years during the finale episode of Why Not? with Shania Twain, airing Sunday, June 12 at 10 p.m. Eastern, airing on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

“Today Is Your Day” will be exclusively available on iTunes immediately following the world premiere on OWN starting Sunday, June 12 at 11 p.m. Eastern. Mercury Nashville will service the song to country radio stations after the show’s airing.

“Today Is Your Day” is the first song Shania has written by herself in six years, and the creation process for the single was documented throughout the docu-series “Why Not? with Shania Twain,” currently airing Sundays on OWN. Viewers have seen Shania as she works through the lyrics, meets with vocal doctors and a grief counselor and embarks on unexpected adventures throughout North America that test her courage and self-confidence in an effort to reclaim her life.

In an all new episode titled “Finding My Voice” airing this Sunday, June 5 at 10 p.m. Eastern, Shania has a one-on-one vocal training session with legendary vocal coach Eric Vetro before meeting with famed music producer David Foster to record a demo for her new single “Today is Your Day.” The single was later produced by Shania and Nathan Chapman.

Shania then reaches the end of her tour on Sunday, June 12 at 10 p.m. Eastern in the finale episode, titled “Endless Love.” In the finale, she marries Frederic Thiebaud and shares never-before-seen wedding footage from the Bahamas. As Shania faces her final challenge, recording a duet of “Endless Love” with superstar Lionel Richie, she reflects on the journey that has brought her to this point in her life.

Shania Twain rose to fame in the early 1990s with her 1993 debut album Shania Twain (1993), and achieved worldwide success with her 1997 album Come On Over, which became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician, and the best-selling country album of all time. A five-time Grammy AwardÒ winner, Twain has also achieved major success as a songwriter, winning 27 BMI Songwriter awards. To date, she has released four studio albums as well as a greatest hits album and has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, including more than 50 million in the U.S., making her the top-selling female country artist of all time.

Shania’s first memoir, From This Moment On, was released in bookstores across the country on May 3 and quickly climbed the New York Times best sellers list.

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) was pleased to announce international superstar Shania Twain as the 2011 inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In addition to a string of chart-topping albums, Twain has garnered numerous awards and accolades over her extraordinary career -- including 12 JUNO Awards -- and will add yet another achievement when she was honoured during the live CTV broadcast of The 2011 JUNO Awards, on Sunday, March 27. This marked Twain’s return to the JUNO Awards since hosting the Ottawa broadcast in 2003.

“Shania Twain revolutionized the look and sound of country music, and truly is one of the most accomplished and celebrated music artists of her era,” said Melanie Berry, President & CEO of CARAS. “Her authenticity as a songwriter and performer has made her a global powerhouse, and we’re so proud to honour her at home in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.”

Shania Twain is a world-wide music phenomenon: more than 41 million albums sold in the U.S. and over 4.2 million albums in Canada; the top-selling female artist in history; multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries including Canada, Australia, the UK, Indonesia, Holland and Norway; the sixth biggest selling album of all time; 16 Top Ten hits, half of which reached No. 1; and the list continues.

This Spring, Twain’s highly anticipated autobiography hits bookstores, chronicling her extraordinary life and remarkable musical journey, plus the songstress is set to debut a docu-series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, titled “Why Not? With Shania Twain.”

Twain took the country music scene by storm in 1995 with the release of THE WOMAN IN ME, bringing a catchy, never-heard-before pop sensibility to the genre. The first single from the album, “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under” caught everyone’s attention, but it was the brash and sassy “Any Man of Mine” that really set the tone for Twain’s impact on country music. A runaway hit, complemented by a video that debuted Twain’s star power, the song rose to the top of the charts, followed quickly by the equally attitude-filled “I’m Outta Here.”

THE WOMAN IN ME went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S. and nearly 400,000 copies in Canada, replacing Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits as the bestselling album by a female country artist. Twain became a mainstay on the awards stage in 1996 earning two JUNO Awards including Entertainer of the Year, her first Grammy for Best Country Album and just about every major global music award.

She continued her incredible momentum with COME ON OVER in 1997, which spawned four consecutive record-breaking No. 1 hit singles: “Man, I Feel Like A Woman!,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Love Gets Me Every Time” and “You’re Still The One.” With sales of 19 million copies in the U.S. and two million in Canada, the album became the biggest seller by a woman in any genre of music and established her as a bona fide international superstar.

Following two wildly successful albums, Twain set out on a 19-month tour and performed for more than 2.5 million fans. The “Come On Over Tour” was the highest-grossing tour in country music history. At the top of her game, she finally took a well-deserved break and welcomed her greatest accomplishment, her first child.

But fans couldn’t get enough Shania, and she didn’t keep them waiting for long. In 2002, Twain released UP!, a double-CD set that offered a country version and pop mix of songs to the delight of her fans, who snapped up nearly three million copies in less than a month. The first single, “I’m Gonna Getcha Good,” once again proved her prowess as a songwriter and performer, and garnered Twain three more JUNO Awards in 2003. Certified at 10 million U.S. sales and over a million in Canada, UP! made Twain the only artist in history to have three consecutive diamond RIAA-certified albums -- the other two being THE WOMAN IN ME (12x platinum) and COME ON OVER (19x platinum).

With three powerhouse albums to draw from, SHANIA TWAIN’S GREATEST HITS was released in 2004, with Canadian sales topping close to a million. “I wanted to put together all of my favourite songs from over the years for a fun, high-energy album,” said Twain. “And it was exactly that, as well as a dedication to all of the passionate fans who have enjoyed and supported me throughout the years.”

In 2005, Twain received one of the nation’s most prestigious honours and became an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contributions to Canadian culture and society.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 and recognizes Canadian artists that have attained commercial success while having a positive impact on the Canadian music scene here at home and around the world. Shania Twain will join the ranks of Canadian music icons including Anne Murray, Bruce Cockburn, Daniel Lanois, Hank Snow, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Petersen and Tom Cochrane in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

For a complete list of Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipients, information on the 2011 JUNO Awards, or to download photos of Shania Twain, go to www.junoawards.ca.

Sponsors of the 2011 JUNO Awards included FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund,” Radio Starmaker Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), The City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Aeroplan and funding partner Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.

Broadcast sponsors for The 2011 JUNO Awards included Chevrolet, Garnier and Rogers.

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L’académie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l’enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on the 40th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ (CARAS) website please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

Shania Twain has gotten hitched!

The country superstar and Frédéric Thiébaud got married in Puerto Rico on New Year's Day, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"They were married at sunset in Rincon, Puerto Rico, in front of 40 of their closest family and friends," says the rep.

The couple, who confirmed their engagement last month, became romantically involved in 2009, finding solace with each other after their spouses allegedly had an affair, breaking up both marriages.

CLICK HERE for the full story at PEOPLE.COM.

Shania Twain

She’s sold 75 million albums worldwide over her 17-year career, but when Twain discovered in 2008 that her husband had been unfaithful – with her best friend – no amount of success could ease the pain. This April, in the six-part series Why Not?...with Shania Twain, the singer opened up about her divorce, recovering her creative voice, and her plans for a new beginning.

Atria Books Inks Deal For Shania Twain Memoir

September 22, 2010.

Superstar Shania Twain has signed an agreement with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, to publish her autobiography, it was announced today by Judith Curr, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Atria Books and Washington Square Press. Curr acquired world rights from Robert B. Barnett of Williams & Connolly LLP and Sarah Durand, Senior Editor, will edit. Atria plans to publish the book in spring 2011.

In this yet to be titled autobiography, Shania Twain shares her challenging and sometimes shockingly painful upbringing in rural Ontario, the tragic death of her mother and stepfather, her "against all odds" rise to fame in a foreign entertainment industry, the hurdles she faced as a female outsider in the male-dominated world of country music and the recent struggles in her personal life.

“When I read Shania’s manuscript, it amazed me how rich, clear, unfiltered and honest she was,” said Judith Curr. “There is a depth that comes through in her writing. The book will be a help and inspiration to many and those who think they know her from her music will be surprised at the raw and personal place she writes from.”

"There have been moments in my life I was concerned by the reality that tomorrow would never come. Recently I experienced one of those moments to an intensity that brought on a sudden urgency to document my life before I ran out of time, before I had the opportunity to share an honest and complete account of my life, in my own words. There are times in your life that are meant for reflection, and this was one of them. I began writing this book with a sincere respect for the past, present and future as something never to be taken for granted," said Twain.

Shania Twain rose to fame in the early 1990s with her debut album Shania Twain (1993), and achieved worldwide success with her 1997 album Come On Over, which became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician, and the best selling country album of all time. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Twain has also achieved major success as a songwriter, winning 27 BMI Songwriter awards. Despite the fact Twain has released very few albums, she has sold over 75 million albums worldwide to date, including 48 million in the U.S. Her docu-series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will debut in the spring. This is her first book.

Atria Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information about Atria, visit our website at http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria.

Shania Twain Is Officially Divorced – and 'Radiantly Happy'

By Julie Dam
June 09, 2010

Photo: Shania Twain & Frederic Thiébaud at the Swiss Red Cross Ball
(Photo Credit: François Ferrand)

Two years after getting her heart broken by her husband's relationship with her best friend, Shania Twain is legally single again – which is not to say she's back on the market.

Even as her divorce from Robert "Mutt" Lange was quietly being finalized in Switzerland, Twain, 44, was looking like a woman in love at the Swiss Red Cross Ball on May 29. Dancing the night away with Frédéric Thiébaud (the other woman's ex-husband), 40, "she was radiantly happy," says a source close to her.

"Her happiness certainly shone through," says her friend Stéphane Lagonico, an ambassador for the Swiss Red Cross, who organized the ball. "They are a great addition to each other's lives."

With the divorce final this week, according to documents filed in Switzerland, Twain is moving on with her life. She's prepping to shoot Why Not? With Shania Twain, her series on the Oprah Winfrey Network, amid speculation that American Idol is courting her to be a judge after her successful stint as a mentor this season.

And Thiébaud is firmly at her side through all of it. "Shania and Fred are a couple that fit together," says a friend. Adds the source close to her: "Things are getting really serious with Fred."

• With reporting by ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS in Switzerland

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20392236,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

Why Shania Twain makes a great 'American Idol' theme

By Eileen Blass

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Shania Twain will return to American Idol as a mentor this season. I've long thought she was one of the smartest, savviest entertainers around -- traits she showed during her stint as a guest judge earlier this season.

Even better, Twain's songs are uniquely suited the Idol format.

For one thing, they're very adaptable. Collaborating with then-husband Mutt Lange as producer, Twain often made records that sounded as influenced by honky-tonk and Western swing as by Def Leppard and AC/DC. As a result, a song like (If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here could work as an electrified hard-rock stomp or as an acoustic country blues (are you listening, Casey James?).

Also, Twain loves the idea of re-arranging songs. "I'm not a purist when it comes to genre," Twain told me around the time Up! came out. "I'm a student of all the influences I grew up listening to. It's natural for me to hear my song in many different ways."

Twain's last studio album -- 2002's Up! -- came in three versions: a country disc, a pop disc and an international disc that featured Bollywood elements. And in this clip from CMT's Up! Close and Personal, she performs AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long acoustically, with Allison Krauss + Union Station.

Also, the Idol contestants should benefit from the way Twain writes her material. She and Lange intentionally designed her songs to hook the listener's attention, then keep it by offering rhythmic and melodic sections that changed faster than the audience could get bored. Honey, I'm Home, for instance, starts out like a thumping Def Leppard rocker, then suddenly shifts gears into a line-dancing shuffle at the chorus. I'm Gonna Getcha Good! goes through three completely different sections in quick succession -- a low, purring verse followed a bridge with more sustained notes that builds tension released by its bouncy chorus.

Cutting those songs down for Idol time constraints should only accelerate the effect. It'll force the singers to switch gears pretty quickly, but, as long as they manage that, the performances will move along at a good clip, the singers will get to show several facets of their voices, and they ought to get more lighting changes than usual, too.

However, Twain's punctuation-heavy songs can trip you up if you're at all self-conscious. If you have any reservations whatsoever about singing lines like "I gol-darn gone and done it" (from Love Gets Me Every Time), "Rub my feet, gimme something to eat" (from Honey, I'm Home) or "Even my skin is acting weird/I wish that I can grow a beard" (from Up!), you run a great risk of looking like a fool when you try. Unfortunately, Idol just got rid of its one contestant this season who didn't seem to care if he looked goofy.

George Strait, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain Earn Decade's Top RIAA Certifications

February 17, 2010

George Strait, Taylor Swift and Shania Twain have earned top certifications from the RIAA for music released between 2000 and 2009. Strait ranked first for the most gold and platinum certifications with a total of 29. Swift topped the list of the most digital song certifications with a total of 25. Her "Love Story" also tied with Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" for highest-certified digital song by a female artist. It reached quadruple platinum for 4 million paid downloads. Twain's 2002 album, Up!, was the highest-certified album by a female artist at 11-times platinum, signifying 11 million units shipped. In addition, the Eagles were recognized for having the most total certifications, with 48, including cumulative album, digital song, master ringtone and music video certifications.

http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1632102/george-strait-taylor-swift-shania-twain-earn-decades-top-riaa-certifications.jhtml

» www.shaniatwain.com

Shania Lights Up The Olympics

From the January 18th issue of Life & Style Magazine:

Country music star Shania Twain kick-started the 2010 Winter Olympic Games by lighting the Olympic cauldron in her hometown of Timmins, Ontario, on Jan. 1. The Vancouver Games begin on Feb. 12.

Shania Twain Getting Ready for a Royal Interview

On New Year's Day, she ran with the Olympic torch through her hometown of Timmins, Ontario, as part of a national relay leading up to the Winter games in Vancouver next month.

Next up for Shania Twain: interviewing a queen!

Today, Shania will guest host on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's 'The Current' radio show, and interview Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. The topic of discussion will be the Jordanian queen's global charity for underprivileged youth, 1GOAL. The queen's charity is seeking to reach out to the 72 million children worldwide who do not have access to education.

Shania, who grew up poor in a family of five children, can relate to the pain of poverty. And it is her passionate desire to open new doors of opportunity for talented boys and girls through a charity she just started, 'Shania Kids Can.' Along with her radio interview, the country superstar will also be visiting an inner-city Toronto school to perform for students from underprivileged backgrounds.

"It's an endless chain of trying to get by ... and living in a world of haves, when you were a have-not," Shania tells CBC News. "You were humiliated by the fact you went to school and your clothes weren't clean, or you didn't have lunch.

"We went in and out of different phases, and I'm sure that's what's happening to many families. My dad had a job from time to time, and we could shop for groceries every week, but sometimes we'd go for a month without shopping."

Though she grew up poor in Timmins, Ontario -- washing clothes by hand, and having the heat turned off because her parents had to choose which bill they could afford to pay, heat or electricity -- Shania never felt troubled or neglected as a child. In fact, she has nothing but warm, loving memories of her childhood. And she wants most desperately to give hope to those children who have fallen through the cracks of life, into the bleak and hopeless world of the 'have-nots.'

"(Growing up poor) taught me to be resilient, to be patient, that life has its ups and downs. I don't regret it -- it made me strong. But I don't want anyone else to have to go through it," she says. "I've reached a point I never imagined, and luck played a big role in that ... and it's a shame if we leave luck to do it."

Shania plans on visiting schools to stay closely involved with her 'Shania Kids Can' charity, which will give underprivileged children the opportunity to play music or take lessons that their parents could not otherwise afford to give them.

Will guest host Canadian radio show 'The Current'

By Etan Vlessing
Jan 6, 2010

TORONTO -- Before Shania Twain guest judged "American Idol" auditions later this month, the country star on Friday grabbed a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio mic in Toronto to interview Queen Rania of Jordan.

Twain guest hosted the CBC's "The Current" radio show and asked the Jordanian queen about her global charity for underprivileged youth, 1Goal.

Twain, who experienced childhood poverty growing up in northern Ontario, as part of her radio gig also visited an inner-city Toronto school to perform for students and preach help for young talent.

Twain carried the Olympic torch in front of thousands in her hometown of Timmins, Ontario, ahead of the Vancouver/Whistler Games, which kicked off Feb. 12.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i75b1b29eacd3861bc8ae6f1300fbbb2c

Shania Hits New York

Shania Twain has shared a long letter with fans on her website, recounting her experiences attending the all-star concerts at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in late October to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Among the highlights for Shania were Bonnie Raitt’s rendition of “Love Has No Pride,” and performances by Stevie Wonder, Metallica, and legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel, among other. “The whole night I was on the other side of the fence, so to speak, taking in the music and the backstage experience like a true fan would,” she writes. “It’s nice to step outside of my ‘artist’ self and just enjoy and admire what everyone else is doing for a change. I love being an artist, but it’s also great to have the pressure off and allow myself to be the observer instead of the observed. Knowing so many of the people backstage from crew to performers, agents, security, etc., I felt at home, but nothing was expected of me other than to be myself, hang, catch up with friends and have a laugh. Very good for the soul and super motivation to go home and keep writing music.” Read the whole thing at shaniatwain.com.

Shania Twain Talks Idol

After breaking her long-held silence on Aug. 28 with a written message to fans and accompanying montage of home videos on her official website, Shania Twain didn’t take long to check in again. On Sept. 8 she posted a message about her recent experience in Chicago as a guest judge at auditions for the TV talent competition American Idol, as well as a photo taken during the trip by current beau Frederic Thiebaud. “I had a blast and was touched by the warm welcome that [regular Idol judges] Simon [Cowell], Kara [DioGuardi], Randy [Jackson] and [host] Ryan [Seacrest] extended to me,” she writes. “I can’t wait for you to see it. I loved Chicago! So many fantastic buildings, it’s super clean, has an interesting history and the overall beauty of the place makes it very special. I also discovered Frango mint chocolates. Yum!” Shania’s Idol guest stint is expected to air in January when the series returns for its ninth season. She promises to continue keeping fans up to date about “what’s going on as I continue to live and love each day, indulge in the joy of being a mom, continue writing, traveling, and keeping myself inspired.”

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