Shania Twain, the iconic country music star, has opened up about her journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in rural Canada to global superstardom, revealing that she is finally finding peace and perspective in her 60s. In a recent interview withCBS Mornings, the 60-year-old singer reflected on her difficult upbringing and how she has come to terms with her past. «I started life out a little bit on the tough side,» Twain said. «In my 60s now, I feel like I've really gotten it, or I'm just now getting all of that right.»
When asked by CBS correspondent Seth Doane why her 60s had brought this newfound clarity, Twain offered a simple explanation. «You know what it is? It's called time,» she said. «I'd love to have been able to get it right in my 50s, but I just – that wasn't enough time. I needed to be in my 60s to start getting it right, you know?»
Born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, Twain was raised in the small town of Timmins by her mother, Sharon, and adoptive father Jerry Twain after her biological parents divorced when she was 2 years old. Her family struggled financially, and the singer has spoken candidly about growing up in poverty and witnessing domestic abuse at home. During the interview, Twain recalled that she was forced to grow up quickly, taking on burdens far beyond those of a typical child. «When I was younger, I was so over-responsible for the household,» she remembered. «My mother was depressed a lot of the time. She spent a lot of her days in bed. She lived off coffee and cigarettes that I would bring her in bed just to see if she was still alive.»
Twain added that violence was a constant presence in her home. «There was a lot of violence in the house,» she said. «And we didn't eat well a lot of the times. We weren't clothed properly a lot of the time.» Long before becoming one of country music's biggest stars, Twain performed in bars as a child to help support her family, including her mother, stepfather, and four siblings. The singer shared that her early performing years led her to develop stage fright, which plagued her for most of her career regardless of audience size. «The amount of people is not necessarily what affected me over the years with stage fright,» Twain explained. «It was starting so young in bars that were, you know, I was 8 years old, and the bars were smoky, and everyone was intoxicated. I don't know what I'm actually singing about, because I'm singing about divorce, and I'm eight.»
Twain said she did not realize how deeply those experiences had shaped her until much later in life. «This was just an uncomfortable place to be as a child, and I carried that with me,» she said. «And only in my 50s, I finally just said, 'Whoa. I've got my voice. I have an audience. I have everything to just celebrate.' And the fear just dropped away.»
Twain's challenges did not end with her difficult childhood. In 1987, when she was 22, her mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident. While both Twain and her older sister Jill were already adults, their three younger siblings—sister Carrie-Ann and brothers Mark and Darry—were underage and needed a legal guardian. At the time, Twain was trying to establish herself as a singer-songwriter after moving to Toronto to pursue music. However, she put her career on hold and moved back to Ontario to care for her younger siblings. During a 2023 appearance onThe Drew Barrymore Show, Twain recalled the difficulties she faced after becoming her siblings' primary caregiver. «That was a different type of parenting because now there was nobody to blame because now they're gone,» she said. «All of a sudden, I'm responsible for making decisions about my parents' mortgage. I didn't know they had a mortgage, I didn't know what it was, I didn't know anything about how they ran their business or debts or insurance. I had to learn overnight. My parents died — three days later I'm in lawyer's offices and insurance company offices.»
Twain toldCBS Morningsthat with the benefit of time, she is now able to look back on those experiences with gratitude instead of focusing solely on the hardship. «When I reflect back on those times, I'm reflecting on them from where I am now, which is a very good place,» she said. «Like, I made it out of there. It's like, 'Whoa, I'm just celebrating all of that.' And what makes me feel so accomplished, is staying connected to where I came from. It's the contrast that makes it feel so good.»
After her siblings were older and living independently, Twain finally turned her attention back to her own dreams. In 1991, she moved to Nashville and signed a recording deal with the legendary country music label Mercury Nashville. Her breakthrough came in 1995 with the release of her Grammy-winning sophomore album,The Woman in Me. Two years later, she skyrocketed to global fame withCome On Over, the best-selling album by a female artist of all time. Over the course of her career, Twain has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, won five Grammy Awards, and cemented her status as a country music icon. However, she faced new obstacles even after reaching superstardom, including divorce and a battle with Lyme disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2003. The disease affected her vocal cords and threatened her singing career, but Twain has continued to perform and release music, demonstrating the resilience that has defined her life.
