Born Eilleen Regina Edwards in 1965 in Windsor, Ontario, Shania Twain grew up in poverty in the remote town of Timmins. Her stepfather Jerry Twain adopted her and her sisters, but the household struggled financially and emotionally.
Shania began singing in bars at just 8 years old to help support her family, encouraged by her mother, Sharon. Her home life was turbulent—marked by abuse and her mother’s depression. Music became her escape and purpose. Alongside performing, she worked jobs like McDonald’s to help make ends meet.
