Shania Twain Co Uk - The UK Shania Site

The Real Real Me....Shania Twain reveals all to Nina Myskow
Last year Canadian superstar Shania Twain was the biggest selling female singer on the planet. So if her huge hit That Don't Impress Me Much was her first single to register with you, you will be astounded by her achievements.
Her country-style voice has sold 13 million copies of her second album, making her one of only five women to achieve over 10 million sales. Her current album Come On Over has produced four hits, and her next single from it, Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, is released on September 13.
She is married to legendary producer and writer "Mutt" Lange, and they live in Switzerland. We met in a London hotel. Petite and pretty, she is a dynamo of nervous energy. Professional to her fingertips, she also has a great laugh.

I'm Sweet On Pies

My Biggest Downfall
Pastries and pies. I love blueberry pie.
Killer. Very American? Oh no. It's a
Canadian thing! In the states I have
a hard time finding a good blueberry
pie, forget it. But everyone makes
them at home, it's completely normal.
I could never resist one if it was home-
made. In fact, I wouldnt resist it! Nothing
on it or with it, as is. I also love cold
apple pie.

My Exercise Regime
I don't have to work at keeping in shape,
I never go to the gym. My arms are just
naturally toned. I call them boy's arms.
But I ride a lot, I have five horses in
Switzerland, I took Dancer on the road
with me last year. I was on a bus, he was
on a trailer behind. Every morning I'd ride
him in the nearest park. I had quite high
Insurance, I had shows to do every night.

My Diet Regime
I have fruit blended with yogurt and tofu
for breakfast every morning. I've been
Vegetarian since I married Mutt, he's been
one for years. I was never a big meat-eater.
I've got more energy now. Linda McCartney
sure had the right humanitarian ideas. I don't
drink alcohol. And I avoid orange juice
before shows, it strips the vocal chords.

My Fashion Tip
You can put the same black suit on that
you've had for five years, add just a new
lipstick, new earrings and new shoes - I
love shoe-shopping - and you're a new
woman.
Its the quickest way to perk you up. I'm
a very resourceful person. I like to wear
the same thing alot, then give it away
knowing I've worn the hell out of it. I
don't have anything in axcess. It bugs me.

My Fridge Essential
Butter. Real butter. I can't live without that.
You've gotta have butter. I mean, when
you're out of BUTTER. There's no substitute.
None of those low-fat spreads, no, no, no!
I cook with it, although I use oil aswell. I'm
quite conscientious. And I don't have it on
sandwiches. Swiss butter is fabulous. And
Canadian butter is amazing.

My Dark Secret
I tan very fast. Just as well, the sun wears
me out. I'm happy in a bikini, even though I
have cellulite. Oh yes. We all have it. I don't
care who you are. Some people don't?
How can they not? No matter how skinny I
am, I always will. You just have to live
with it. I think it shouldn't be considered
ugly. Can't we think of it as beautiful?
Who am I kidding, ha ha!

I'm a sporty type of shape and figure. Quick, naturally. I'm a very active person. So I've never really had a weight problem. No. Not ever.
If I'm really active, for example when I'm on tour, and I'm on stage every night for two hours, I have to eat more. Not just more. I actually have to raise my fat content. I have to add dairy to my diet. Oh yeah, I'll add full cream to my protein shake in the morning.
I was so active as a teenager in sports and gymnastics that there was no way I was going to get fat. And to be honest, we struggled so much with getting food into the house, anyway.
There were five of us kids at home in Canada. My dad was from the Ojibwa Indian Tribe. So I was not the type that had access to cookies. No.
The most we got was whatever fruit that had maybe gonna be going bad soon. Like, that would be our treat. We weren't getting the junk food on our grocery list that made kids fat. It was too expensive.
But I'm aware of my weight. I like to keep it where my clothes fit comfortably. I'm pretty much on 110ib all the time. I'm 5fy 4 in, not very tall. I'll go to 112, even 115, And I'll go to, like, 103. That's where I vary. But I try to stay around 110 (seven stone 12Ib).
Still, I do feel better when I'm smaller. Even if it's just a few pounds, I'm more energetic. And if I'm going to be in front of the cameras, I'll think: "Well, OK, my video's in a week, I'd better make sure I'm not bloated." I don't want to be sucking in my gut because I've gained 2Ib. I wear very form-fitting things.
So you have to pay attention. You cannot be lax about your vanity, in a sense. And it's not even vanity. It's just being professional. I mean, I have a great deal of fun with Image, because I like to play dress up. But I also stress with it, because I'm not always in the mood. And unfortunately, whether you're in the mood, or not, to care, you have to care.
But I was always quite serious about my music. I was performing from an early age, although I was always outside playing ball with the boys. I wanted to be one of the guys, so much so, that there was a period when I wasn't too crazy about being a girl.
I wasn't happy to be developing, I didn't want breasts. I was always in guy bands. And when you start becoming more shapely, all of a sudden you are 'The Girl'. I didn't like that. I suppose I didn't really want to grow up, in a way. But I'm 33 now, and although I'm never going to be frilly, I totally enjoy being a girl.
I had to grow up very quickly when I was 21. My parents were killed in a car crash. It devastated our life. I was several hours away from home and my sister called, told my friend.
I could just see on his face, and I could sense that something really not right had happened. My heart was just...it was pounding as hard as it could pound, and I didn't even know what had happened, but I just knew something.
I was in shock. The whole night I just cried, I was out of control, I was numb. Wow. It's really weird what comes over you and how out of control you get. When I see people go through that in a movie, or watching the news on TV, I relate, I know exactly how that feels.
There was a girl who lived in the apartment upstairs, that I really didn't know, only passing in the hall. She made me tea for hours, and just rubbed my back. Rubbed my back.
That's all she did. And thankGod for that. I've never seen her again, but I really needed that. At moments like that you're just out of yourself. I managed to get to my home town for the funeral, and once I was with my family it made it alot easier. But we were all lost. It was a terrible time. My brothers 13 and 14, my younger sister was two years younger than me, my other sister was a year older, but on the verge of getting married and had a child.
I was still single, with no children. I decided I was too old to just dump my brothers on a relative. I really felt like I needed to keep us together. So I put everything on hold to look after the family. I had to learn very quickly about alot of things I didn't want to know about yet. Insurance, mortgage, lawyers. A nightmare.
But responsibility prevents you from wallowing in grief, and I think it was the saving grace. I was on automatic pilot, and I had to get up and move on every day. Getting through, that's what you have to hold on to.
And you know what? My life prepared me for what is happening to me now. This whole thing is overwhelming, and very challenging, actually. So I'm grateful for all the bad things that happened to me. Of course, if I could have my parents back, I would. In a heartbeat. Change that. But yet the experience I went through, I'm glad. Without that I'm not sure I could have coped with this.
It's a crazy life, it's not normal to live like this. It may not be true for everybody. But for me, I come from a small town. I'm just a normal little person, and this is a very big deal for me. But I'm coping with it better than I would have.
My career started when I sent a demo to Mercury records in Nashville, and took off after I met my husband seven years ago after my first album. We work together, we write together. Musically we have a great thing going, because we share something so intimate, so natural.
Mutt's a great guy. I refer to him as Mutt, that's the only name he goes by, but he's "Love" to me. He's a very deep person, very gentle. He's a very unusual character. When we met, I didn't think of him romantically at all. But, he was like someone I'd known for many years. He became a good friend, fast. One day we just hugged. We'd hugged before. I mean, goodbye at the airport. But that time we just didn't let go for the longest time. It was so intense. I thought: "I really don't want to let go of this person." At that moment we knew we had alot to talk about. It was great.
We met and were married within six months, in 1993. I mean, we were meant to be together. We were so meant to be together. But he's in the studio working, and I'm here, there and everywhere, all over the place.
What's happened to me is like a miracle. So many things I never would have dreamed about. For instance, I'm not a model, but Revlon have asked me to be a guest for a couple of years.
Like, the face of Revlon. I was like "wow!" It's a great compliment. And lots of free samples! Which I'm using. And we moved to Switzerland last year, we love it. I wanted a place that is quiet, where I wouldn't be a celebrity. And I can do that there. And I'm going to have a cottage in Canada, live that rustic northern lakeside life once in a while.
I am a happy person, but not always. I go in and out of it, although I'm happy right now. The problem is I have to plan my life so far ahead. Way, way in advance. How do you know how you're going to feel in six months time? So there are times I'm not up to it, and I have to do it anyway.
Don't get me wrong, it's not "poor me!" But it's only now that I'm starting to finally enjoy the fruits of my labour. Still, it's been worth it.
The quality of life, I'm living now, and that I'm going to be able to live, for ever, is fantastic. And the escape from the stress of not having enough money for so long in my life, is wonderful.
But I don't get to see Mutt enough. When I'm away for long periods. It's always difficult reuniting. We're constantly making adjustments. But I think we're past that now, because I'm not planning on ever going away from home for any length of time anymore. I don't have to. I think maybe we're finally going to start living our life together.
I'm thinking about babies, but anytime over the next few years will be fine. And the family back in Canada's OK. Life hasn't been great for them. The accident, and everything, was hard. But they're fine, they're getting on.
When I moved to Nashville, the label wanted me to change my name completely. But I didn't want to lose the connection with my parents, let go of Twain.
They were gone, I needed that. I was called Eilleen, after my Irish grandmother. By chance I met an Ojibwa Indian girl called Shania. So I became Shania. It means "I'm on my way".
And I think I am, now. Finally I really am on my way. Life is good. I feel that the worst is over. And the best is yet to come.