Known As: Shania Twain
Birth Name: Eileen Regina Edwards
Birthday: August 28, 1965
Birth Place: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Body Measurement: B90cm W60cm H85cm (36-24-34)
Height: 162cm (5'4")
Weight: 50kg (110lbs)
Shoes Size: 6 1/2(US)
Hair Colour: Brown
Eyes: Green
Nationality: Canadian
Education: High School
Claim To Fame: Female Country Music Star
Occupation: Singer, Actress

Née Eileen Twain, Shania was born on the 28th of August, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, to parents Sharon and stepfather Jerry Twain, a forester by trade. The second oldest of five siblings, Shania and her family lived in a rather unstable financial house, since her father's job wasn't steady. Despite the family's financial troubles, the Twain house was always full of music.

Shania indulged in writing and singing songs, and found inspiration in the popular contemporary tunes. Tammy Wynette and Willie Nelson were among her favorite country musicians, while she also loved such artists as Stevie Wonder, The Mamas and the Papas, and The Carpenters.

Shania's parents encouraged her to take her writing and singing talents to the public, by waking her up in the middle of the night and taking her to afterhour clubs to perform publicly.

By the age of 8, the Twains had taken their young ingénue to every public venue for their daughter to perform; everywhere from church and community events, to performing with local bands at bars, dragged out of bed at midnight by her parents.

With the encouragement of her mother, Shania always made performing a part of her life. While Shania spent her summer vacations from high school helping her parents financially by taking on part-time jobs, she still continued to be the lead singer of a cover band.

After graduating from high school, Shania went to Toronto to attempt to further pursue her life-long dream of becoming a professional singer/songwriter.

Tragedy struck the Twain family when Shania's parents were killed in a car crash, in 1987. She returned home from Toronto and became the surrogate mother to her younger brothers and sisters. In order to support her siblings, Shania worked at a resort, singing and dancing.

While singing show tunes at the resort for three years, Shania continued to work on her career by releasing a demo tape that a representative at Mercury Records in Nashville heard. A new Mercury Records artist, Shania, who was still Eileen Twain at the time, was urged to change her family name for a name that would go better with Eileen. Loyal to her family's origin, she chose the Ojibway name Shania instead.

"Shania", which means, "I'm on my way" in Ojibway, was indeed well on her way. While her first album, Shania Twain was not successful, her second album, The Woman In Me -- released in 1995 -- went on to sell more than 10 million copies, more than any other female country artist. The album not only broke records, it also spawned 7 hit singles.

Two years later, Shania went on to shatter more records with the release of her third album, Come On Over, selling more than 17 million copies.

With huge hits such as "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" and "That Don't Impress Me Much", it's no wonder that Shania was featured as one of the divas to perform at VH1's Divas Live, with fellow divas at large Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Gloria Estefan. The album of the live performances was released in 1998.

The price of huge success is controversy, which Shania was no stranger to. Die-hard country fans did not appreciate Shania's assertive lyrics, which portrayed a strong, assertive woman behind the songs, nor did they like her midriff-baring look, which practically became her trademark. Even more disturbing to country fans was the fact that Shania did not hail from Nashville.

When not working as a Revlon cover model and breaking records in both the pop and country charts, the navel-baring musician is the wife of rock producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, who produced her last two albums.

Named the Academy of Country Music Award's Entertainer of the Year, Shania's Come On Over has become the best-selling album by a female artist in history. What else do you need to know?