The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 98

i 12 14 Friday November 20 1998 0 WHAT'S UP vile lik i 1 4: 4 Never the Twairi shall meet By JACK BERNHARDT CORRESPONDENT Though scorned by countty music purists Shania Twain has been touring to packed houses She comes to Chapel Hill on Saturday CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 0 0 CHAPEL HILL On the surface Shania Twain the sensuous singing sensation who will perform her first 'Mangle concert Saturday at the Smith Center has all the trappings of a country music legend She was raised in poverty in the frigid wilds of east- 150 em Canada By the age of 8 she was playing guitar and singing in bars in her hometown of Timmins Ontario When she was 21 her parents died in a r-- -4: car crash and she was faced with raising Fv three siblings by working as a singer in ar- (le Canadian resort complex But her ambi- tions were larger so in 1991 she set out for Nashville Four years Though later her career alfin ly took off T)rned by when her 1995 CD countty "The Who: Woman Shan la Twain MUSIC in Me" with Leahy sold 10 1 "411uY Who: music in Me" WShania Twain with Leahy sold 10 purists lion copies When: Saturday 8 pm Where: Smith Center Shania more albums than UNC-Chapel Hill Cost: $2750 $35 'wain has any other female artist Call: Ticketmaster in country 834-4000 been music history If this isn't the stuff honky-tonk angels are ouring to made of Loretta Lynn's not a coal miner's pack daughter Yet since arriving in Nashville in 1991 at age 25 ambition and talent in tow Twain has fsesi She been snubbed by the country music industry and ridiculed by her peers as a shallow and to ambitious poseur who belongs no closer to Music City than say Celine Dion To begin with Nashville home of the evan- apel Hill gelical Christian publishing industry and self-Saturday proclaimed "Protestant Vatican" has never been comfortable with Twain's sensuous image The lusty naval shots that adorn her album covers and publicity photos subvert the image of country music as the haven of the pious even though the industry has capitalized for decades on infidelity and extramarital sex It didn't raise 1vain's stock with her Nashville peers that her career was floundering until she met and married Robert John "Mutt" Lange a South African-born producer who had guided hit MUSICCOVE CITYLINE To hear a sample of Shania Twain dial 5495100 on a touch-tone phone (residents of Wake Forest Clayton Fuquay-Varina and Smithfield dial 836- 2830) and enter category number 7626 This is a free call except where long-distance fees apply UPI The rise of a star 1965 Born Ei 'leen Edwards on Aug 28 in Windsor Ontario Canada 1968 Father abandons the family Mother Sharon later marries Jerry Twain an Ojibway Indian 1987 Twain's mother and stepfather are killed in a head-on collision with a logging truck She assumes responsibility for raising three younger siblings 1991 Arrives in Nashville demo tape in hand and is signed to recording contract by Mercury Records Changes her name from Eilleen to Shania an Ojibway word meaning "I'm On My Way" 1993 a Twain's lackluster self-titled debut album is panned by critics and ignored by fans Twain meets rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange After a six-month romance they marry Lange becomes her co-writer and producer 1995 "The Woman in Me" Twain's first CD produced by Lange is released and sells 10 million copies surpassing the previous record for a country music female set by Patsy Cline The album goes on to yield seven hit singles including "Any Man of Mine" her first No 1 song Twain's publicity machine capitalizes on her adoptive name Shania and presents her as a Native American 1996 IN Twain's hometown newspaper The Daily Press of Timmins discloses that Jerry Twain is not Shania's biological father and that Shania has falsely presented herself as a Native American Twain says it's no big deal and that the media has made a silk purse from a sow's ear Nashville is abuzz with the news of the "scandal" but it fails to scuttle her meteoric career Billboard magazine names Twain Top Country Album Artist Academy of Country Music Awards names Twain best New Female Singer 1997 "Come On Over" is released To date it has sold more than 6 million copies 1998 In May the single "You're Still the One" simultaneously hits No 2 on the pop chart and No 1 on the country chart Later that month on the 29th after years of delay amid speculation that Twain lacks the goods to deliver in concert she launches her first world tour II 12 14 Friday November 20 1998 0 WHAT'S UP MUSICCOVE The rise qi 1 of a star 1965 fll r'- mg- A 0-1 --111---: 1 1 4- "4 0 NI Born Eilleen Edwards on 4 11:61:7 il'INY'V: Aug 28 in Windsor Ontario 1 1 1 '1 I 1 -lists Canada 1 L)) 1 Ittit 4 1 4414 i 4 4 1968 Father abandons the family 41 1 Mother Sharon later marries 1 1 't! i Jerry Twain an Ojibway Indian -14 4 0 I 4 0 't4 fk 1 A 1 I i 11 1987 I 0 1 -f I i ''') 0 Twain's mother and stepfa- -A 419 4'4 1 ther are killed in a head-on col- 1 4 751 4 lision with a logging truck She 1 9 assumes responsibility for rals Jill i 4111 1 Ing three younger siblings It I i ft Arrives in Nashville demo Never the Tvvain 1 ta in hand and is si ned to 9 i recording contract by Mercury 4 Records Changes her name 4 1-' from Eilleen to Shania an shall meet Ojibway word meaning "rm On My Way" 14 1993 By JACK BERNHARDT Twain's lackluster selfCORRESPONDENT 4Y iv 1' titled debut album is panned 4g k''4 CHAPEL HILL 4'41 4 Vi by critics and ignored by fans On the surface Shania Twain the sensuous singing sensation 1v1P Afil3: Twain meets rock produc- who will perform her first 'Mangle concert Saturday at the Smith 1 er Robert John "Mutt" Lange Center has all the trappings of a country music legend i After a six-month romance She was raised in poverty in the frigid wilds of east- they marry Lange becomes em Canada By the age of 8 she was playing guitar her co-writer and producer and singing in bars in her hometown of Timmins 1995 Ontario When she was 21 her parents died in a ate 2 hlk' 1 4- "The Woman in Me" Twain's 'S car crash and she was faced with raising 7'-' f' ''''''ri first CD produced by Lange is three siblings by working as a singer in a Nk 1 1 I 44913 4w released and sells 10 million Canadian resort complex But her ambi- 1 copies surpassing the previ- 44 tions were larger so in 1991 she set out for 4' 4 ii ous record for a country music Nashville Four years -z415410? a4A4 female set by Patsy Cline The Thoug finally took off later her career i 46s4Fil 1 album goes on to yield seven hit singles including Any Man scorned by when her 4 -14'1 -i of Mine" her first No 1 song I iricv Twain's publicity machine capi- countty "The Who 2-4 talizes on her adoptive name Woman --i :1 MLJSiC in Me" Shania Twain Shania and presents her as a with Leahy 4" Z' '0 Native American pun'sts shold locople-s 4 When: Saturday 8 pm 1 otrhe Where Smith pe CI Hill 1996 1 5 Twain's hometown news- Shania ''''1 paper The Daily Press of Timmins discloses that Jerry Twain has any other female $3 as5te'r Twain is not Shania's biological artist hi country father and that Shania has been music history 834-4000 -4-- falsely presented herself as a If this isn't the stuff honky-tonk angels are Native American Twain says touring to made of Loretta Lynn's not a coal miner's i its no big deal and that the daughter Yet since arriving in Nashville in 1991 media has made a silk purse packed at age 25 ambition and talent in tow Twain has from a sow's ear Nashville is been snubbed by the country music industry abuzz with the news of the and ridiculed by her peers as a shallow and ouses "scandal" but it fails to scuttle ambitious poseur who belongs no closer to her meteoric career comes to Music City than say Celine Dion Billboard magazine names Chapel Hill To begin with Nashville home of the man- Twain Top Country Album gelical Christian publishing industry and self- Artist on Saturday proclaimed "Protestant Vatican" has never UPI Academy of Country been comfortable with Twain's sensuous '0- Music Awards names Twain image The lusty naval shots that adorn her album covers and best New Female Singer publicity photos subvert the image of country music as the haven 1997 of the pious even though the industry has capitalized for decades "Come On Over" is released on infidelity and extramarital sex To date it has sold more than 6 It didn't raise 1Wahi's stock with her Nashville peers that her million copies career was floundering until she met and married Robert John 1998 "Mutt" Lange a South African-born producer who had guided hit In may the single "You're CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 4 Still the One" simultaneously hits No 2 on the pop chart and i 4 6 ii ------1-: No 1 on the country chart LINE --4 44-'1' Later that month on the CITY ii k'' 1 29th after years of delay amid To hear a sample of Shana Twain dial 5495100 on a touch-tone phone speculation that Twain lacks (residents of Wake Forest Clayton Fuquay-Varina and Smithfield dial 836- the goods to deliver in concert 2830) and enter category number 7626 This is a free call except where she launches her first world long-distance fees apply tour II trds on Ontario a family marries Indian I stepfaJ-on colJck She for raisngs demo igned to Mercury 3r name rile an "I'm On ter self-panned by fans Lange mance )ecomes lucer Twain's Lange is 0 million ie previtry music line The Id seven Ii.