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Post by Mallrat on Jun 6, 2011 13:34:09 GMT -5
Shania Twain gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Friday Jun. 3, 2011 2:04 PM ET
Shania Twain received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday.
The 'You're Still The One' singer was awarded the 2,442nd plaque in Los Angeles to commemorate the fact she is the highest selling country music star of all time and claimed it was due to a "small miracle" that she was presented with the accolade.
She said: "I mean, why is a girl from Timmins, Ontario standing here, getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? I really don't know. Where I come from and where I am today - it's a small miracle, to be honest, that I am here today.
"That is the truth of being a star. Our job is to make you happy and entertain you, come thick or thin - and I can tell you that I do that with the greatest of pleasure. Thank you all so much!"
Actress and former model Bo Derek presented Shania with the award, describing her as one of the most "beautiful" people in the world.
She said: "She's one of the most talented, beautiful, beloved people in the world and here we are today and you're getting your star on Hollywood Boulevard."
The 45-year-old Canadian - who had hits with 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman' and 'That Don't Impress Me Much' - was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame earlier this year and Canada's Walk of Fame in 2003.
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 11, 2011 14:51:31 GMT -5
Shania Twain Making “Big Announcement” at Wednesday Press Conference
06/7/11, 7:00 pm EDT
Shania Twain will be conducting a Wednesday afternoon (June 8) press conference in Nashville to make what her management company has described as a "big announcement." No other details have yet been revealed. The 2 p.m. CT event will be streamed live on her official website -- www.shaniatwain.com/. A link to the stream will also be available at CMT.com. The announcement will be made just hours before Twain appears as a presenter at the 2011 CMT Music Awards airing Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com. The awards show will feature an opening segment featuring Twain and Taylor Swift as the main characters in a parody of the film Thelma & Louise. Twain will also sign copies of her autobiography, From This Moment On, during the CMA Music Festival taking place later this week in Nashville. Her autograph session takes place Friday from 2-4 p.m. at the Bridgestone Arena.
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 11, 2011 16:33:24 GMT -5
NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Shania Twain Heads to Las Vegas: Is it the Promised Land or the Elephants’ Graveyard?
06/9/11, 5:30 pm EDT
(NASHVILLE SKYLINE is a column by CMT/CMT.com Editorial Director Chet Flippo.)
The news this week that retired country superstar Shania Twain is officially coming out of retirement was not totally unexpected. Reports have been circulating for years that she's been recording, and her recent very frank autobiography was a signal that she is coming back in a big way.
What was a bit unexpected was the news that she has picked Las Vegas to be the site for her re-emergence. She could still command premiere prices at any venue in the world. There is -- save Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift -- no female country artist with her ability to sell tickets and to draw audiences.
But Shania is going to spell Celine Dion during her vacations from Caesars Palace. There is ample precedent for that. Country music has a long history with Las Vegas. Witness Garth Brooks' current successful run at the Wynn. Steve Wynn, who booked Garth into his hotel, has a long history of bringing country music to Vegas, going back to the days when he ran the Golden Nugget and booked the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers and Barbara Mandrell.
In country music history, Hank Williams gave Vegas one try and bombed. He played the Last Frontier Casino (only the second casino built on the Strip), and he was drunk and was not what the gamblers expected in the way of high-class entertainment.
But Elvis Presley went to Vegas and revolutionized pop and country music there and drew audiences in unprecedented numbers. Elvis' Vegas runs from 1969 to 1976 may have ultimately killed him. Las Vegas certainly resurrected his career but may have led to a downspin in his lifestyle with his new tinfoil on the windows -- shutting out the world -- syndrome and the endless pills and the out-of-control bodyguards and the parades of young girls. When Elvis first opened in Vegas in 1969, he was derided as a sellout. Now everyone -- from Elton John to Eagles to Paul McCartney -- plays the Strip.
With Shania's move, it's confirmed that -- at least for artists of her stature and status -- Oprah's OWN network and a Las Vegas room are the safest and most lucrative avenues for the future.
Vegas in many ways is wonderful for artists as well as fans. It's safe. It's convenient. The artist tours in one spot for weeks on end and the audience comes to them. As with Elvis, they need never leave the hotel. Everything is brought to them. The money is good.
For a music fan -- who has the money -- it's a great way to see a favorite artist. You're staying in the hotel. You go down to the showroom for showtime, to your reserved seat -- with a comped drink or two first.
Unlike at a concert in the real world, you don't have to find a parking garage that isn't already full, pay your $50 to park, walk several blocks in the stifling heat past loitering thugs and threatening panhandlers, struggle with the surging crowds and thread your way through the Barney Fife-security forces at the gates, try to find your seats, pay 10 or 12 bucks for a cup of beer after a long wait in line, try to ignore the yahoos around you who will emit loud whistles and cries for "Whipping Post!" throughout the night and will yell "Hell, yeah!" in your ear after every song.
So, at a certain point in your life, a Vegas show begins to make sense. It's an effortless and pleasant (expensive? so what?) way to go to a musical event. The show is actually a pleasure. The show is the show. It's what you wanted. After the concert, leaving the venue is not a stampede. You don't have to hike several blocks back to your car past the thugs and panhandlers and wait for a damn long time to get out of the parking garage because no one will let your car pull into the damn exit line.
And, after the show, you have choices. Go up to your room and order room service. Or go to one of the many bars or restaurants in the hotel. And there are some good ones. Vegas has figured that out very well. I've seen the Garth Brooks Vegas show twice and greatly enjoyed it. In that relatively small room, it's an intimate experience you would never find with Garth in an arena. Brooks opens up in ways you may not expect and presents a warm and expressive and sometimes revealing evening.
If -- like me -- you read as a child numerous adventure stories set in the African jungles and savannahs, then you know all about the elephants' graveyard. That was the hallowed spot where majestic old elephants would make their way to die once the feeling of death came upon them. That's common to animals. I've seen it in my dogs and cats. When they sense they are dying, they go off in private to gracefully fade away in peace and privacy.
For the mighty elephants, the Elephants' Graveyard was the mythical secret death site. Great white hunters went off in search of the fabled Elephants' Graveyard, where there would be fortunes in ivory.
Does ivory today equal musical copyrights and recordings? Is Vegas your place of rebirth as an artist or your final (metaphorical) resting place? Does artistic creativity not happen in Vegas, much less stay in Vegas? Is music ultimately the property of the people with the Escalades and the black Amex cards and the prime seats for the primo Vegas shows?[/font][/b][/color]
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 12, 2011 20:34:48 GMT -5
Shania Twain Can’t Wait to See Her Fans in Las Vegas
06/9/11, 2:00 pm EDT
Shania Twain will come on over to Las Vegas in December 2012, launching her two-year residency at Caesars Palace. The country superstar, who has sold 75 million albums worldwide, revealed details of the concert series during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Wednesday afternoon (June 8).
"I just can't wait," she said. "I wish I could just get started tomorrow. You know, today is a big turning point for me. I feel as though I'm about to step into a world of endless, creative possibilities. That is so exciting for a songwriter, for an artist, to take songs and translate them into such a magical place on a magical platform. This will be like no other platform I've ever been on before with my songs. It's a whole new beginning, I think, for the old music, if you will."
During the event, Twain fielded questions from reporters in Nashville as well as Las Vegas via satellite. In this partial transcript from the press conference, she talks about rediscovering her voice, releasing new music and reconnecting with her fans.
So much of your series on OWN has been about finding your voice again. What has been the time frame between finding your voice and this decision to play in Las Vegas?
Well, the losing of my voice has been very progressive and gaining my voice back has also been very progressive. Today I'm speaking very well. It's very open. I'm very happy with the way it's coming out. I've made a lot of progress in baby steps through the course of the series. I've seen great progress. I've gotten to the bottom of it and I'm addressing it. That is what sharing it was all about -- addressing the fact that not only do I have a problem, but it's scaring me and I really want to face those fears. So, sharing it with the public has been a very big part of addressing it, and it's helping such a great deal just to talk about it.
And I'm singing more. I force myself into a lot of vocal scenarios in the series. I know I can do it. I've proven it to myself. And now after visiting with experts, it's just a matter of following through with their advice and getting the therapy that I need. So it's not really much different than an athlete with an injury.
You may not realize it, or you may, but most vocalists do go through vocal problems and have a "the show must go on" sort of theory. I've never missed a show, ever, in my career -- any vocal performance, ever. And the show did go on, sometimes against what was better for me. I don't wanna do that this time. The show will go on, but this time around, I'm going to feel confident and good about it.
You've been all over the world on tour. What does it mean to you to become the next Las Vegas headliner?
I am among the top-class company of the world as far as performers go, as far as production value goes and production support, the venue itself, the [concert promoters] at AEG. This is a dream for any performing artist. What more could I ask for? ... I don't even want use the word "opportunity," although it is an opportunity, and I thank you for that, but it's more than that. It's just an exceptional gift and that is truly how I feel about it.
How did the partnership begin? What is the show going to be like?
I needed to see the venue for myself empty, hear the sounds, speak in there, walk around in there and really think very deeply about making the commitment -- if I could do it, if I was up for the challenge. I felt very good when I left. I was still unsure. I still had things to go through, through the series, to find out what was really going on. In fact, after I left Vegas, Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville was my next stop for seeing specialists and determining what was going on.
To answer the second half of that question, "What is the show going to be like. What can we expect?" From today on, from this moment on, I decided that I would only begin dreaming now about what it would be like. And I will now let my imagination run wild. So it's in the early stages. It's going to be a process and I really don't know what you can expect as far as anything specific, other than the fact that now my dreams are unleashed and creativity is unleashed.
And I'm going to make the most of this extraordinary platform because you can't take this type of environment -- as far as sound and lighting and expertise and crew -- on the road with you. Nobody can. So, making the most of that has really given me a huge freedom and I'm going to go nuts! (laughs) Anything's possible at Caesars!
Have you had a chance to talk to Celine Dion about her experience in Las Vegas?
I have not yet sat down with my list of questions. I would love to sit down and do that. I will call Celine. Somebody should warn her now. (laughs) The last time I spoke to Celine, it was about our babies because her first son, René-Charles, and my Eja are basically the same age. So we got on the phone and talked about all the little hiccups and the first baby syndrome and all of that sort of thing. And that's the last time we actually had a conversation about anything personal. And I consider this adventure very personal. Of course it's professional but this is where the worlds cross and combine. And I think Celine will be very insightful and very helpful.
What has the last year been like for you?
It's been a healing year for me. ... I didn't set any time restraints on myself. I set out to heal. I wrote the autobiography. I did the series. I explored Vegas. I committed myself to things. And I think it was a learning and growing time, which I guess is all part of healing. Committing myself in the first place to do the series and to release the book was a very big step in almost forcing myself to stick with something. It's like going on a diet or getting in shape. You do it with a partner or you do it with a buddy. I did it with the public, and they held my hand all the way through it.
And I did it with song. I wrote a song to cheer me on through the whole process. It was all very real and very genuine. It was a motivational exercise for me that I lived in real time and shared it. That forced me to do it. So, committing yourself is a very big part. I've learned how to commit myself and put that into healing instead of fear and anxiety, which is a big turnaround.
Do you feel competition among other productions in Las Vegas?
My whole career is a series of competition after competition from the side of the industry. I'm not personally a very competitive person in that regard. I make my music, I do my thing and I put it out there. I'm not counting or anything like that. It takes too much energy to do that, so I leave that up to the industry and I just worry about doing what I do. ... Also, the touring industry and the radio industry are so highly competitive. If you survive that, I think you can survive Vegas. Trust me. (laughs) That is not even something that I've given much thought, to be honest.
Can you please tell us about your new song, "Today Is Your Day?"
Yeah, I'm very excited about the new song. And the new song was a surprise. I didn't plan on it. I was petrified of writing a new song without Mutt [her musical partner and ex-husband]. A whole new world for me. It had been many, many years since I had written by myself so that was new and scary. The song, really every day, cheered me up so much. I thought, "Well, maybe I should share it in the series." [Producers] Nathan Chapman and David Foster are both involved. I was very involved myself with the production of it. I enjoyed it. I'm excited about the new song and it's really set me off, you know. I'm ready to get back into the studio. So I've written a whole bunch of other things over the course of this year as well, and I absolutely will make another record soon. And I will be making it over the summer. I'm not putting any pressure on myself as to when it will be ready. Whether it will be before Dec. 1, 2012, I don't know.
Will people be able to hear new music during the Las Vegas shows?
Anything I've ever done live onstage has always evolved from the beginning to the end. I think it's wise to always leave some room for that. So if there was a new song that comes along, then I would certainly adapt that into the show. I wouldn't want to leave that out, so I will leave room for new music to come in as it comes. ... I'm just looking forward to contact with the fans again. I mean, I'm enjoying this so much today -- just sitting around talking with all of you. And I know this is not like the "fan crowd," but I just enjoy the contact. Being able to communicate with the fans directly during the show has always been one of my greatest pleasures. That's probably what I'm looking forward to the most, above and beyond the performance and the spectacle of everything. It's just the direct contact, one-on-one with the fans. That venue is going to make it as intimate as it can possibly be.
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 15, 2011 11:28:00 GMT -5
Shania Twain Not Injured by Fall at CMT Music Awards
06/9/11, 5:00 pm EDT
Shania Twain says she was not injured after falling at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville on Wednesday night (June 8). Twain released a video via Twitter shortly after the event. In the video, she tells the camera, "I'm just trying to get all this adrenaline out because I just made a complete fool of myself and experienced one of life's most embarrassing moments. And I've lived through that."
Wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans -- and no shoes -- Twain continued, "And now I'm here to tell you that I realize I don't need a stunt double because I did my own stunts in the Thelma & Louise video clip, and I didn't need a stunt double to wipe out on my way to the CMT [Music] Awards stage to present for best male video of the year."
Twain and Taylor Swift portrayed the main characters in the pre-recorded Thelma & Louise parody that opened the awards show.
To conclude the minute-long post-show video clip about the fall, Twain said, "I didn't hurt myself. I have a bit of a sore thumb, and that's about it. I am going to auction off those shoes, actually. I'm going to get rid of them as soon as I can. I never want to see those shoes again, or maybe I should keep them as a souvenir! I don't know. I'll have to think about that one."
The video ends with Twain blowing kisses, waving and smiling at the camera.
Twain is scheduled to sign copies of her new memoir, From This Moment On, at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville on Friday afternoon (June 10). She will debut the first song she's written in six years, titled "Today Is Your Day," on the finale of Why Not? With Shania Twain on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on Sunday (June 12).
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 15, 2011 12:26:00 GMT -5
Shania Twain Signs Books at Music Festival, Celebrates Sales of 75 Million Albums
06/10/11, 7:00 pm EDT
Making her first appearance at the CMA Music Festival in 15 years, Shania Twain signed copies of her autobiography, From This Moment On, Friday (June 10) at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Her New York Times bestseller was available for purchase at the event. After appearing Wednesday on the CMT Music Awards, Twain celebrated the worldwide sales of 75 million albums during a private party Thursday afternoon (June 9) at a Nashville club. Twain has made numerous appearances in Nashville this week, including the CMT Music Awards, the CMA Music Festival and a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She will release a new single, "Today Is Your Day," on Sunday (June 12) during the season finale of her docu-series, Why Not? With Shania Twain, on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The track is her first new music in six years. She co-produced it with Nathan Chapman. The song will be released to country radio and iTunes immediately following the OWN program.
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Post by Mallrat on Jun 17, 2011 10:43:46 GMT -5
Shania Twain Reveals Las Vegas Concert Plans for Caesars Palace
06/8/11, 4:00 pm EDT
Shania Twain will return to the stage with a two-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She's scheduled to perform 60 shows per year beginning Dec. 1, 2012.
Twain and Caesars Palace executives made the announcement Wednesday (June 8) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
"This a dream for any performing artist," she said of the concert series at the lavish hotel and casino. "What more could I ask for? I don't want to even use the word opportunity. ... It's an exceptional gift, and that's how I really feel about it."
An American Express presale of tickets begins Wednesday night when Twain announces the male video of the year honor at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville. The awards show airs live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com. Other tickets go on sale June 19 at 10 a.m. PT.
Twain last toured in 2003-2004, promoting her album, Up!, released in 2002. She issued her Greatest Hits in 2004 and a single, "Shoes," in 2005. However, she remained mostly out of the spotlight until she announced her separation from her husband, record producer Robert "Mutt" Lange, in 2008. The separation stemmed from Lange's alleged romantic involvement with his personal assistant, Marie-Anne Thiébaud. Later in the year, Twain served as a presenter at the CMA Awards and received a standing ovation as she walked onstage.
Fans were curious about Twain's plans to resume her music career. She addressed their questions in a long letter published on her website in June 2009.
"The personal issues that took place just over a year ago have been well documented, and there's no need to go into more detail here," she wrote. "Since then, I've been inspired by my pain to write and use writing as a therapy through the suffering. I truly wouldn't wish this on anybody as a means to get inspired, but it's been a productive period with so much emotion trying to find its way out. However, there is no telling how long it will take me to actually finish these songs and record them so they can get out to you."
A year later, her divorce was finalized, and she entered into a relationship with Frédéric Thiébaud, the former husband of Marie-Anne Thiébaud. They married on Jan. 1, 2011.
Twain's visibility has greatly increased since then. She starred in a compelling docu-series, Why Not? With Shania Twain, gave a rare interview during the final season of Oprah and unveiled her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This week in Nashville, Twain will be sign copies of her new memoir, From This Moment On, during the CMA Music Festival. Her new single, "Today Is a New Day," will debut Sunday (June 12) during the season finale of her OWN series.
From 1995 to 2004, Twain landed 16 Top 10 country hits, including "Any Man of Mine," "Love Gets Me Every Time," "You're Still the One," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" and "Forever and for Always." Her 1997 album, Come On Over, has been certified for 20 million units sold. In addition, her 1995 project, The Woman In Me, has been certified for 12 million and earned her first of five Grammy Awards. Meanwhile Up! (a double album) earned a certification for 11 million and Greatest Hits, issued in 2004, is quadruple-platinum.[/b][/font][/color]
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Post by Kim on Jun 18, 2011 9:53:15 GMT -5
Shania Twain’s Return to the Stage Depended on Doctor’s Visit By Sarah Wyland gactv.com Shania Twain at the Nightly Concerts at LP Field on Friday, June 10 in Downtown Nashville during the 2011 CMA Music Festival. Photographer: Donn Jones / CMA. Shania Twain announced last week that she would be returning to the stage in a 120-show run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas beginning December 1, 2012. Her comeback, including the release of her first new music since 2002, has created a lot of buzz in the music industry, but as Shania took in a Cher show at the Colosseum to see if it was something she wanted to sign on for, she couldn’t give an answer right away. It was contingent on a doctor’s visit about her Dysphonia (a disorder that makes it difficult to produce vocal sounds from an enfeebled voice). “It was totally dependent on the doctor because that was the key to me ever singing again,” Shania said in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun. “I felt really good walking in there. Dysphonia is not a singing problem. It’s a voice box issue in the muscle of the voice, very different from having a nodule on the vocal cords, which I’ve never had. It needs a long renewal time, and even today, I am still addressing it. You have to go through the entire recovery process. So once I visited the doctors after I left Vegas, I was more confident.” Even though Shania couldn’t say yes right away, she knew deep down it was something she would do. So much so she even danced out of the venue after Cher’s performance. “I probably wouldn’t have gone to the Colosseum had I not known that that’s what I wanted,” she told the paper. “I asked myself if I was confident in myself to do this while on the Vegas trip. I wasn’t. But making the announcement is both therapeutic for me and my voice. A tremendous medicine. Very meaningful… It’s been a healing year. I am now in a very happy place. I am genuinely excited about coming to Vegas to perform the show. My voice is stronger today than ever. I wish I could get started tomorrow.” Shania made her return to the CMA Music Festival this year as well, marking her first appearance in 15 years. Check out these photos from Shania’s return! Shania Twain at the 2011 CMA Music Festival
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Post by Lewis on Jun 23, 2011 20:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by grg_straitfan on Feb 10, 2012 21:49:31 GMT -5
New Single on iTunes Today!06/02/2012 12:00amEndless Love, Lionel Richie's duet with Shania, is out today on iTunes for .99 cents! You can also pick up a CD single exclusively at Walmart and Walmart.com!
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Post by Kim on Jan 13, 2013 8:49:46 GMT -5
Shania Twain Centre May Close Shop
Shania Twain‘s Still the One Las Vegas concert extravaganza is off to a strong start, but the fate of the Shania Twain Centre, the tourist attraction located in the Canadian singer’s hometown of Timmins, Ont., is uncertain.
According to Country Music Tattle Tale, the shrine to country music’s best-selling female artist may have to close its doors — citing money issues as the deciding factor. The museum, which opened in 2001, has been losing money for quite some time and has cost local taxpayers a considerable chunk of change to remain open.
It is rumored that Twain moved her personal memorabilia from the multi-million dollar building last summer as the Timmins city council began weighing out all the options.
Twain may be heartbroken over the loss of the Shania Twain Centre, but the superstar entertainer certainly has much to keep her busy these days. The ‘You’re Still the One’ singer kicked off Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace on Dec. 1 to overwhelmingly positive reviews.
“My vision is to bring the atmosphere of each song alive through multi-dimension sensory [experiences] and share the journey of my life and career with the audience from a unique perspective,” the singer said in June.
Twain will resume her Still the One Las Vegas residency on March 19, with shows scheduled through April 10.
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