Shania Twain has been living in the spotlight for years, with her first album being released in 1993, but fans are only just learning that the singer has a different name
Shania Twain really needs no introduction. Having sold over 100 million records, she is one of the best-selling artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history. And with hits such as ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman!’ and ‘You’re Still The One’, there’s not doubt that Shania has had anything less than an amazing music career.
The singer, who turned 60 today (August 28), first started her music career in 1983 after graduating from high school in Timmins, Ontario in Canada. She was approached by a cover band who brought her on tour with them. However, a few years later, in 1987, her mum and adoptive father died in a car crash, which had her decided to move back home to help take care of her siblings.
As her siblings later moved out, she decided to take up her music career again, now with the name Shania Twain, which she’s become well-known as all across the world. She released her first album under this name in April 1993, and the rest is history.
While many people might not know the singer uses a stage name, fans will be curious about what her real name is.
What is Shania Twain’s real name?
Shania Twain’s real name is Eilleen Regina Edwards. She was born on August 28, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She later adopted the stage name Shania Twain after her stepfather, Jerry Twain, who is of Ojibwa First Nation heritage.
Taking to a ‘name nerds’ discussion on Reddit, people were intrigued about the way so many celebrities change their names, especially when the changes are drastic.
The post read: “I never realised so many famous people changed their names, I wanted to share this list with you guys to see if you were surprised too.”
They then went on to list 45 celebrities who are better known as their staged names, including Jennifer Aniston (Jennifer Joanna Anastassakis), Liam Gallagher (William John Paul Gallagher) and also Shania Twain (Eileen Regina Edwards).
People quickly took to the comment section to name even more celebrities who changed their names, as well as discussion the names they’d picked.
One person wrote: “I’m always blown away by this stuff. And always wonder how they come up with new stage names! Some of them make sense —> Demi Lovato going from Demetria Lovato But how did Shania Twain go from Eileen Edwards to Shania Twain? And do her friends call her Eileen? Or Shania?”
Speaking to the Guardian about her name change and whether she thinks of herself as Shania or Eileen, she said: “Both. But when I speak to myself I say Eilleen: ‘Come on, Eilleen!’” Eilleen seems very different from Shania, I say. No, she insists, they are one and the same person – Shania is just the professional front.”