STILL THE ONE

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY! After three decades in the music biz, Shania Twain is living her best life as she embraces her latest turn around the sun

- SUZANNE WINTROB

With the conclusion of her third Las Vegas residency, the 30th anniversary of her album The Woman in Me and a milestone birthday on Aug. 28, Canada's country music darling is having an exciting year - and she's clearly enjoying the adventure.

“I really cannot believe it’s been 30 years since [it] came out and the anniversary is here on the year I'm turning 60!” enthused Shania Twain in February, reflecting on her 1995 album, which catapulted the Windsor, Ont., native to international stardom. “We have a lot to celebrate, right? I’m telling you, what a wild ride it’s been! I feel so lucky and so grateful to the fans who have been on this journey with me all this time. Thank you!”

The “Any Man of Mine” singer returned the love with a summer stadium tour that made several Canadian stops, including Alberta, where she was thrilled to serve as the Calgary Stampede’s parade marshal for the very first time.

Everywhere she went, the Canada’s Got Talent judge impressed with her boundless energy, youthful attitude and cowgirl vibes, proving beyond a doubt that she’s still the one to watch.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

Perseverance has long been Shania’s superpower, perhaps stemming from her challenging childhood. She opened up about it in her 2011 memoir, From This Moment On, discussing being raised poor in Timmins, Ont., and singing in local bars to pursue her dream. She almost gave up on it at the age of 21, when her parents died in a car accident and she took charge of her younger siblings. But a friend convinced her otherwise.

“She said to me, ‘No, I won't let you quit. You are destined to do music, and I won't let you quit.’ And I never looked back,” Shania has said.