Shania Twain Gets 'Up!'

Shania Twain has won countless awards and claims the biggest selling female solo album of all time — "Come On Over," which sold 44 million copies worldwide.

On Friday, Aug. 1, Shania Twain performed three songs from her latest album, "Up!" and her big hit "Still The One" from her last CD, "Come on Over."

It has been five years since her last album, but her latest CD, "Up!," which offers both pop and country versions of the same 19 songs, already has sold over 8 million copies.

"The audience is very diverse," Twain explains why there are two versions of her album. "We have all ages. All kinds of people. And, I just think the people deserve a choice. I have always had a very versatile background in music. I like exploring all that versatility. That's the reason for all the choices."

Twain traveled a rocky road to stardom. Born Eileen Regina Edwards on Aug. 28, 1965, she was reared in the small rural town of Timmins, Ontario.

Twain learned to play the piano, write music and sing from an early age. She says her parents pushed her as a young girl to perform on stage at local bars, local radio, television stations and community events.

At the age of 21, Twain was then forced to be the guardian of her four younger brothers after her parents died in a car crash. She performed at a resort and bought a house for the family. When her siblings were old enough to care for themselves, Twain decided to pursue her music career.

"One can never really imagine what you're going end up in life," she says. "You really can't know. Music has always been my passion. But, no, this is a total dream come true."

Twain was signed to Mercury Nashville and released an album in 1993. But it was her second album that made her a superstar. "The Woman In Me" was made available to the public in the spring of 1995 and included "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," "Any Man of Mine," "(If You're Not In It for Love) I'm Outta Here!," and "No One Needs to Know." The CD sold over 6 million copies.

After a whirlwind ride to the top, Twain took a break to start a family with her husband/producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. During that time, Twain says, she found the inspiration to write, "Up!"

"Song writing is a very kind of introspective time," she explains. "You're on your own time. It's very creative. So being pregnant suits that very, very well."

Now, she's excited to tour again and share her music with fans.