Shania Twain was singing in seedy bars from 8 years old. This is what she thinks of that now.

Last year, the world's most successful female country singer, Shania Twain, joined Louis Theroux for the very first episode of his new podcast The Louis Theroux Podcast. In the interview, Shania opened up about her life, sharing intimate details about her rather unique childhood.

Best known for songs like 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman' and 'That Don't Impress Me Much', it's safe to say Shania has dealt with her fair share of setbacks. Most notably moving forward after a painful divorce from ex-husband and long-time music collaborator Robert ‘Mutt’ Lang, and a medical event that almost ended her career in music.

In the interview, Shania explained how she was not even 10 years old before she started singing for money, describing how she would often be made to play at bars, clubs, and aged care facilities — wherever would pay her.

"You know, I’ve been working since I was 8 years old," she told Louis.

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“Let’s start from the beginning, even before I knew how to speak, I was singing and humming,” Shania explained.

Shania said it was clear she had a natural knack for music, something her mother also picked up on relatively early. “As soon as my mother discovered I had a talent for voice, she was putting me up on restaurant counter tops and getting me to sing to the jukebox and perform for people in the diner.”

Not long after, her mother decided to take her performances to the next level. Shania shared that this is when the pressure took the fun out of performing for the 8-year-old. “It’s when my mother started taking my singing more seriously, she began taking me to public appearances, and I started feeling really intimidated.” This feeling was something she struggled with for many years after.

During the interview, Louis drew attention to Shania's hometown of Ontario being "not a particularly affluent area", highlighting that the singer would often be exposed to things not often seen by a primary schooler. "Fights breaking out now and then, people are stumbling all over the place, and it was hard to keep their attention. That was intimidating for an 8-year-old."

Shania Twain started performing at 8-years old. Image: Getty.

What was even more concerning was that Shania had to wait until the bars would close to begin performing, a time most children would be in bed sleeping.

“I would only be allowed on stage after midnight because of the liquor law. After the last call, the bar would technically be closed, but the tables were still loaded with everyone's last drinks and people would stay until two, or three in the morning.”

When asked what possible reason her mother could have for taking a child out to perform at bars after midnight, Shania simply responded: “It’s how we put gas in the car.”

Shania’s drive, resilience and talent for music kept her on track to become one of the most successful musicians ever. She has now sold over 100 million copies of her albums and continues to tour for sold-out shows in America.

This article was published in June 2023 and has been updated with new information.

Image: Getty.

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