Shania Twain: I feared I would never sing again

SHANIA feared she would never reclaim her crown as the queen of country-pop after battling to save her voice.

Diagnosed with Lyme disease, which damaged the nerves in her vocal cords, the chart-topper faced the real possibility of losing ‘this precious pleasure in my life’.

‘There were seven years straight where I believed I would never sing again,’ she said. ‘Then it took another seven to get to a point to feel comfortable to make this record.’

A vigorous workout, Shania adds, is key to keeping her money-making instrument in mint condition.

‘I need to sing more than I normally would, so I do a really long warm-up,’ she said.

‘A lot of exercising and vocal physical therapy. I sing full-on while doing a power-walk,’ she giggles.

Shania’s neighbours won’t need to buy tickets to her next concert then.

■ TAT don’t impress me much, springs to mind when Shania reminisces about meeting a diehard fan. The Come On Over singer was left bemused by an admirer who’d had her signature inked on his arm. ‘It’s just so permanent,’ she exclaimed. ‘I would have signed it while I was on the stage, so you’re not going to be very tidy about it. I thought, well, I have to apologise for the scribble,’ laughs Shania, who may want to work on her penmanship.

Author: Tom Stichbury