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SHANIA TWAIN: ALWAYS UP! FOR HOCKEY TALK

NHLPA.com
October 16, 2003

If you were to liken Twain, who was recently interviewed by NHLPA.com, to a hockey player, a comparison she'd gladly welcome, the biggest-selling female solo artist of all time would be on par with the game's greatest names, past or present.

The Canadian pop diva, whose Come On Over album has worldwide sales of an astonishing 35 million, is a long-time hockey fan, dating back to her childhood days in the northern Ontario town of Timmins, a place where the sport has always been centre stage.

“When my uncle got a colour TV, the first thing we watched was Hockey Night in Canada ,” recalled Twain, who has incorporated her love for hockey into her music (check out the video for the title track from her No. 1 album, UP!). “That was a big event. I also liked watching my brothers and now my nephews learning and playing the game.”

So, are there any similarities between her career and that of a hockey player? According to Twain, who won her first Grammy Award in 1995 in the Best Country Album category, for The Woman In Me, she admits there are at least a few that come to mind.

“Both are physically demanding, it takes a lot of discipline and focus,” said Twain, who, among a slew of 1996 honours, had the Country Album of the Year (The Woman In Me), was voted Favorite New Country Artist at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and won two Juno Awards. “The rewards are great but so are the sacrifices. We depend on the fans' interest and you have to have a passion for what you do not just the talent.”

And while they perform in somewhat different environments, Twain, who has won 19 CCMA awards since 1995, believes the thrill of eliciting a raucous response from a crowd is the same for any performer, singer or athlete.

“I have a lot of fun with the touring, it's the biggest reward,” said Twain. “I can see on their faces what the songs mean to them. I'm affected by music, so when I see I'm affecting them the same way, I really feel I've done what I came to do.”

A hectic schedule, both personally and professionally, keeps Twain busy almost seven days a week, 24 hours a day. And although she isn't afforded the time to watch as much hockey as she'd prefer, either live or in person, Twain still knows the score when it comes to following her favourite hockey stars.

“It's a Canadian tradition and has always been a part of our lives from childhood,” said Twain, who will perform her new single “She's Not Just a Pretty Face” as well as “Coat of Many Colors” with Dolly Parton on the Oprah Winfrey Show this fall. “I can't imagine what it would be like not being able to watch Hockey Night in Canada.”

And even if she's not attendance, it seems, more often than not, her music is.

When the legendary Wayne Gretzky retired, Twain's hit “You're Still The One” was included in a select group of songs, as the ‘Great One' saluted fans after appearing in his last game on April 16, 1999. Almost every NHL arena has at least one of her songs as part of their regular music list, a testament to her wide-ranging appeal.

As far as choosing her favourite player to watch, Twain points to a recently retired backstopper, a record-breaker in his own right, a perennial all-star destined for Hall of Fame glory.

“Patrick Roy was always great, but now he's retired, so I just love watching the game,” said Twain, who changed six outfits with themes that represented the six Canadian hockey teams in the NHL, when she hosted the 2003 Juno Awards at Ottawa. “All of these guys are extremely talented.”

A label that can definitely be applied to one of music's greatest all-time personalities.