Nothing hard yet—but I did see this on VH1’s Before They Were Stars where they showed some rare videos of her performances. One video was of Shania Twain when she was younger and singing on a Canadian country music show in the eighties. She appeared to have a 2 millimeter gap between each front tooth, which apparently was only corrected at adulthood.
I found a pic with her in a see-through top. I started to link to it, but then remembered where I was…
I saw her picture before she had dental work on one of those biography specials: Behind the Music or Biography or something like that.
Can’t find a picture on the 'net, however. But here’s a reference from Shania herself about her teeth:
One recent tabloid article suggested that the main who ran Deerhurst paid for her teeth to be fixed and put her up in a condo. “It’s completely false if they’re insinuating I had an affair with him,” Twain says. “What probably happened was that I needed a raise because I was getting my teeth done. But I certainly paid my own dental bills.:”
Her album ‘Up’ was released as three different versions to attract 3 different markets.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug04/articles/bobbullock.htm
I don’t know how an artist could defend that. It’s fine if you’re manufacturing cars, but shouldn’t an artist make their statement and the world takes it or not as seen fit?
MiM
You can always send it to saxman2@hotmail.com, friend!
My humblest apologies. This is cracking me up on many levels. I might just be tired. I’m not a country fan, but if the above quote is true, I might start paying more attention. 
unclviny: I wasn’t going to post to this thread. I was barely even going to read it, but I suppose I got bored. But you are so right I can’t let it pass.
Country was good. Country had Hank Williams, Sr., and Johnny Cash at one time. Now it has Hank Williams, Jr., and Garth Brooks. Shania Twain isn’t fit to wash Patsy Cline’s boots. What happened? Don’t tell me they all died. Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon died, but rock hasn’t been stuck in a crappy patri-pop funk since then. Where is the ‘alternative country’? Which bands are either revisiting the classic sounds or exploring new ideas independent of the current motifs?
Which country groups will be worth remembering twenty years from now?
Maybe. I dunno too much about being an artist. But maybe this is where the stereotype of starving artist comes from. Maybe - and I certainly can’t speak for Ms. Twain - she views herself first as an entertainer and recognizes that entertaining 3 different markets can make her a more successful entertainer.
Like I wrote earlier, try listening to KEXP. But here are a few names off the top of my head:
Fred Eaglesmith
Johnny Dowd
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
Neko Case
Alejandro Escovedo
Biller & Wakefield
Bobby Bare Jr.
Kelley Hogan
Christy McWilson
The Picketts
Danny Barnes
The Supersuckers
Lucinda Williams
The Radio Nationals
Steve Earle
Wayne Hancock
Kasey Chambers
Vivian Linden
Knut Bell
Blackwood Hymnal
A few more:
Son Volt
The Jayhawks
The Sadies (Neko Case’s occasional backup band)
Oooh, I love the Sadies.
Don’t forget Uncle Tupelo, whose members formed Wilco and Son Volt when the band broke up. They were probably the leader of the alt-country movement throughout the '90s.
For more traditional country, Johnny Cash’s last few albums and Loretta Lynn’s recent Van Lear Rose album (produced by Jack White of the White Stripes) both proved they could appeal to rock fans as well as classic country listeners, and how decades later, they are still both tremendous talents who didn’t need the glammy pop polish of modern-day Nashville.
Why?
What about “Art” requires this teenaged rebellion stance and running hypocrisy about money?
BR-549 is country with a “K”, I am a big fan.
Unclviny
I’m sorry if I’m bringing this thread back from the dead. … but it’s just two days after the last pos, and I just made it back! Thanks so much for the meaningful discussion of current country music. When I tuned to the country station, I was hoping for a traditional sound. I have always liked Bluegrass, traditional folk songs and mountain music, for the occasional listen, and I was hoping for more of that and less pop. I don’t think there are anything but “top 40” type country stations here, so I think I’m out of luck in sampling some of the artists you all mention.
My husband has some older George Jones albums that are fun to listen to. I also like old Loretta Lynn stuff (Coal Miners Daughter is one of my favorite movies of all time). So I was hopeful of some stuff in that vein.
Thanks again to everyone who posted. I appreciate all the thoughts and information!
Not to mention Slobberbone, Blue Mountain, Wilco, the Old 97’s, and the late, great Uncle Tupelo (RIP).
Oops! I honestly didn’t notice this thread was two pages before I posted. Obviously (I hope) my post was meant to be a response to “where are the alternative country acts”? question.
And, just to deal with the OP (a little), I don’t mind Shania Twain. Her songs are pretty good and catchy, and as others have said, she’s totally hot. Especially in that leopard-skin number in the video for “Don’t Impress Me Much”. 