Elle Vous Ecrit! 1994 :: 1997 :: 1998 :: sa dernière  1994 Usually I sit down with a cup of tea and a few pillows behind my back and read and answer the mail I get from fans (that is, when I get the time). But here I've been asked to write a letter to fans. This past year has been a year of many firsts and this is the first fan letter I've written to the public, so I am simply going to write a little about myself and hopefully you will read things in this letter that you have never read before. Strangely enough, most of my fan mail comes from America, even though I am Canadian. In fact, most Canadians have never heard of me before. I am a new artist in the country music recording industry, having released my first album through Mercury Records in Nashville, Tennessee, less than a year ago. The three singles released were What Made You Say That, Dance With The One That Brought You and You Lay A Whole Lotta Love On Me. Country Music Television has been extremely helpful to me this past year, in giving me visibility throughout North America and Europe. I actually won my first award this year, from CMT Europe, called The Rising Star Award. VH1, MuchMusic and TNN have also been incredibly helpful. The highlight of this past year was Fan Fair '93 in Nashville. I had the opportunity to meet and perform for the people behind the letters. The fans make all the travelling and loneliness worth it. I am always anxious to hear what my fans think. Their opinions mean everything to me, and I enjoy my contact with them immensely. There was a time when I was terrified of the public. I was quite happy to sit alone in my room strumming and singing away to Dolly, Merle or any records or 8-tracks we had at the time. I would also lock myself away for hours to create my own music. I just didn't want to do it in front of other people. My parents really started helping me get over this fear, by putting me up on any and every stage they could find. They had me singing in community centres, homes for the elderly, telethons, nightclubs (on weekends), radio shows, country television shows like the Tommy Hunter Show, Easy Country and so on (family gatherings were no exception). Because I started singing at such a young age, my classmates became my first audience. At 6 years old I sang Country Roads for Show and Tell, which was a period of the morning class where the kids show their hobbies to one another. Mine was singing, so I sang that song. All my classmates thought I was being a "show off" and it really created serious inhibitions for me. From that point on, I was afraid to perform. I thought that it was true, in a way, since you do have to do your best and show what you've got when you are performing. I just never got comfortable with "showing off". I had to learn how to switch it on and off in my mind. I realized, in time, that people enjoy being entertained and that it was a blessing to be able to make people happy through performing. I still have to use the switch to psyche myself up to get into performance-mode before going on stage, or any other type of performing like interviews or public appearances. I grew up in Nothern Ontario. My home town is Timmins. Although I spent most of my childhood there, we moved around a lot between Sudbury, Hanmer and Toronto. I am the only child in our family who wasn't actually born in Timmins - my mother was out of town on a visit to Windsor when I was born in 1965. I have a great love for the wilderness and will some day soon live as hidden away in the bush as possible. I love remote places and isolation. As I child I would wander off by myself with guitar and matches in hand, to find a quiet spot in the bush or the backyard to build a little fire and write songs. If I would hear anyone coming, or calling my name, I would be still or quiet as a mouse until they went away. I love people, but I definitely need solitude. I really love animals, and I become quite excited and childlike around them. Even watching them from a distance is extremely pleasurable to me. Most of all in life, I enjoy being happy. Laughing is my favorite pastime and I make little or no room for negativity in my life. We were poor when I was a child and we didn't always know what, when, or where our next meal was going to come from. Or when the heat was going to get turned back on in the middle of a Northern winter. I have had some harsh lessons on the frailty of human life. But through it all, I still believe that love and happiness are the most important things and to never lose sight of them. Life passes us by very quickly whether we are happy or unhappy. So, I put most of my energy into happiness. You can't have a happy face if you don't have a happy heart! Love, Shania I hope you have been doing well since the last time i wrote to you. So much has been happening in my life, as I'm sure you might have guessed. It's quite amazing how much things have changed for me just in the past month or so since my new album, "come on over" has come on out! It's like I've totally switched into this higher gear. I was so anxious to learn what my fans would think of my new album and I am so happy with the reactions that I've been getting to it! I really didn't expect the overwhelming response that it has generated. I thought it would take a little more time. Y'know what's different about the release of this album as compared to what things were like when "The Woman In Me" first came out, is that there has been no gradual build up to the level of activity or attention that we're seeing with my new album. Things just Immediately started off with a 'bang' and haven't slowed down since! I mean, right from the word "go" this album has been "going" and me with it! It's like I'm continually chasing it, trying to keep up. Don't get me wrong, I was hoping that it would be like this and I was preparing myself. I couldn't be any happier with absolute, positive reaction to "come on over". For me, this kind of activity means the album is being well recieved and is proving to be successful so it's a great thing. And my first two singles have done so well. It's funny because as I mentioned in my last letter to you, we had such a difficult time trying to decide on the first single, but judging by the response it's gotten, I think we made the right choice! We're already gearing up for the third video and single. We want to get as many out as we can. Since the release of my new album, I've had the opportunity to meet with some of my fans at two seperate shopping mall events. One in Minneapolis, Minnesota (on the release day of the album) and one in Calgary, Alberta. I just love doing "the mall thing" and believe me, I was overdue for that kind of interaction with fans. A ton of people showed up at both places! I was told the actual numbers were that 25,000 people came to see me in Minneapolis with the line stretching 3/4 of a mile long and 27,000 fans came out to see me in Calgary. I couldn't believe it! My appearance at the mall of America in Minneapolis was my first one for the new album. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to hear people's comments on the new album. It's so good to be able to interact with my fans. I wish I could do that sort of thing all the time. It's such a unique and special and rewarding relationship that you could have only with your fans. There is nothing else like it. Well, all the excitement has been really great but I am looking forward to a peaceful christmas. Mutt and I will be spending a quiet christmas at home again just as we did last year. We will be heading up north after christmas to visit my family. It's much more convenient for everyone if we travel to them. Both of my sisters have children so It's more trouble for them to pick up and travel, especially during the holidays. And Mutt and I don't mind at all. It's just the two of us - well, three actually. Tim, my dog, is my baby and he has to follow! Hopefully, my family and I will get a chance to do some fun outdoors stuff. With any luck, the northern winter temperatures won't be unbearable. I wouldn't mind snowmobiling or tobogganning with the kids or even building a snowman! One thing that I haven't done for a few years, that I'm really going to try to do this holiday season, is go for a nice, long ride to look at the christmas lights on houses and in yards. I used to love going for ides like that during the holiday season, so I must try to do that this time around. I was able to squeeze in a personal trip to saville, spain in November. It just happenned to work out that I could take off for a few days to a horse show that was taking place there. I really wanted to go so I was absolutely thrilled when everything fell into place and I was able to get there. I've never seen horses like I saw there in my entire life! They were all Andalusians. Well, was I in horse heaven! two months at this place wouldn't have been enough for me! I learned quite a bit about these horses in the short time that I was there so every chance I've had since I returned, I've been practising and working poor Dancer. I practically jumped on his back the minute I got back from Spain! We've been experimenting, (well, I have anyway) with all these new moves that I learned as I also try to remember all the tips I got from the pros. And If I must say so myself, Dancer and I are not doing too badly at all. My husband says It's becoming an obsession with me but I just tell him It' a passion. There's a difference! He still says though that one of these days, It wouldn't surprise him in the least If he'd wake up in the middle of the night, see I'm not there only to discover that I'm out with the horses. But really, It's not that bad! It just drives me crazy when I don't get the chance to ride for a long time. Then I start getting the "Itch" to ride. I just love my horses and I can't stay away from them. You understand don't you?! Ha! Ha! Well, I now have my entire band that will be touring with me. There will be nine musicians and me. Unfortunately, we weren't able to start rehearsals in October as I had anticipated but we will be starting right after christmas. With the release of "come on over", and everything that has come with it, certain things have been delayed. See that's what happens! As soon as you start concentrating on one part of your career and start focusing your attention and time on it, the other parts suffer. It's like i need at least 4 or 5 Shania's - one for each part of my career. Then each one could focus all their attention on that one part. In my dreams, perhaps. I guess everyone feels the same way, no matter what your situation is, huh? I Sincerely hope that you and your loved ones have a very peaceful holiday season. That is what's most Important. Thanks for all your support in 1997 and all the best to you in '98! Love, Shania How are you? I'm writing to you from my home on wheels again. I just got back from a photo shoot for 'Cosmopolitan' magazine a couple of days ago. It was a great experience. I really like that my career has expanded in such a way that it allows me these types of new and different opportunities. I had a great time at the photo shoot and I cant wait until the magazine comes out - it's pretty exciting! Another thing that I've recently had the opportunity to do, which turned out to be a pretty big highlight for me, was a VH-1 special. If you havent already seen it, it was a very different type of interview for me - very intimate. Talk about up close and personal! It was a great experience though. And it's pretty neat watching your own life story on television. From what I've been told, the response to the show has been outstanding which makes me all that much more glad that I decided to do it. Not only was it a really positive event for myself but for my fans aswell. I hope you had a great summer. My summer completely flew by! I think that as long as I'm on the road, time is going to keep flying by faster than ever. There are so many times when I simply lose track of what day it is and I'm always surprised to learn that were already into whatever week of whatever month. I'm having a real blast though on this tour. And thats a good thing because my tour is basically monopolizing all of my time! My band members are really great to be around and I've had the chance to get acquainted with some of the members from my opening act Leahy. We've formed some really precious friendships. You've only got each other out here on the road so you really appreciate being around and working with great people. All in all, life on the road has been a pretty good experience. I don't really have any bad experiences to tell you about - thank goodness! Small things have gone wrong but thats to be expected. With all the details we deal with on a daily basis, it actually amazes me than more things or bigger things dont go wrong! And I havent gotten sick which is a good thing. I've been extra careful to take my vitamins daily and I've been trying to eat well. There are days though where there doesnt seem to be any time to eat! But my personal assistant has been very helpful in that area. Actually, she's been really helpful period. She's kind of assumed the maternal role on the road. As a matter of fact, the band members have gotten accustomed to calling her "mom" so that should explain it. She prepares something for me to eat and basically just sits me down and tells me to eat it - or else! And that seems to work out. Otherwise, if it wasnt for that, I dont know when I'd eat. I think I would go often without eating. I'm sure I've mentioned this to you before but autumn is my absolute favorite season. I love the changes that the season brings and its really kind of nice to see different parts of the country at this time of year. And of course, some areas are affected more by the changing season than others. It plays havoc on your allergies though! Some parts of the country that we travel to are still having summer-like weather, so my allergies start acting up again. And in other parts, it's too chilly for anything like allergies to be bothering me. I'm really getting good at this "life on the road" thing! Like I said, things have been running along quite smoothly. And with each passing day, it seems we get better and better at what we're doing. We are fast becoming a well-oiled machine let me tell you! As busy as things are, they are getting easier all the time. The busy aspect, however, will remain; it's a very hectic life on the road no matter how experienced you are at it. That just comes with the territory - but we are all adapting. We werent booked as heavily these past couple of months (compared to what the first couple of months of the tour were like) which has also helped. It's a much more manageable schedule which is really beneficial especially because of some of the big changes taking place in my personal life. By the time you get this letter, I'll have made my new video for the next single. The video shoot is coming up real soon. "That dont Impress me much" is going to be my next release. We're planning on making a fun video for this song because it is such a fun song. I'm pretty excited to get the single out. Well, I can see that we're almost at our next destination which is Wichita, Kansas so I'd better pack up. Take care and I'll talk to you again soon! Love, Shania I hope my letter finds you in good health and high spirits and that you've enjoyed a special holiday season. I hope that the joy of the season continues to be with you and your loved ones throughout the new year. As I sit down to write my final letter to you, I find myself in a state of reflection. It feels somewhat strange knowing that this is my last contribution to 'Just BeTwain Friends' - not to mention that this is the last issue of our fan club publication. It seems that I've always been behind with getting my letter written and submitted to my fan club staff and that at most times it seems downright impossible to find the time to sit down and write a letter, due mostly in part to my ongoing full schedule. But despite that, it does not take away from the fact that I am certainly going to miss corresponding with my fans in this way! The truth is, as I've previously mentioned, is that it's not the time that I have to dedicate to my fan club which has necessarily lessened, but rather that my fan club demands so much more time since it's grown and I can't seem to keep up on the level that I see necessary. I can no longer ensure that I would remain a part of it and that there would continue to be a constant relationship between myself and my fans through way of the fan club. That's the whole point of an artist having a fan club, as far as I'm concerned. And without that, then what do you have really? You don't really have a relationship with the fans at all if you can't be involved in the decision making and the day to day functions of the fan club. I have valued the involvement that I have had with all the fans who have written to me through my fan club or who have joined my 'fan family', as I like to call it. It's a part of my career as a recording artist, that I will always look back on and truly treasure the experience that it's been. It's made me appreciate the bond that it allowed me to have with my fans. And I'm glad that I had the opportunity to establish a fan club right from the beginning and to be involved in it. My career is becoming so multi-dimensional it seems. There are so many different areas to consider that demand my time and attention. I can't believe how my recording career has grown and branched off into so many new areas since it all began. It's very important for me to be as involved as I possibly can in the direction of certain parts of my career and to be an integral part of the decision making. It seems as new opportunities become available and my career expands, they replace older and other parts of my career simply because you can't do everything all at the same time I guess! So, that leaves us where we are now with the fan club. You may not know that the fan club was formed in may of 1993 when my self-titled debut album was released. It's hard to believe, Isn't it?! We've been around a lot longer than it seems most people realize. It's been a wonderful, enlightening, growing experience for me personally. I hope you've enjoyed your time as part of my fan family and that you've been satisfied with the fan club during your time with us. Although I feel I always have and will continue to communicate with you through my music, I have enjoyed communicating with you through this channel as well. Now let me bring you up to date on the latest happenings in my career. I'm pretty excited about an upcoming television special that will include some footage of me in my hometown! That means a quick jaunt to Timmins is required! It looks as though I'm going to be heading there sometime in January. Hopefully the schedule won't change because that will work out really great for me. I'll get the chance to see some loved ones that I would have really liked to spend some time with during the christmas season, but was not able to. I'll be there for a really brief time but it's better than nothing. I've gotta tell you, I'm actually looking forward to experiencing again what a true northern Ontario winter feels like and to breathe that cold, fresh air. I kind of miss those brisk cold temperatures! I think I'm still up to it; I hope I haven't gotten soft in my time away! I'll be working on a new video in the new year also. We're still working on the concept and different ideas for it. There are so many things that I'd like to try and experiment with in the video making department. And it seems that the more videos I make, the more I learn and the more ideas I get exposed to. And then I can't wait to try out those new ideas and apply them to the next video. That's why were always doing something different for my videos. They're all so individual and unique in their own way. I always have a lot of fun making them. I guess because it's another form of performance and that is what I love best. Well, anyhow, it looks like my work is cut out for me in the next few months. I look to the year ahead and I think about all the work that I have to do - or more accurately, want to do! And I'm off to a busy start. 1998 has been a wonderful year for me and I look forward to 1999 with great anticipation and what it has in store for me. I wish you the best for 1999. I hope my music continues to please you and be a part of your life. Thanks for making my fan club a successful and memorable venture for all of us. Take care and remember to keep a "happy heart"! Love, Shania |
