Twain talks about her healing

Gift to fans is note about her life

Posted By Brandon Walker, The Daily Press

The video starts with Shania Twain wearing a helmet while flying thousands of feet above the ground with someone named Fred.
The pair jump from the plane and begin hurtling toward the ground.

Flash forward to a tour of the Swedish Alps, given by Fred, who drew a red heart in the snow with the words “I love you” written nearby.

The video was released on Twain’s website on Aug. 28, her birthday, along with a note letting fans know she’s doing better since the breakup with Mutt Lange, her former husband and music producer.

“When I wake up each day I remind myself how lucky I am to have all the beautiful things I do in my life and allow that gratitude to fuel me for the day, taking one day at a time,” she wrote.

Twain’s marriage to Lange fell apart last May following his alleged affair with Marie-Anne Thiebaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple’s chateau in Switzerland. Since then, Twain has relied on Thiebaud’s ex-husband, Frederic Thiebaud to heal.

In the video she travels to several different locations. It starts with her jumping from the plane in Key West, Fla., and she also travels to Egypt and Lebanon, always with Fred.

With all the time spent with this mystery man, fans must be wondering if she plans to get in front of a microphone anytime soon, or if the pair have been secretly hitched.

“I know something (about a secret wedding) was reported last week,” said Tracy Hautanen, manager at the Shania Twain Centre. “One of Shania’s reps put that rumour to bed. It did not take place.”

As for the lack of new music, Hautanen said fans are just excited she’s in the public again.

“They are anticipating new music, but the focus from what we’re seeing is how happy they are from knowing what she’s been up to.”

Twain has been keeping a low profile, aside from a brief appearance at the Country Music Association awards last November.

But this week she will be a guest judge on American Idol during the Chicago auditions, and she has reached out to fans by posting a personal letter and video travelogue on her website.

Reba McEntire hopes this will mark Twain’s reemergence onto the scene.

“The country music industry is ready for Shania Twain to come back, definitely,” said McEntire.

“You could see that at the CMA Awards. They gave her a standing ovation when she walked out on stage,” she said.

Taylor Swift recently gave credit to Twain “for always making theatrical videos,” during an acceptance speech at the Country Music Television awards. Swift said, “I take my cues from you.”

Earlier in the month Twain announced she’d have a surprise for fans on her birthday via her website.

Several contacted Hautanen at the Shania Twain Centre to see if she knew what the surprise might be; she didn’t.

The fans were counting down the minutes, Hautanen said, and now they’re happy to see what the country singer has been doing.

“They’re very excited to hear more,” Hautanen said.

Oddly enough, the fans weren’t surprised to see her jump out of a plane.

Hautenan said that is actually old news, at least for a true fan.

“A lot of people followed that in the media,” she said.

“There was some media publication about that, and the fans are happy to get an inside look at it, but it wasn’t overly new to them.”

As for mystery man Fred, Hautanen said the fans weren’t too surprised about that either.

“They haven’t really commented much on Fred. (The fans are) very happy she’s happy,” Hautenan said.

Twain said she was very happy where here new relationship has taken her.

“Fred and I have certainly had a lot of laughs through the months,” she wrote on her website.

“While sharing these images with a good friend ... after each trip, she now affectionately refers to us as, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo.”

The Associated Press

http://www.thedailypress.ca/Article....aspx?e=1725256