Shania Twain: Inside close bond with sister Carrie-Ann following parents’ tragic accident

As one of the most successful singers ever, and with the ‘Queen of Country’ moniker under her belt, there’s no wonder that fans were overjoyed when it was announced that Shania Twain would be headlining the Legends slot at Glastonbury Festival 2024.

The superstar, 58, is adored for her mega hits including ‘You’re Still The One’, ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ and ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ but away from her glittering career, Shania, who was born Eilleen Regina Twain, has gone through heartache and devastation.

Shania is married to Frédéric Thiébaud and shares a son, Eja, with her first husband Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange. 

© Clive Brunskill

She also has a very close bond with her siblings, in particular her sister Carrie-Ann Edwards, following the tragic loss of her parents. 

Find out more about her family below…

Who are Shania Twain’s siblings?

Shania Twain’s parents, Sharon and Clarence, welcomed Jill, Shania and Carrie-Ann. The three girls were not close with her biological father and ended up taking the name of her mother’s second husband, Jerry, with whom Sharon welcomed a son, Mark.

Then, Jerry and Sharon adopted Jerry’s nephew, Darryl, making them a family unit of seven.

Shania Twain’s heartbreaking family history

In 1987, when Shania was 22 years old, her mother and stepfather Sharon and Jerry died in a car accident. The family had already been through tough times when Shania was young and growing up in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, with Shania previously revealing that she was “abused” at the hands of Jerry. 

The family also faced poverty and poor living conditions.

The singer told The Sun previously: “It was a [expletive] way to grow up. I wouldn’t want to do it again but I was more prepared as a person because of the hardship I came from.”

© Paul Natkin

Trauma occurred again after the accident and Shania was left without her parents. As Jill was the oldest and had, according to Shania, already flown the nest, it was Shania who was left to raise her younger siblings.

Speaking on the Hoda Kotb podcast in 2023, Shania said of the accident: “I lost a very important foundation. As rickety as it was, it was still a foundation.

“My whole life history was there, with them, and many of the associations fell along the way, away, after my parents died.

“It was so true that so much of my life was stemming from them being in my life — the good and the bad.”

Shania Twain’s bond with Carrie-Ann

Shania Twain’s younger sister, Carrie-Ann, is the only sibling who has really been seen in public alongside the famous singer.

Carrie-Ann supported her older sister in 2011 when Shania was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the two were pictured in an embrace looking elated.

© GABRIEL BOUYS

Fans might be surprised to know that Shania’s younger sister also provided backup vocals for her Vegas residency in 2012. Shania explained afterwards that it was her younger sister who had encouraged her to put on the massive show: “She was encouraging me [saying] ‘Oh, yeah, come on. You can do it. You can do it,'” Shania told CMT. 

“And so I said, ‘Well, listen, how about if you do it, I’ll do it? We’ll do it together.'”

She continued: “That was just really a turning point for me — knowing that she was into the idea of participating and not just being there behind the scenes but taking that plunge, as well.”

© Thomas Niedermueller

What has Shania Twain said about her family?

As well as speaking about her bond with Carrie-Ann, Shania has said she viewed all three of her younger siblings as her own children while she was raising them. “I call them [my kids] often. I know they’re not mine, but I say that.

“My younger sister was still living at home, and my two younger brothers were still 13 and 14 years old at the time. We all agreed that they shouldn’t be separated. But no relatives were able to take both of them in. So, the only way to keep them together was for us to stay together.”