Stars Who Struggled Before Making It Big

Shania Twain

Twain comes from Toronto, Canada, where she grew up the eldest of her three siblings. She was raised by her mother and stepfather, whose relationship grew so tumultuous at one point that Twain urged her mother to go to a homeless shelter for support. From the age of eight, Twain helped support her family by singing in local bars, making at most 20 dollars in the middle of the night.

When she was 21, both of her parents died in a car accident, so Twain took on the responsibility of caring for her siblings until they were able to be on their own. She put off her career and sang at resorts in order to do this. Eventually, she made it to Nashville where she signed with Mercury Nashville Records, which helped start her singing career.