Country megastar Shania Twain is coming to the Churchill Park Music festival this August, but her connection to this province dates back to the late 70s and Newfoundland musical icon Harry Hibbs.
Marty Hibbs, the brother of the late musician, remembers hiring Twain, who he refers to by her birthname Eilleen, at the Conception Bay Club in Toronto.
He explains that Harry Hibbs would travel back and forth between Ontario and Newfoundland, and would perform at the club once every two weeks.
In the interim, he needed someone to perform with their house band, and hired a 15 or 16 year old Twain to do so. He also hired the singer’s mother to work in the kitchen.
Hibbs says Twain performed every weekend at the club and would have been there when Harry was around.
He says Twain talks about her time at “the Irish club” in her book, and mentions “his nibbs” Harry Hibbs by name.
Hibbs describes knowing Twain and her mom “quite intimately,” and was very proud to see her success.
He says he ran into her after she become well known and they had a chance to talk for a bit. He says Twain “earned her stripes” by performing in clubs at such a young age.