Shania Twain’s Siblings: What To Know About Her Brothers, Sisters, & The Family Tragedy That Kept Them Together

View gallery

Shania Twain may be dubbed the “Queen of Country Pop” for her decades as a superstar in the music business, but she clearly puts her family first. The influential singer has four siblings: two sisters who were born to her mom and biological father, a half-brother born to her mom and stepdad, and an adopted brother, who her mom and stepdad took in after his father died.

Sadly, Shania, 57, and her siblings lost their parents Sharon and Jerry in 1987 in a car crash. Shania revealed that she put her focus on raising her siblings after their parents’ death in her Netflix documentary Not Just A Girl.  She said that she took on a job performing at a resort, which helped her learn many skills that would help her when she went on to become a popstar. “At the time, I just really wanted to quit and get a real job,” she said. “I’ve got kids now. I’ve got kids to support... I was busy rehearsing, running the kids back and forth.”

Five years after the tragedy, she released her self-titled debut and quickly became one of the biggest country music stars. Find out more about all four of Shania’s siblings here.

Jill Edwards

Sharon and Clarence had one older daughter Jill before they had Shania. At the time of their parents’ tragic death, Jill had already left home and started a family of her own, as was revealed in the country star’s biography On My Way. The book also says that Jill ran into some legal trouble when she set a fire on an ex’s property.

Carrie Ann Edwards

Before Shania’s mother Sharon married Jerry and the girls took on the surname Twain, she was married to Clarence Edwards. The couple had three daughters together, before they divorced in 1967. One of their daughters besides Shania was Carrie Ann. Carrie did appear in 2011 docuseries Why Not?about the singer. Carrie did open up about their relationship, when they reconnected. “I need my sister, and my sister needs me.”

While not too much else is known about Shania’s sister, the popstar did reveal that her mom’s favorite song was The Hollies’ classic song “Carrie Anne,” during her 2014 Still The One Las Vegas residency. “She loved vocal groups and vocal harmonies, so I’m going to do this as a tribute to my mom,” she said before performing the tune. Given Sharon’s adoration for the tune, it seems possible that Shania’s sister was named after the song.

Mark Twain

After Sharon and Clarence split up, she remarried a man named Jerry Twain, who gave the girls their famous last name. When Shania’s mom remarried, she gave birth to a baby boy Mark. Like his older sister, he also had an interest in music and he played drums at a young age, according to Shania Twain: The Biography. Mark was in the car during the tragic accident that killed both Sharon and Jerry. While he survived, both he and his younger brother were teenagers when their parents were killed. Like his older sister Jill, Mark also ran into some trouble with the law, undergoing a series of arrests in his early 20s, including charges for assaulting an officer and breaking into a car dealership. He was sentenced to six months in jail, according to the biography. Despite the early trouble, not much is known about Mark’s life in recent years, although the book mentioned above said that he was working in the computer field at the time.

Darryl Twain

Shania’s youngest brother Darryl was adopted by Sharon and Jerry after his mother died. Jerry was Darryl’s uncle, and he was raised as a member of the family.  Darryl similarly ran into some legal trouble in his early young adulthood. He was arrested in 2004 for possession and intent to traffick cocaine, per CMT. He was able to walk in 2005, after a judge threw out the case, but Shania has not mentioned her young half-brother’s arrest, per her biography. There is not much information about Darryl readily available besides the story of his arrest.