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Who is Donna Huber? Donna is a Small-Town Girl, born on May 27, 1966. Donna enjoys all sports activities, but her favourite passion is quiet walks along the beach near her home in Toronto. Donna rarely has spare time in her busy schedule, but whenever possible she loves to visit her family in Sudbury, Ontario.
When asked what her "Love-To-Do" things are she says, "I love performing, taking my dog Sheena for walks on the boardwalk, and I love so much to cook. I also love to exercise - love tennis, rollerblading, biking, going to movies and of course, long walks on the beach."
Donna was an extremely shy person throughout her early childhood right through to her adult years. Donna remembers, "I was so shy as a child and up until I was 25 years of age. I would get extremely frustrated with myself because of this, and had an extremely low amount of self-esteem. I would beg my sister to shop with me as I was afraid to go alone. I was terrified of speaking to people outside my family. This period in my life was very traumatic for me, and it's a time that is hard for me to remember. I thank the music business for helping me to grow away from this insecurity. I truly believe it was the catalyst in taking me away from all of my fears. I feel so thankful and blessed for the life I have now."
After leaving home Donna settled in the small village of Thessalon, Ontario. She resided there for 3 years and was extremely successful with her small business which she operated from her farm house situated on 160 acres of land. She worked extremely hard during those days. Her secret recipe for homemade bread (which she invented herself through trial and error) was a winner and it didn't take long for word to spread. The next thing she knew she was baking bread, cinnamon buns, pies and anything and everything that was requested.
She then moved to Sudbury to live and work with her sister Shelly. It was here that she was surprised and pleased to receive compliments from strangers commenting on how she looked like "Shania Twain". "I couldn't believe people were saying that I looked like Shania Twain! That's such a compliment to me!" Donna began to investigate ÔShania TwainÕ and was flattered because so many people exclaimed how much she looked like her. Donna set to work practicing to sing like Shania, watching her videos over and over, watching her moves and the way she presented herself. She practiced extremely hard until one day she felt she was ready. She presented herself to a friend/agent in the music business. He refused her because he knew she had never sung professionally before. Donna was not deterred and she told her friend if he would not help her she would find an agency that would. "I told my friend that I could do anything I set my mind to, and that I would accomplish this. I was terrified, but I knew I had to at least try." Her friend listened to Donna sing and decided right then and there that yes, this would work. They worked to put a band together, practiced for a few months and the rest is history. Donna has been on the road for 6 1/2 years as the most successful Tribute Act in Canada.
Donna has met Shania Twain, as well as Shania Twain's family. Shania had commented that after seeing a poster of Donna, "I thought that was me! Donna is the best Shania Twain Tribute out there." Another compliment to Donna was the fact that Shania Twain herself had mentioned Donna in her biography.
Donna has recorded a song as a duet with Canadian Recording Artist John Mackintoahasa and has produced her own CD entitled "Bring it On".
Donna's favourite singer? Take one guess - SHANIA TWAIN! She also admires blues singer Susan Tedeschi.
Donna's comments on being a Shania Twain Tribute: "I would love to again thank Shania Twain personally. If I had the opportunity to speak with her again. I would tell her how much I appreciate the fact that she has encouraged me to sing her songs. Because of her I am a different person today. I have a very fulfilled life. THANKS SO MUCH, SHANIA TWAIN!"
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| Songlist |
- Up!
- I'm Gonna Getcha Good!
- Come On Over
- You Win My Love
- Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under
- The Woman In Me
- If It Don't Take Two
- If You're Not In It For Love
- You're Still The One
- When
- Home Ain't Where The Heart Is
- Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)
- Love Gets Me Every Time
- God Bless This Child
- Man I Feel Like A Woman
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- Any Man Of Mine
- No One Needs To Know
- Rock This Country
- From This Moment On
- Whatever You Do! Don't!
- Forever And For Always
- Honey, I'm Home
- What A Way To Wanna Be!
- You've Got a Way
- Waiter! Bring Me Water!
- Ka-ching!
- In My Car (I'll Be The Driver)
- I'm Jealous
- That Don't Impress Me Much
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What people are saying
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This is what people are saying about Donna Huber...
"I thought that was me for a moment ... she's the best one"
Shania Twain upon seeing a photo of Donna - TNN Prime time. March 1998
"I'm flattered that she is doing a tribute to me and I'm hearing great things about her"
Shania Twain - Timmins, Ontario
"You look and sound just like my granddaughter"
Grandma Twain
"Donna was the biggest hit on stage at the Calgary Stampede"
Country Music News August 1998
"... A first class act"
Bluff's Run Casino - Council Bluffs, Iowa
"People attending the show thought Donna was the real Shania"
C.N.E. - Toronto, Ontario
"As far as I'm concerned I had the real Shania Twain on stage"
Trudeau park - Tweed, Ontario
"... A definite highlight of the tour"
Bosnian Armed Forces Tour
"An outstanding performance"
Wisconsin State Fair - Milwaukee, WI
MEDIA
- Featured on The Jenny Jones Show, March 1999
- Article in The National Enquirer, February 1999
- A National CBC Special
- An overseas tour to Bosnia
- A TNN special out of Nashville, TN
- The busiest act for major fairs, festivals and exhibitions in North America
- Donna mentioned in biography of Shania Twain
- Enquirer TV
- Bravo Television
- National Post (front page)
Will the real Shania please stand up!
This story comes right out of Shania's backyard in Canada, and we couldn't resist it.
It seems that a young lady by the name of Donna Huber, was working as a waitress in a Sudbury cafe, people would always tease her about her resemblance to Canada's famous country music singer Shania Twain. One problem, believe it or not, she had no idea who Twain was, she didn't listen to music and she didn't even own a radio.
All of that soon changed, with the help of a friend, she has transformed herself from Donna Huber into Shania Twin. Her friend helped her put together a backup band, and using a karaoke machine she soon learned Shania's songs. The group has become a major hit.
Just to show you how successful the group is, the city of Timmins, Twains hometown, invited Shania Twin to perform and be part of the welcome to it's returning star, Shania Twain, in 1997. The crowd loved them, even Shania's grandmother, who met the group after the show and hugged Huber.
Huber says that she loves the work and the fans. The group has toured casinos and festivals here in the U.S, as well as performing for the troups in Bosnia. And what does Shania think about all this, Twain says "I'm flattered that Donna is doing a tribute to me and I'm hearing great things about her."
Shania Twin pleases Truck Festival crowd
People weren't saying "but it's not the real Shania" after Shania Twin's (Donna Huber) tribute to country music superstar Shania Twain at the Truck Festival's opening night on Friday June 19.
A crowd of smiling spectators looked on in total amazement every time Huber would come back on stage with a new outfit. "At one point in the show, I had to convince myself it wasn't the real Shania out there," said one fan.
In addition to Twain's songs, Huber performed a few classics such as Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole lot of shakin' goin' on", for which she invited a dozen kids from the crowd to dance onstage.
Spectators were also surprised to see a little Sturgeon Falls flavour mixed into the Twin's show as Michael and Crystal Lang stepped to Twain's "Don't Be Stupid", Huber's last song. During a stepping lesson from Michael and Crystal a few hours before the show, Huber said she was flattered by the warm reception she got upon her arrival to the Festival. "I'm so excited about this. You never know what to expect when you go to this type of event", she said.
Sturgeon Falls Special Events director Charlie Lang said there was more hype in West Nipissing about having Shania Twin for the Truck Festival than when the real Shania Twain held her concert in Sudbury.
Twain's twin
Impersonator's performance convincing enough for even the most fickle fan
Many tribute bands adequately mimic the music of the artists that inspire the act. Most celebrity impersonators are similarly sincere in their art. But there are few such performers like the superstars they emulate with such accuracy that even the most fickle fans are won over by their perfor-mance.
Donna Huber (a.k.a. Shania Twin) is one such impersonator. Appearing several times this weekend in The Onyx Lounge at Turning Stone Casi-no, Huber so closely resembles country crooner Shania Twain that the real star's grandmother has even commented on the striking similarities between the two native Canadian.
"The moves aren't too hard because we're quite similar," says Huber of her physical attributes. "The scrunching of her nose and squinting of her eyes... is one of her main characteristics."
The singing, however, was a tougher challenge for the young impersonator whose background and introduction to show business would, ironically, make for a great country song in itseft.
"I didn't listen to music, I didn't have a radio," says Huber, who worked as a waitress and owned a bakery before noticing that nearly everyone she met remarked about her Twain-like looks.
But eventually, she took all the compliments to heart and came up with the idea for her tribute act herself.
"I was never into country," she reveals. "But Shania Twain's music really wasn't old country, it's kind of rocky and the lyrics are pretty funny. So I thought I could identify with this girl."
Audiences have had no problem connecting with the tribute artist either. They have been packing casinos and festivals across Canada and into the United States to see her flashy show.
Complete with extravagant apparel and a six-piece band, musical highlights of Huber's act include the Twain hits "Love Gets Me Everytime" and "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under," as well as the classic cover songs "Great Balls Of Fire" and "Twist & Shout."
"I like challenges," she says. "I knew if I didn't try this. I would really be mad at myself. If failed at it, it would be OK, but it's successful and that's great too."
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