Shania Twain, 60, Opens Up About Her 'Raspy' Voice & Gives An Update On Her Health

Back in the 90s, Shania dominated both country and pop music, with songs like "Any Man of Mine," "That Don't Impress Me Much," and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Sadly, it was only a few years later that Twain experienced tragic health issues in her life that prevented her from working. The singer had ongoing difficulty projecting her voice, and her path to getting diagnosed was complicated. Originally, Twain was diagnosed with dysphonia, a condition that can have a lengthy list of causes. Finally, Twain ended up seeing a neurologist who figured out that Lyme disease caused the issue. After 15 years of difficulties, Twain had throat surgery in 2018.

Before the procedure, Twain noted her voice could change, and it was sometimes stressing her out. "I just wasn't sure what people would think that are used to listening to my records for all these years," Twain confided to NPR in 2017. Post-surgery, Twain's voice has a distinctive difference, but she's totally embracing it. "I'm grateful, and I'm really happy to sing with this rasp," Twain informed The Associated Press in July 2026. "I don't have the little sweet sound I had years ago, but I have a new sound that I actually like."

After Lyme disease caused nerve damage, Twain needed implants in her larynx. Fortunately, her vocal cords weren't affected, so she felt confident she'd be able to sing post-surgery. Twain's appreciation for her voice is also rooted in the fact that the implants could wear out, necessitating another procedure.

Although Shania Twain's voice may have evolved, her husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, helped her see her unique artistic qualities that have stayed consistent. "It's the inflections in my style of singing and the way I phrase things as a songwriter," Twain explained to NPR. "Also in the writing, the intervals and notes that I put together, the way the melodies come out." Twain's just as passionate about writing as she is about singing. Before surgery proved to be a game-changer for getting back to releasing albums, Twain embraced the possibility of composing songs for other artists. During the toughest times of her health journey, this plan brought Twain a lot of joy.

With her raspy voice, Twain is in good company with artists like Rod Stewart and the late Bonnie Tyler. In Tyler's case, the distinctive rasp catapulted her to stardom, which made Tyler's final performance all the more heartbreaking. As Twain's voice has changed, she's taken stock of her different abilities, like being able to reach lower notes. She's also changed up her writing technique, tailoring the process specifically to her voice.

For her new album, "Little Miss Twain," she's going full circle, weaving her past and present seamlessly together. Twain is using her childhood experiences as song topics and working with musicians including Eja Lange, Twain's son who has followed in her footsteps.