Shania Twain's name may be synonymous with country music nowadays, but before she was Shania Twain, the singer was Eilleen Regina Edwards -- and she wasn't country.

That' right: Twain's rise to the top was certainly not instantaneous. In the early 1980s, the now-country star spent time in both a rock band called Longshot and a cover band called Flirt.

Local rock group Longshot "clicked musically from day one," according to Shania Twain: The Biography. They covered Journey, REO Speedwagon, Bryan Adams and more, and they worked incredibly hard. Even though Twain was in high school at the time, she worked tenaciously to ensure that she could both get her education and play music.

The band essentially spent every single night together, but after 18 months, they decided it was time to take a break. Their final show took place on Jan. 14, 1983; it wasn't intended to be their last show, but they called it quits soon after.

After Longshot's demise, Twain was invited to join a cover band, Flirt, led by Diane Chase. The band operated out of Sudbury, Ontario. Chase knew Twain from childhood -- they were both part of the local talent circuit -- and when Flirt needed another member, she recommended Twain.

Flirt traveled all over Ontario, and Twain even missed something very important due to the band's travels: her high school graduation. Eventually, Twain left the band and began her solo career, rising to become the Queen of Country-Pop.

Twain has won five Grammy Awards and sold over 75 million albums worldwide, but knowing about her past groups, we'd love to hear her take on some '80s classics. Find out more about the "Still the One" hitmaker's humble roots, experience with an ax (seriously!) and more in Taste of Country's most recent You Think You Know Country? video, embedded above.

Do You Know Shania Twain's Real Name?

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