Twain and ‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant Harvey have both overcome health-related issues to prove you can achieve your dreams despite difficulty.
Shania Twain teamed up with America’s Got Talent contestant and deaf singer Mandy Harvey for a performance at the show’s finale Wednesday.
The duo sang Twain’s You’re Still the One, and while their voices paired beautifully together, there was even greater significance behind their performance. Both singers experienced times when they weren’t sure if music would still be part of their lives.
The loss of her hearing due to a connective tissue disorder when Harvey was 18 left her heartbroken.
“I didn’t understand that my life would be beautiful again, I just felt the loss,” Harvey said in a video played during Tuesday night’s episode of AGT.
But she said that she eventually knew she had to get back up. So she began to relearn how to play music by “trusting [her] pitch,” as she shared at her first audition, and removing her shoes to feel the beat through the floor.
After placing fourth Wednesday, Harvey reiterated her refusal to give up.
“I just know that I’m motivated and I’m running and I’m so excited to be on this journey, but it does not stop here,” Harvey said.
Her original song Try, which wowed Simon Cowell and the country at her first audition, showcases her perseverance to keep going despite her struggle.
It’s a feeling Twain can relate to: After her Lyme disease wreaked havoc on her vocal cords, Twain didn’t know if she’d be able to sing again. But like Harvey, she knew she had to keep trying.
“I just feel like I’ve climbed this huge mountain and I made it to the top…coming from a time when I really thought I would never record an album again, that I would never tour again, that I would never sing professionally again,” Twain told the Associated Press . “And now here I am with a whole album, it’s like a small miracle really for me personally.”
Twain’s latest album Now is set for release Sept. 29.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
