Bismarck woman says Shania Twain is ‘still the one’

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - We first introduced you to Shania Twain’s biggest fan 25 years ago.

Jessie Wald was just 19 then and her bedroom was plastered with pictures of the country music superstar.

More than two decades later, her decorating style has changed a little, but her love of Shania’s music is a constant.

This is a moment Jessie Wald has been dreaming about since she was a teenager.

Last week at a concert in Lincoln, Neb., the Bismarck woman finally got to meet Shania Twain. Wald has been Twain’s number-one fan for 25 years.

“I think I probably started listening to her when I was about 15. I didn’t really like country music at all. And all sudden I heard her and felt this instant connection and then I just started kind of following her career,” explained Wald.

She’s followed her tour too; this was Wald’s 17th Shania Twain concert. This unforgettable moment was a result of a little social media campaign Wald and her friend put together on their drive to the concert.

They took pictures with Jessie’s Shania license plate around Nebraska, then shared them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The photos got Twain’s attention and got Wald on stage.

“My heart was racing. I think I could have hurdled the crowd to get on stage,” Wald recalled. “She introduced me to the crowd. She said, ‘I think when people do stuff like this, it really shows that they are a number one fan.’ Then she pointed to my license plate, and she said, ‘Do you want me to sign your license plate?’ I said, ‘Can I have a hug first?’”

Wald’s moment on stage with her favorite celebrity even made her into a bit of a celebrity.

“After the concert people were hollering, ‘License plate girl!’ and asking if they could get their photo with me,” Wald said. “It was just a surreal experience.”

An experience captured in these photos and videos, which will keep this moment fresh in Wald’s mind forever.

Shania Twain is scheduled to perform in Fargo in November. Wald plans to be there.

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