Northern Ont. superfans share the stage with with Shania Twain

Two Indigenous brothers from northern Ontario got the second chance of a lifetime when a social media post landed them on stage during a recent Shania Twain concert.

Shania Twain (centre) called Dan (L) and Dave (R) Jones on stage at a London, Ont., concert in response to an Instagram post. Jun. 21/23 (Supplied)

Dan and Dave Jones are proud Ojibway men from Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and Twain -- who comes from an Ojibway family -- grew up in the northern Ontario community of Timmins.

Combined, the Jones brothers have seen more than 70 Shania Twain shows over the years, including attending nine shows over the course of five weeks this summer on her Queen of Me tour.

In 2012, they were called up on stage during one of her shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas during her Still the One residency, Dan said.

With tickets to her concert in London, Ont., June 21 -- National Indigenous Peoples Day -- Dan wanted to try and recreate that exciting moment, so he tagged her in a post on Instagram.

"Imagine, how cool it would be - on National Indigenous Peoples Day here in Canada – if the same two proud Ojibway brothers from northern Ontario got to share a moment with you again 11 years later," the post said.

"Please make our dreams come true and have us waking up dreaming on Wednesday morning! We just saw you in Nashville and I again recently in Halifax front-row centre! If you can’t make it happen in London, I’ll be the one in the top hat in section … And we will be seeing you again on Friday in Toronto! We will keep this memory forever and for always in our hearts! Love your Number One Fan. Meegwech Dan!"

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dan Jones (@danielpajones)

He told CTV News in an online interview it was pretty special when she stopped the concert at Budweiser Gardens that same night and called them up on stage.

Dan Jones of Garden River First Nation on stage with Shania Twain at her London, Ont., concert. Jun 21/23 (Supplied)

The whole encounter was captured on video and lasted about five minutes.

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Dan said his favourite song of hers is 'Forever and Always' from her Up album released in 2002, and he and Dave got to sing a little bit of it with her on stage.

He said he thinks she is just a very inspiring and uplifting person.

"So me, you know being Ojibway, growing up on a reserve in northern Ontario, and her just allowing or really you know kind of sending a message to embrace your individuality and it's OK to take risks and it's OK to step outside of your comfort zone," Dan said.

"And, you know, that's kind of really been the driving force – other than she's drop-dead gorgeous, she has a wicked voice and makes amazing music."

Dan Jones hugs Shania Twain on stage in London. Jun 21/23 (Supplied)

He said after the on-stage appearance, he and his brother were approached by many people offering congratulations and have received a lot of positive responses.

Dan even caught up with one of Twain's backup singers after one of the Toronto shows and said he was told that encounter "was one of the best on-stage moments that he'd seen on this tour so far, so that was really cool."

Twain is now back in the U.S. for a few shows before she travels overseas.

Dan said he will likely catch a few more shows once she returns to North America in October.