Shania Twain goes 'gonzo' for B.C.'s Darby Mills on new season of 'Canada’s Got Talent'

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Canada’s Got Talent Season 4

When: Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Where: CityTV (streaming on Citytv+)

When B.C. contestants perform on a new season of Canada’s Got Talent, one of the people they’ll have to impress is none other than Canadian country-pop queen Shania Twain.

“Canada has always been a country full of talented creatives,” Twain said in a statement.

“We have such a long and varied history rich with artists, writers, song writers and performers of all kinds. The talent has always been of a high calibre and being involved in a show that might uncover a hidden talent is a huge thrill.

“This season IS full of surprises, unforgettable moments of laughter, charm, amazement and quite a few tear-jerking moments too!”

Twain shares judging duties with Howie Mandel, Kardinal Offishall and comedian Katherine Ryan. Singer Lindsay Ell hosts. All told, 105 acts from coast-to-coast compete for $1 million from Rogers.

B.C.-based performers include singer Carsim Birmingham, animal act Mel & Bugsy, comedian Ryan Williams, variety act Imogen, dance troupe Two Four Seven — and Darby Mills.

Fans of Canadian hard-rock will recognize Mills from the Headpins, a fixture on the national music scene since the late ’70s. She sang lead in the B.C.-based band from 1981 until 1985 and from 1994-2016. The Okanagan-based 65-year-old now fronts her own group, the Darby Mills Project, and is readying what she calls a “rockumentary” called True Story for release.

“It was kind of a dare,” said Mills of her appearance on Canada’s Got Talent.

“A lady I work with in my touring band submitted my name, and the producers sounded really excited to have you there. It’s not something I ever thought that I would do.”

A trailblazer in her own right, Mills says that she was “shocked and surprised” that Twain recognized her.

“She went absolutely gonzo. I did not expect that reaction from Shania Twain. She was very kind. Howie was very kind.”

Although the show can be an important stepping-stone for performers in the early stages of their career, CGT also welcomes more established acts. Last year, B.C. singer/songwriter Daniel Powter appeared on the show, singing his 2005 hit Bad Day.

“I did say that I wasn’t really comfortable doing this, because I thought it was a place for new talent,” said Mills. “But the producers were quite adamant about having me take part.”

Unlike Mills, 14-year-old Blake Aleong is only a couple of years into his career.

He was six when his interest in magic was piqued by an encounter with a Las Vegas street magician. From that moment on, the Burnaby kid was hooked.

“I wanted to learn as much as possible,” said Aleong.

“I would ask people if something just based on my own ideas looked good. I was experimenting on strangers, on family members. Once you have a trick in mind you refine it and perform it as much as possible until you have a piece that you can put in your repertoire.”

The young magician felt the pressure of competing on a nationally televised broadcast for what is being billed as “the largest cash prize in Canadian TV history,” courtesy of Rogers.

“Usually when I perform, it’s at private parties, corporate events, birthdays, and things like that,” he said.

“It’s much different stakes doing something like Canada’s Got Talent. There’s a lot on the line. I was extremely nervous in the days leading up to it.”

To prepare, he workshopped some pieces after consulting family and friends.

“I thought about some ways that I could tell a story so that the people at home and the judges could enjoy it.”

If he were to win the grand prize, Aleong — who skipped two grades and is now in college — says that he would put it towards his tuition.

“I would also spend it to help raise funds to fight neurological diseases and for some other things that I can kind of relate to.”

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