celine dion history biography

Céline Dion

Canadian singer Céline Dion dominated the pop charts in the 1990s with No. 1 hits like “The Power of Love” and “Because You Loved Me.”

1968-present

Céline Dion News: Video Shows Pop Star Singing at Grammys

According to People , Elise wasn’t the only one thrilled to see Dion. Oprah Winfrey , Stevie Wonder , and Best New Artist winner Victoria Monét all spent some time with the “My Heart Will Go On” singer.

Before her backstage jam session, Dion was revealed as a mystery presenter for the final award of the night, Album of the Year, and took the stage to a standing ovation before presenting the trophy to Taylor Swift . The two also shared an embrace backstage .

Quick Facts

Early life and french albums, american breakthrough: beauty and the beast, “the power of love” and “because you loved me”, titanic and “my heart will go on”, late ’90s: awards and tours, husband and children, global fame and vegas residencies, health problems and husband’s death, new tours and albums, stiff person syndrome diagnosis, who is céline dion.

Céline Dion is a French-Canadian singer known for her power ballads, including the Academy Award –winning theme song “My Heart Will Go On” from the 1997 film Titanic . A star from a young age, Dion had recorded nine French albums and won numerous awards by the time she was 18. She delivered her first English-language album, Unison , in 1990. Dion’s real breakthrough into pop music stardom came in 1992 when she recorded the theme to Disney’s hit animated feature Beauty and the Beast . Her No. 1 hits include “The Power of Love,” “Because You Loved Me,” and “I’m Your Angel.”

FULL NAME: Céline Marie Claudette Dion BORN: March 30, 1968 BIRTHPLACE: Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada SPOUSE: René Angélil (1994-2016) CHILDREN: René-Charles, Eddy, and Nelson ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Céline Marie Claudette Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. The youngest of 14 children of Adhemar and Therese Dion, she grew up in a close-knit musical family. Her parents formed a singing group, Dion’s Family, and they toured Canada when Céline was still an infant. They later opened a piano bar, where 5-year-old Céline would perform to the delight of customers.

At the age of 12, Dion recorded a demo tape of a song she wrote with her mother. They sent the tape to the manager and producer René Angélil, who handled the career of popular French singer Ginette Reno. After hearing the tape and inviting Dion to perform for him in person, Angélil signed her immediately under the condition that he would have complete control over her career. He mortgaged his own home to finance her debut album, La Voix du bon Dieu .

By 18, Dion had recorded nine French albums and won numerous Felix and Juno awards, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy Award. In 1988, she won the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, and her performance was broadcast live in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Japan. After this taste of international acclaim, she began looking to the south and American stardom.

Dion recorded her first English-language album, Unison , in 1990. Like most of her English-language albums, it was a collaboration with the songwriter-arranger-musician David Foster. Driven by the Top 5 single “Where Does My Heart Beat Now,” Unison sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Dion’s real breakthrough into pop music stardom came in 1992, when she recorded the theme to Disney’s hit animated feature Beauty and the Beast , a duet with Peabo Bryson. The song, “Beauty and the Beast,” made it to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won both a Grammy and an Academy Award.

It was featured on her second English album, Celine Dion , which became her first gold record in the United States and sold more than 12 million copies internationally. Another hit from the album “If You Asked Me To” made it to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart. The undeniable success of her self-titled effort allowed Dion to launch her first headlining tour in the United States.

Dion quickly capitalized on her newfound fame, releasing the top-selling The Colour of My Love in 1993. The album showcased the romantic power ballads that Dion had become known for, including “When I Fall in Love,” which was featured on the soundtrack for the hit film Sleepless in Seattle , and “The Power of Love,” her first single to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dion’s international stardom was solidified by her performance of “The Power of the Dream,” at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. That same year, her album Falling Into You , including the No. 1 hit “Because You Loved Me” (from the soundtrack to Robert Redford’ s sentimental 1996 film, Up Close and Personal ), won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album.

The following year, however, would hold even greater glory for Dion, with the release of the blockbuster film Titanic (1997), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet . Dion sang the film’s theme song, “My Heart Will Go On.” The film raked in a record number of Oscar nominations—it won 11, including the award for Best Song—and Dion’s ballad became ubiquitous on radio stations around the world.

Included on both the Titanic soundtrack album and Dion’s own Let’s Talk About Love (1997), “My Heart Will Go On” shot to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100—marking the singer’s third No. 1 hit—and sold a combined 50 million records worldwide. Let’s Talk About Love also featured collaborations with the likes of Barbra Streisand , Luciano Pavarotti , the Bee Gees , and Bryan Adams.

“My Heart Will Go On” kept some of its popularity over the following decades, even becoming the subject of an internet meme in which it is played over video clips out of context or to add emphasis to particularly significant moments.

Dion received the National Order of Quebec, her province’s highest honor, in April 1998. Later that year, she appeared alongside Aretha Franklin , Mariah Carey , Gloria Estefan , and Shania Twain on the high-profile televised concert Divas Live on VH-1.

While touring relentlessly and recording several albums (including S'il Suffisait d'Aimer and a holiday album, These Are Special Times , both released in 1998), Dion was well-rewarded at the Billboard Music Awards in late 1998, where she won six awards, including for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for 1997’s Let’s Talk About Love .

Her extensive 14-country tour, which began in the summer of 1998, culminated in a gala concert in Montreal on December 31, 1999, in honor of the new millennium. Dion scored her fourth No. 1 hit with “I’m Your Angel,” a duet with R&B singer R. Kelly featured on These Are Special Times.

In 1994, Dion merged her personal and professional life when she married her manager, René Angélil, who was 26 years her senior. Angélil and his second wife had divorced in the 1980s, and around this same time, he and Dion had begun a romantic relationship. The couple became engaged in 1991 and tied the knot at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica in an elaborate ceremony that was celebrated throughout Canada.

In early 2000, Dion announced that she was taking time off from her career in order to focus on her family. She and Angélil had been trying to have children for years, and eventually decided to use in vitro fertilization to conceive. In May 2000, Dion underwent two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of becoming pregnant.

Her efforts were successful, and on January 25, 2001, Dion gave birth to a boy, René-Charles. She revealed in interviews that she had stored another fertilized egg in the fertility clinic and planned someday to give her son a sibling. On October 23, 2010, at age 42, Dion gave birth to twin boys, Eddy and Nelson.

After a two-year hiatus, Celine Dion returned in March 2002 with A New Day Has Come , which topped the charts in more than 17 countries. A year later, she began a much-hyped 36-month engagement at Caesars Palace, the famous Las Vegas hotel and casino. Dion simultaneously released the album One Heart , which did not fare as strongly as its predecessor.

Dion returned to creating French-language albums with 2003’s 1 Fille & 4 Types . Partnering with photographer Anne Geddes, she had a hit with the children’s music album Miracle: A Celebration of New Life (2004). In 2007, Dion released two albums: Taking Chances, which nearly reached the top of the pop album charts, and D’Elles , another French-language recording.

While no longer dominating the charts as she once did, Dion remained a popular entertainer. In June 2009, Forbes reported that the singer had earned approximately $100 million the previous year, making her the second-highest earning musician on the magazine’s list after Madonna .

Dion’s follow-up albums included the French-language Sans attendre (2012) and Encore un soir (2016), as well as Loved Me Back to Life (2013) for English-speaking fans. She also embarked on another residency at Caesars Palace in 2011.

In August 2014, Dion canceled all of her shows scheduled through March 22, 2015, to focus on her husband and her children. Angélil was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999, after which he was successfully treated. But his cancer had returned. “I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband’s healing, and to do so, it’s important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children,” the singer said in a statement.

The superstar also dealt with her own health issues in 2014: According to a press release, she had “inflammation in her throat muscles” which prevented her from performing in her Las Vegas show.

In a 2015 interview with USA Today , the singer spoke about her husband’s cancer treatment: “When you see someone who is fighting so hard, it has a big impact on you. You have two choices. You look at your husband who’s very sick and you can’t help, and it kills you. Or you look at your husband that’s sick and you say, ‘I got you. I got it. I’m here. It’s going to be just fine.’” On January 14, 2016, Angélil died at the age of 73 in the family’s Las Vegas home.

Recovering from her loss, Dion returned to the stage for what became an annual summer tour beginning in 2016. She also resumed her Las Vegas residency, before the long-running show concluded in June 2019.

That September, Dion released three new singles and embarked on a world tour in support of her upcoming album. Fans were thrilled to receive her first English-language studio album in six years, with Courage debuting atop the Billboard 200 in November.

The tour was paused at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and would continue to face postponements and cancellations over the next three years because of Dion’s health.

In April 2023, Dion released her first new song in four years with “Love Again,” the title track to a romantic comedy film of the same name. She appeared in the film and also contributed four additional new songs to the soundtrack.

In December 2022, Dion revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. SPS is an autoimmune condition that causes severe muscle tightness and spasms, with some patients even experiencing symptoms such as double vision, lack of coordination, and slurred speech. It is believed to affect only one to two out of every million people.

Dion said in a video clip she had been experiencing spasms that affected her everyday life, including her ability to walk and properly use her vocal cords. As a result, she postponed the spring 2023 leg of her world tour to the following year and canceled eight more performances.

In May 2023, Dion announced that the rest of the tour—42 dates through April 2024—was canceled because she couldn’t “successfully prepare for and perform” its remainder during her treatment for the incurable ailment. Despite a report that her touring career was in jeopardy, she released a statement telling fans, “I’m not giving up, and I can’t wait to see you again!”

In September 2023, her sister Claudette revealed the singer experiences uncomfortable spasms, and that there was “little that we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.” Just a few months later in December, Claudette told 7 Jours Céline had lost control of her muscles—casting more uncertainty over the singer’s overall health and a potential comeback.

Despite such setbacks, Dion made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards in February 2024, presenting the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift . The singer received a standing ovation from attendees. “When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she said .

• I have decided a long time ago that I wanted to be an open book.
• After everything is said and done, at the end of the day, it’s about songs.
• In life, if you don’t take chances, you’ll never know.
• To have success is not hard. To remain the person that you are is the most difficult thing to accomplish... That’s my biggest success.
• I want to be professional in my show business life, but I also want to be professional as a mother.
• You can ’ t go back in the past. There are things you can ’ t fix. But you can make things better.
• In terms of music, I can try anything I want, even something that doesn’t work at all, because I’m not putting my career in jeopardy.
• I don ’ t know if the camera likes me, but I do like the camera.
• Don ’ t be so familiar and so much into the details. Keep people dreaming. Close the window, and make them wonder.

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The Phenomenal Celine Dion: Canada‘s Queen of Pop

• by history tools
• November 19, 2023

About Celine Dion

Céline Dion is a Canadian singer noted for her powerful vocals and diverse genres. She has sold over 200 million albums worldwide and won five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards and seven American Music Awards. Her signature power ballads have captivated audiences around the world for decades.

As a lifelong fan, I‘ve been enthralled by Celine‘s extraordinary vocal talents and emotional songwriting from the very start of her career. She has this incredible ability to make you feel every word she sings. Celine pours her entire heart into her performances, leaving me in awe each time.

Over the years, I‘ve been inspired by her determination to succeed despite obstacles, her constant positivity, and her devotion to her family. She embodies strength, resilience and hope. Celine is proud of her French-Canadian roots which makes us Canadians adore her even more!

Milestones in Celine‘s Epic Career

Celine Dion has accomplished what few artists ever achieve. At just 12 years old, she sang her way to stardom in Quebec with her first album. Flash forward to today, and she has become one of the most celebrated and best-selling artists ever!

Here are some of the phenomenal highlights from her decades-spanning career:

• 1981 : 13-year old Celine releases her debut album, launching her to fame in Quebec as a French-pop teen idol
• 1982 : Wins the prestigious Yamaha World Popular Song Festival which exposes her talents worldwide
• 1990 : Releases first English album Unison , pivoting successfully towards mainstream pop/rock
• 1996 : Falling Into You becomes her biggest selling album ever, with over 32 million copies sold globally
• 1997 : Records smash hit "My Heart Will Go On" for Titanic film, winning Academy & Golden Globe Awards
• 1998 : Receives Order of Canada for musical contributions and philanthropic work
• 2002 : Asked to sing "God Bless America" at Super Bowl XXXVI following 9/11
• 2003 : Begins her epic Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace, performing over 1,100 shows
• 2022 : Concludes Vegas residency as highest grossing in history, earning over $455 million

I was lucky enough to attend one of her Vegas shows, and it was by far the most spectacular concert experience I‘ve ever had. The set designs, costumes, dancers and Celine‘s otherworldly voice left me absolutely spellbound! This woman is a gem.

Why Celine Dion is So Widely Loved

There are so many reasons why Celine Dion deserves her status as a cultural icon and the devotion of millions worldwide:

Her Voice is Second to None

Celine has a breathtaking 5-octave vocal range and precision technique. She can finesse intricate melismas flawlessly while maintaining unbelievable pitch. Her voice is both powerful and tender – able to belt or caress softly with equal skill.

Her Lyrics Resonate Emotionally

Celine‘s song lyrics are heartfelt stories of love, pain, loss and inner strength that listeners deeply connect with. When she sings, you feel every emotion as if it‘s your own. There‘s a sincerity that touches souls.

She‘s an Incredible Live Performer

Celine‘s live shows are an experience like no other. She knows how to command the stage with stunning visuals, infectious energy, smooth choreography and that legendary voice. Her concerts leave you on a high!

Humble Small-Town Roots

Despite her astounding success, Celine remains down-to-earth and humble. She comes from a modest background as the youngest of 14 children. Her approachable personality makes her even more lovable.

Devoted Wife and Mother

Celine maintains a beautiful balance between her prolific career and dedication to family. Her posts about precious moments with her children and late husband René Angélil are heartwarming.

5 Fascinating Facts About Celine

After following Celine Dion‘s journey for so long, I‘ve discovered some fascinating tidbits about her along the way:

• Celine taught herself English by listening to Michael Jackson records – and she nails it!
• She met her late husband and manager René when she was just 12 years old. He mortgaged his house to fund her first album.
• Celine was originally part of a family band called "The Dion Family" with her siblings.
• She has a rare medical condition called situs inversus that causes her internal organs to be mirrored.
• Celine still owns the house she grew up in and returns to visit her hometown regularly.

Answering Common Celine Questions

Where was celine dion born.

Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968 in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. She was the youngest of 14 children in the Dion family.

What was Celine‘s first English song?

Celine‘s first English language single was "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" released in 1990. It reached top 5 in the US and announced her crossover into the English pop market.

How many records has Celine sold worldwide?

Celine Dion has sold over 200 million albums globally, making her one of the top best-selling artists of all time.

Is Celine Dion still performing?

Yes! After ending her Las Vegas residency in 2019, Celine embarked on the Courage World Tour, though it was postponed due to the pandemic. She is slated to keep touring in 2023 and continues releasing new music.

What is Celine Dion‘s vocal range?

Celine possesses an incredibly rare 5-octave vocal range. She can hit the low E2 note and soar up to the high B6 – greater than soprano ranges. Her versatility is unmatched.

The Legacy of a Legend

Without a doubt, Celine Dion has solidified her place among music greats as one of the most prolific vocalists and entertainers ever. She has made an indelible impact through her powerful voice, chart-topping hits, and spectacular live performances enjoyed by millions.

Celine has inspired people worldwide through music that resonates across languages and cultures. She epitomizes artistic excellence coupled with grace and humility. At just 55, Dion still has so much left to share, and I can‘t wait to continue witnessing her magic for years to come!

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Céline Dion

• Born March 30 , 1968 · Charlemagne, Québec, Canada
• Birth name Céline Marie Claudette Dion
• Queen Céline
• The Queen of Pop
• Queen of Adult Contemporary
• Queen of Power Ballads
• Height 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
• Hailing from the small town of Charlemagne, Québec, Céline Dion has become one of the all-time greatest singers. Céline was born in 1968, the youngest of 14 children. Early in childhood, she sang with her siblings in a small club owned by her parents. From these early experiences, Céline gained the know-how to performing live. At the age of 12, Dion composed a song in her native French and sent it to a record company, where it garnered the attention of René Angélil, a respected manager. Angélil believed in Céline so much that he actually mortgaged his house in order to finance her debut album. Already very popular and successful internationally, Céline burst onto the U.S. stage when she recorded the theme song to Disney's hit Beauty and the Beast (1991) . The song garnered a Grammy and an Oscar, and from this point Céline has brought forth hit after hit. Her 'Falling Into You' album, released in 1996, became the best-selling album of that year, selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. In 1999, Dion took a hiatus in order to begin a family. She returned to the spotlight in 2002, releasing yet another hit album. Starting in 2003, Céline began a three-year commitment to perform in an arena built for her in Las Vegas. - IMDb Mini Biography By: T.J. Magwire
• Spouse René Angélil (December 17, 1994 - January 14, 2016) (his death, 3 children)
• Children René-Charles Angélil Nelson Angélil Eddy Angélil
• Parents Adhémar Dion Therese Tanguay Dion
• Relatives Louise Dion (Sibling) Jacques Dion (Sibling) Daniel Dion (Sibling) Ghislaine Dion (Sibling) Linda Dion (Sibling) Denise Dion (Sibling) Clement Dion (Sibling) Claudette Dion (Sibling) Liette Dion (Sibling) Michel Dion (Sibling) Manon Dion (Sibling) Paul Dion (Sibling) Pauline Dion (Sibling)
• Powerful voice spanning three octaves
• Distinctive Quebec accent
• Long brown flowing hair
• November 30, 2003: She performed the same night her father died and dedicated the show to him.
• Soon after giving birth to her twin sons Eddy and Nelson, she admitted she initially expected triplets, but one of the babies has died.
• She sings frequently in English and French, but she has also sung in Spanish, German and Japanese.
• Husband mortgaged his house to fund Celine's first album when she was an unknown 12-year-old.
• She is three months younger than her stepson Patrick Angélil.
• I guess it all depends on your nature. Some people can't stand being alone. I love solitude and silence. But when I come out of it, I'm a regular talking machine. It's all or nothing for me.
• There's always a new thing happening to me that's even more extraordinary, so pressure gets harder. But I like it when it's hard. Anyone can do it when it's easy. When it's hard and you can do it good, you're proud of yourself. There's going to be more pressure as the years go by, that's for sure. But I think I'm a hard worker and I'm ready for that. As long as I believe in what I'm doing, the pressure is okay with me.
• For me, singing was real life, not two plus two equals four.
• I'll be a Quebecker-Canadian. I'm from Quebec and every time I go to a country I say that. It's my roots, my origins and it's the most important thing to me.
• There's one way to do showbiz, if you want to do it perfectly, you have to be disciplined and you have to be ready to work really hard.

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• MLA 8TH EDITION
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Céline Dion

Article by Christian Rioux , Betty Nygaard King

Published Online October 30, 2008

Last Edited March 4, 2015

Very quickly, her extraordinary voice and her simplicity conquered the province of Quebec, and her career experienced a meteoric rise. In 1982, she took part in the Tokyo Song Festival with 'Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi,' and won the musicians' prize as well as a gold medal. The following year, she represented Canada at the MIDEM (International Music Market) in Cannes, and she sang on the program Champs-Élysées . In May, she performed with the Orchestre métropolitain at Place des Arts , before embarking on a recital tour throughout Quebec, in addition to receiving a gold record in France for her recording of 'D'amour ou d'amitié' (over 500,000 copies sold). Dion dropped out of school at age 15 to concentrate on her career. She was the star of a TV special on CBC's Les Beaux Dimanches . Also in 1983, she won several Félix awards , including those as best female performer and discovery of the year. On 28 and 29 July 1984, she sang before a public of 40,000 at the Old Port in Quebec City. Shortly thereafter, she was selected by the Quebec clergy to represent young people during the Pope's visit and sing 'Une colombe' before 65,000 youngsters in Montreal's Olympic Stadium. After she opened for Patrick Sébastien at the Olympia in Paris, she toured 15 Quebec towns.

At 18, weary of her good-girl image, Céline Dion disappeared for a year and a half, and reappeared sporting short hair and tight sequinned dresses. Dion began to sing music with very upbeat rhythms for young audiences, winning in 1987 the Eurovision prize for 'Ne partez pas sans moi,' and selling 200 000 copies of that single in Europe in two days. Incognito , an LP recorded that year, sold over 200,000 copies in Quebec. With CBS ( Sony ) investing in her international career, Céline Dion cut (1990) her first record in English, Unison , produced by David Foster in Los Angeles, Chris Neal in London and Andy Goldmark in New York; it sold over 100,000 copies in Canada ('Where Does My Heart Beat' ranked fourth on the Billboard magazine hit parade) and was released in 16 other countries including the US. She appeared several times on the American program The Tonight Show and rapidly became a darling of the US talk show circuit. Recipient of Juno awards as best female performer and for recording of the year in 1991, she had already won 15 Félix awards by then. She generated mild controversy in 1990 when, asserting her French-Canadian status, she refused a Félix award for best Anglophone artist.

Breakthrough into the English-Language Market 1992

The year 1992 has been recognized as a turning point in Dion's career. Her second English-language album, Celine , sold almost 2,000,000 worldwide and became her first US platinum recording. A single from the album, "If You Asked Me To," reached number one on the Billboard charts. Having become more proficient in English, Dion was able to make a concert tour of Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. She sang at the Academy Awards (a duet of "Beauty and the Beast," which won for best original song). The recording also won the 1992 Grammy for best pop performance by a duo, cementing Dion's entrance into the US market.

Dion toured the US, now as headliner, in 1993. In this tour, the trademark methodical control of her image began to be obvious; she designed and directed every element. She performed at such high-profile functions as a command performance for Prince Charles, and the swearing-in of US President Bill Clinton.

By then comfortable conversing in English, Céline Dion hosted the Juno awards broadcast in 1993. She achieved the rare feat of winning Juno awards in both French-language and English-language categories. The same year, she embarked on her first full Canadian tour. Typically over the next several years, her concert tours consisted of sold-out arena or concert hall appearances for several nights at major urban centres. Concerts featured pop material sung in both English and French. Frequent comparisons were made to US "pop divas" Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston. Dion's repertoire focussed on powerful heart-tugging ballads and dance tunes, selected from songs submitted to her by professional songwriters.

In 1994, Céline Dion and René Angélil were married; Angélil continued to manage her career. Dion's Colour of My Love album (1993) sold 7 million copies by 1995. "The Power of Love," a single produced by David Foster, reached number one in both Canada and the US, and number four in the United Kingdom. The singer continued to have chart hits in both languages, often in several countries (including France) simultaneously. Her album D'Eux (1995) became the best-selling French album in history; Céline Dion à l'Olympia (1994) made her the world's biggest-selling French-language singer. In the UK, she topped both album and singles charts.

Dion embarked on a period of further intense activity, including world tours (1996-7, 1999) and North American tours (1998). She sang "Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. The 1996 album Falling Into You won Grammy awards for album of the year and best pop album. In 1998 she again appeared on the Academy Awards, singing "My Heart Will Go On," from the film Titanic . This single once more secured for Dion the adulation of teen as well as adult markets.

Into the 2000s

Dion took an extended break from performing beginning January 2000. In 2001, she gave birth to a son. From 2003-8 she had a $100-million contract at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace, where she appeared to sell-out crowds. Her first post-break recording was the album A New Day Has Come (2002), a vehicle for additional pop ballads. One Heart followed in 2003. Her recordings and interviews began to focus on the theme of motherhood.

Dion's singing career has taken her to the heights of popularity, and in Quebec she has been viewed as a representative on the world stage. She had won 33 Félix awards and 20 Junos, sold 175 million albums worldwide by 2004, and earned $55 million US in a single year. Her voice purportedly could cover five octaves. Nevertheless, she was often criticized for "stylistic excess" and "pointless pop vocal frills" ( Globe and Mail , 29 March 1994), and the "Svengali-like" management of Angélil. The Toronto Star reported on 18 Sept 1999 that her "over-the-top emoting, the saccharine sentiment of her lyrics and overblown arrangements have never endeared her to music critics."

In addition to five Grammy awards, Dion is the recipient of a Diamond World Music Award; the Order of Quebec (1998); Companion of the Order of Canada (2008); France's Legion of Honour (2008); and the Society of Singers' Ella Award (2003). She was the Recording Industry Association of America's top-selling artist of 1998; and in 1999 gained a place on Canada's Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Céline Dion: My Story, My Dreams (Toronto 2000)

Selected Discography

La Voix du Bon Dieu . 1981. Saisons SPE-4101 and Saisons SNS-70000

Tellement j'ai d'amour... . 1982. Saisons SNS-80007

Les Chemins de ma maison . 1983. Saisons SNS-90001

Chants et contes de Noël . 1983. Saisons SNS-90002

Mélanie . 1984. TBS 501

C'est pour toi . 1985. TBS 503

En concert . 1985. TBS 504

Les Chansons en or . (1986). TBS 507

Incognito . 1987. CBS PFC-80119

Unison . 1990. Col BC-80150

Dion chante Plamondon . 1991. Sony CK-80168

The Colour of My Love . 1993. 550 Music BK 57555/CK 57555 Columbia

L'Olympia Live . 1994. MSI Music 478161/CK 80212 Columbia

Falling Into You . 1996. 67541 Legacy

Let's Talk About Love . 1997. 550 Music 68861/CK 68861 Columbia

These are Special Times . 1998. 550 Music 1557527/CK 69523 Columbia

D'eux . 1998. 80219 Sony/CK 80219 Columbia

Live in Paris . 1998. Sony 80238/486606 2 Epic

S'il Suffisait D'Aimer . 1998. 724246 Epic/CK 80339 Sony

All the Way - A Decade of Song . 1999. 63760 Epic

Collector's Series Vol 1. 2000. 550 Music 85148

New Day Has Come . 2002. 86400 Epic/CK 86400 Columbia

I Fille and 4 Types . 2003. 90755 Epic/CK 80984 Columbia

One Heart . 2003. Sony 257/CK 87185 Columbia

A New Day - Live in Las Vegas . 2004. Epic 92680/CK 92680 Columbia

Au Coeur du Stade . 2004. CK 80438 Columbia

Miracle . 2004. 93453 Epic

On ne Change Pas . 2005. 77720 Epic/82876726242 Columbia

Best of the Early Years . 2007. Metro Music 609

Taking Chances . 2007. 708114 Columbia/88697 19305 2 Columbia

Taking Chances . (Special edition). 2007. 713714 Columbia

D'Elles . 2007. PID 704796/88697047 962 Columbia

Celine . (Box set). 2008. Legacy 718516

Celine X2: Let's Talk About Love . 2008. Legacy 213838

Further Reading

Demers, Dominique. 'Big,' L'Actualité , Aug 1989

Germain, Georges-Hébert. 'Ma sorcière bien aimée,' Châtelaine , Feb 1991

Kelly, Brendan. "That's Ms. Dion to you," Chatelaine , Sept 1996

Grills, Barry. Céline Dion: Falling into You (Kingston 1997)

Dolbec, Michel. "Céline et les Français," Châtelaine , 1 Jan 1997

"Céline : Vogue vers l'inaccessible étoile," Cahier spécial, Le Soleil , Québec, 1 March 1997

Beaunoyer, Jean. Céline Dion: Une femme au destin exceptional (Montreal 1997)

Halperin, Ian. Céline Dion, Beyond the Fairytale (Boca Raton, Florida 1997)

Germain, Georges-Hébert. Céline: The Authorized Biography of Céline Dion (Toronto 1998)

Demers, Frédéric. Céline Dion et l'identité québecoise (Montréal 1999)

Beaunoyer, Jean, and Beaulne, Jean. Et Angélil Créa Céline: Biographie (Montreal 2002)

Weber, Bruce. "Celine Dion, a new kind of Las Vegas showgirl," New York Times , 27 March 2003

Beaunoyer, Jean and Jean Beaulne; trans Wilson, Don. René Angélil: The Making of Céline Dion: The Unauthorized Biography (Toronto 2004)

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Celine Dion Biography

Celine Dion

musician Born: 3/30/1968 Birthplace: Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada

Enormously successful popular singer, and one of Canada's most successful stars of all time. Her album Falling into You (1996) won Grammy awards for both Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. A fixture at the top of the pop charts throughout the 1990s, Dion's success has been bolstered even more by songs with movie tie-ins, such as “Because You Loved Me”, which was the theme to the film Up Close and Personal (1996), and “My Heart Will Go On”, the love theme to the movie Titanic (1997). She's currently booked into Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas until 2007.

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Celine Dion

Chart history, billboard hot 100™, the power of love, because you loved me (from "up close & personal"), it's all coming back to me now, that's the way it is, where does my heart beat now, latest videos.

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Céline Dion gets personal with behind-the-scenes stories of her biggest fashion moments

The singer divulges to vogue france why she wore a coat at the 2024 grammys, and more.

Social Sharing

Céline Dion has been back in the news recently for a couple of reasons: her new documentary, I Am Céline Dion , which will air June 25, and her new profile in the May edition of Vogue France. The Quebec-born singer gave her first health update in more than a year during her interview with Vogue France, saying she's "working very hard" to be able to perform again one day.

• Céline Dion's new documentary has an official release date
• Céline Dion gives health update in new interview: 'I'm working very hard'

But the profile also gave Dion fans another gem: a candid video of the singer going through 13 of her biggest fashion moments for the Vogue France series Life in Looks. In it, Dion, who is well known for her fashion sense and iconic looks, is emotional and funny, breaking into song multiple times and divulging plenty of behind-the-scenes tidbits.

The first look Dion dives into from the photo album presented to her is the corset and jeans from her  1991 TV concert special 10 ans déjà . "I was obviously dressing myself at that time … I thought I looked hot," she said, looking a bit horrified. "But looking today, I have to respect that very much because you look at my face and my energy and the way that I just [pumps her fist] I own the jeans and the top and the microphone and the stage and the guitar player [sharp inhale]. It was — fashion changed, life changes."

"It's touching for me because it's my early days," she continued. "It's the same passion. It's the same me." Then she paused and asked: "Should I really have the courage to turn the next page [in the photo album]?"

Thankfully she does, because next comes an unexpected story about how the headpiece she wore at her wedding in 1994 to late husband René Angélil ended with her being on antibiotics for three weeks.

When Dion gets to her 1998 outfit for the 70th Academy Awards, she goes back to her time recording the Titanic megahit "My Heart Will Go On."

"There's a big story about this picture because James Cameron, the director of the movie, did not want any song," she said, laughing. "He said, 'My movie is great enough, I don't need any songs.'" 

Not only that, but Dion didn't want to sing the song. They recorded her demo for it anyway — "I know that when I get into a studio and I hear music, I get into a character and I even sell it to myself," she said — and the rest is history.

For the 1998 ceremony she wore a Michael Kors dress that the two collaborated on. "I asked him if he would be willing to do a turtleneck dress, [that fits] like a glove," she said. "And he looked at me like, 'Are you sure you wanna have a turtleneck?' The decoté, the sparkles of the [Heart of the Ocean necklace], that was not the point for me. I want to sing the song the best I can, and wearing this [from jeweller] Asprey, the Heart of the Ocean, this is the moment: the Oscar, the dress that I felt good in and — it won."

Titanic continues to be a theme in Dion's fashion moments, as Vogue France also included her viral 2017 photo taken in Paris of the singer wearing an oversized hoodie with the Titanic sinking against a backdrop of Rose and Jack's faces, styled by Law Roach — who also worked with Dion for her 2024 Grammy Awards appearance . 

The video ends poignantly on that 2024 Grammy appearance, which was Dion's first major event since she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022. Dion wore a long coat with her outfit, which she said made her "feel better for a moment."

"To hold on to this coat, to hide myself a little bit from all these little things," she explained.

She then started singing her 2019 single "Imperfections," staring vulnerably into the Vogue camera. Watch the full video above, and follow the time stamps in the description to find your favourite moments.

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The Transformation Of Celine Dion From Childhood To 53

The pride of Canada, Celine Dion continues to amaze multiple generations, including younger fans, with her powerful voice. Fellow Canadian Drake  respectfully bowed down once when meeting her backstage. Drake reportedly told the singer that he would get a tattoo of her face on his ribs (via Metro ). Though flattered, Dion told iHeartRadio that she would rather Drake write her love letters and not get the tattoo. It's easy to see why Drake and others are so infatuated with Dion, who has been a dominant figure in the music industry for decades. 

In 2016, she earned the Icon award at the Billboard Music Awards . The win came at a tragic time in Dion's life; the singer delivered an acceptance speech in tears and vowed that "the show must go on," both for the ceremony and her personal life. Fittingly, Dion then performed Queen's "The Show Must Go On," showcasing her incredible voice and strength.  

From a young age, Dion overcame obstacles and tragedies to continually record gorgeous songs. Of course, the most consistent part of her career has always been her inimitable voice that can bring fans to tears. As Rolling Stone noted, hers is one of "the greatest, most versatile voices in history." From the time before she could even sing, to her days selling out arenas around the world, this is the transformation of Celine Dion from childhood to age 53.

Celine Dion was one of many kids in her family

Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Quebec, Canada. The infant returned to the family's home in the village of Charlemagne and lived with her parents and 13 siblings. Dion's publicist claimed that the singer's mom "didn't want any more children" after having a baker's dozen already (via CNN ). Allegedly, Thérèse Dion "went to see the priest and he said, 'You can't do that. You're such a good person, you can't do that.'"

According to "Celine: The Authorized Biography" by Georges-Hebert Germain, the singer's name fittingly came from music. Her mom heard the name in the song "Céline" by Hugues Aufray and chose it for her youngest daughter. But at first, baby Celine wasn't sure about music, at least not when it was her siblings' music. She would cry when her brothers and sisters sang high-pitched notes to her. 

Celine shared a touching photo with her dad on Instagram, in celebration of what would have been his 95th birthday in 2018. Two years later, Thérèse died at the age of 92, Entertainment Tonight reported. To honor her late mother, Celine posted a photo of the entire 16-person Dion family with the caption "Maman, we love you so much... We dedicate tonight's show to you and I'll sing to you with all my heart. Love, Céline."

Inside Celine Dion's upbringing

When Celine Dion was a young girl, her father Adhémar "worked as a butcher, supporting the family of 16 on $165 a week," CNN reported. Especially with so many children in the family, the Dions lived a very modest life and had to make sacrifices. For example, Adhémar walked to work just to save the bus fare, and the family was "so poor that after dinner, they would flip the plates over to have dessert." But none of this deterred the famous singer's natural abilities, and she used the dining room table as a stage when she was only 2. Her brother Michel booked a 5-year-old Celine to sing at his wedding.

Looking back on her performance at the ceremony, Celine Dion remembered singing a couple songs for the bride and groom. More than just a nice moment for her siblings, the gig would end up inspiring the young girl. "When I started to feel the love and the warmth of the audience, it got me," Celine recalled to CNN. As a result, she remembered thinking, "This is what I want to do all my life. I want to be a singer." In fact, the star became so enamored with singing that she lost interest in most everything else. She would sing and stay up late enough to miss school, which her mother Thérèse noticed. "When I did go to school I was always dreaming and singing in my head," Celine admitted to People .

Where Celine Dion's love of music came from

Based on her childhood home life, it's unsurprising that Celine Dion became a musician. Her many siblings would often use pots, pans, glasses and anything else they could get their hands on as percussion instruments. The children would perform renditions of a wide variety of tunes, including French folk songs and art songs. Additionally, the youngsters would play songs from the English-speaking world, including artists such as Janis Joplin and The Beatles, according to "Celine: The Authorized Biography" by Georges-Hebert Germain. The author told CNN that Dion grew up surrounded by "guitar, piano, drums, everything. And she was raised in this family where the music was so important."

Dion confirmed that her family's number one shared passion was music, and they even performed in concerts near their Québec home (per her official biography ). She remembered as a young girl going to watch her parents and siblings play live. While she was supportive, Dion wasn't always enthralled by the shows. "I'd sleep on chairs in restaurants and bars while they sang," she admitted to People .

Not long after, Dion herself became more interested in music. "My favorite game was to sing" growing up, she remembered for Time . But she wanted to go beyond just playing a game. Dion dropped out of the school around the age of 15 to focus entirely on singing. She said classes and schoolwork were "taking me away from music, from my happiness, from my dreams."

Celine Dion had a convincing voice from the start

In 1980, Celine Dion's mother helped her young girl become a star. She co-wrote a song called "It Was Only A Dream" for 12-year-old Dion to perform, per CNN . It was a family effort because Dion and her brother Jacques also co-wrote the tune "Ce n'était qu'un rêve," the singer explained on Instagram . Dion's mom went even further and sent a tape of her daughter singing the tune to the Québec-based music manager René Angélil, who was so impressed that he invited Dion to perform in person. Supposedly, Angélil handed Dion a pencil and said, "Here's your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sold-out audience," according to Dion's official biography . "While I was singing he started to cry," Dion told People about showcasing her skills to Angélil.

As a result, the music-manager believed in Dion so much that he "mortgaged his house to finance her first album." When she was 13 years old, Dion made her debut with the album "La voix du Bon Dieu" or "The Voice of God" in English, she remembered on  Facebook . To promote herself as a new artist, Dion traveled with Angélil and her mom around the world. "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence," Dion explained to People. In her mind, it was all worth it because "I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer."

Big changes for Celine Dion

As a talented young singer, Celine Dion had amazing experiences in her teenage years. For example, she visited Paris for the first time in 1982 (via  Facebook ). That same year, Dion "won the gold medal at the 13th Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo" at the age of 14, per her official biography . She continued an impressive run of performances and awards through her teenage years. For example, Dion earned the honor of becoming "the first Canadian to be awarded a gold album in France" and sang at Montreal's 1976 Olympic Stadium in 1984 (per her website). 

But she would soon retreat from the public eye for a slight rebrand. Dion and her manager, René Angélil, decided to take an 18-month break from performing to improve her image. "Dion's teeth were capped, her hairstyle changed, a new wardrobe was procured and she even took English classes," CNN recapped.

To the delight of fans, she returned with the release of her album "Incognito" in 1987. It was the first of her albums to be released on a major record label. At 18 years old, Dion had a refreshed sound and look, shown off in the video for her single "Lolita."  "All of a sudden she had this body," her former publicist Mia Dumont told CNN. "These legs from here to there. And she was beautiful. People could see that she was beautiful," Dumont added.

Celine Dion's major win in Europe

Usually unknown to Americans, the Eurovision Song Contest has been a long-running and prestigious competition that showcases some of the brightest new musical acts in the world. Abba famously won Eurovision in 1974 thanks to their song "Waterloo," BBC reported. The band Måneskin won for Italy in 2021 .

Though she is Canadian, Dion represented Switzerland at the 1988 Eurovision contest held that year in Dublin, Ireland. "It was a very strange adventure for me," Dion remembered about the experience on "The Jonathan Ross Show." In front of 600 million viewers tuning in, Dion won, as recapped on her official biography . The victory was also lucrative for her manager René Angélil. Dion said on the "The Jonathan Ross Show" that Angélil bet "a lot of money" on her to win the contest. "I felt like I was a horse and I really needed to win that race," she joked.

The night of her Eurovision win was also a turning point for Dion romantically. Around the age of 20, she shared her first kiss with Angélil (via  CNN ). "The hugs just became better, and his kisses moved across my cheek," Dion told People . Around this time, Dion also tried her skills at acting. She appeared in the TV series "Des fleurs sur la neige" as one of two siblings who overcame a difficult childhood.

Celine Dion's stateside debut

Following a whirlwind decade of growing her audience and getting a taste of fame, Celine Dion was ready to storm the U.S. in the '90s. She released her first English album, "Unison," in 1990. The single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" was Dion's first song to land in the  Billboard Hot 100's top ten, peaking at number four on the chart. One year later, Dion once again broke into the top five spots on the chart with her song "If You Asked Me To." 

As a native French speaker, Dion studied English to better create the songs on her album. But the creative process came with a few mix-ups along the way. For example, one producer remembered "a recording session in which he cheered Dion's best moments by shouting, 'That's b***hin!' Unfamiliar with the slang, Dion grew upset: she thought Foster was cursing her performance," Time reported.

Despite some difficulties with the finer points of English expressions, her language work paid off as Dion finally had her big breakthrough in the American market. She teamed up with singer Peabo Bryson for the title song to Disney's animated classic "Beauty and The Beast." The beautiful duet earned Dion her first Grammy Award in 1992 for best pop performance by a duo with vocal. The two singers graced the stage the following year to sing the duet In Dion's first Grammys performance.

The most historic year for Celine Dion

One of her most iconic songs, "The Power of Love," was an instant success for Celine Dion. The track became her first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed on top for four weeks in 1994. That same year, Dion had another major milestone in her personal life when she married her longtime manager René Angélil. At the time of their wedding, Dion was 26 years old and 26 years younger than her husband. 

The two were engaged in 1991 and turned their high-profile wedding into quite the spectacle. Dion and Angélil were married at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, and the ceremony was broadcast on Canadian television, Vogue recapped. For the special day, Dion wore a stunning, "voluminous wedding dress designed by Mirella and Steve Gentile adorned with a 6-meter-long train, whose lace and crystals would have required 1000 hours of work. The whole thing was accompanied by a mythical headdress made of 2000 Swarovski crystals weighing more than 3 kilos."

The following year, Dion showed that married life didn't slow down her musical success. She released the French record "D'eux," which was literally called "The French Album" in the United States. Dion showed off her range and enlisted singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman for the project, including the rocking song "J'irai où tu iras."  "D'eux" was a smash hit and became "the biggest-selling French album in history, selling 10 million copies around the world," according to Dion's official biography .

Celine Dion was everywhere in entertainment

Celine Dion found her way back to the top with her 1996 song "Because You Loved Me." The ballad reached the top spot on Billboard Hot 100 and stayed at the peak position for six weeks. Ultimately, the track became the best-performing song of her career on the chart. 

Rolling in the success, Dion went to Atlanta to sing at the Olympic Games. With 3.5 billion viewers tuning in from around the world, Dion belted out "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremony for the competition held at Centennial Olympic Stadium. The singer posted a photo on Facebook from the event, where she had a chance "to meet her idol Nadia Comaneci," a Romanian gymnast. Later that year, Dion once again delivered a masterpiece with the powerful ballad "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," which reached number two on the chart, per Billboard.

Her 1996 album "Falling into You" won best pop album and album of the year at the Grammy Awards and went on to sell more than 30 million copies, per Dion's official biography . She performed the smash from the album "Because You Loved Me" at the 1997 Oscar awards. But she also "became the first artist to perform two songs during the Oscars" by being a last-minute stand-in for Natalie Cole, who was sick with the flu. With just a day of notice, and reading from sheet music, Dion performed "I've Finally Found Someone."

The truth behind Celine Dion's biggest song

James Cameron's 1997 masterpiece "Titanic" concludes with one of the most iconic movie songs ever, "My Heart will Go On." But the track almost never made it to the big screen because Cameron was against the idea of having a pop song at the end of his film. Behind the scenes, the composers created the song with Celine Dion's booming voice and tried to convince the director. The song's creator, James Horner, "said that he carried the tape in his pocket for four weeks, waiting for the moment when he caught Cameron in an unusually good mood," Vogue recapped.

Also, Dion's husband René Angélil convinced the song's creators to have Dion on the track. She told Billboard , "I wanted to choke my husband. Because I didn't want to do it!" Despite not feeling her best on her trip to the recording studio, Dion still showed up. "I thought, 'Sing the song, then get the heck out of there,'" she said. But the song, of course, perfectly complemented the film, which went on to be the highest-grossing film ever until 2010  (when "Avatar" took its spot). The radio version of the song then won the 1998 Grammy Awards for record of the year and best female pop vocal performance.

In 2017, Dion performed the song on its 20th anniversary at the Billboard Music Awards. Wearing a white Stéphane Rolland haute couture dress while standing underneath a stunning chandelier, Dion shook the room with her show-stopping voice, The Atlantic reported.

Celine Dion reveals why she disappeared

At the start of the new millennium, Celine Dion was continuing to thrive as a musician. But while she was at the top of the music industry, Dion made the decision to take an extended hiatus. "She disappeared from the public eye on January 1, 2000," and entered a busy and difficult time in her personal life (according to  CNN ). The singer reportedly stepped away from entertainment to start a family and said, "It was a must. I had to take those two years. I have met life for the first time."

In January 2001, Dion gave birth to her first son, René-Charles Angélil, named after her husband. It was a difficult journey for the singer, who went through fertility treatments and "underwent two small operations...to improve her chances of becoming pregnant," CNN reported after she gave birth to Angélil. At the time, the new mom planned to take at least two years off and even hinted at four, before returning to show business.

The hiatus didn't stop Dion from coming back in an epic way. She signed on to become the resident singer at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas in 2003. Her residency, called "A New Day," lasted until 2007. The spectacle reportedly earned $385.1 million for Dion's 714 performances and it "remains the highest-grossing Las Vegas residency for a musical artist," per The Hollywood Reporter .

Celine Dion's Vegas return

Prior to the birth of her first son, Celine Dion explained that she hoped for more children. During an interview on Québec's TVA television network, the singer said a New York fertility clinic had another fertilized in vitro embryo of hers, so she was hoping her upcoming son would have a "twin" (via ABC News ). This came true quite literally during her second pregnancy when Dion announced that she was having twin boys. In a briefly scary moment, Dion was admitted to a hospital leading up to her delivery, Billboard reported. Fortunately, the singer then gave birth in October 2010 to her twins, per People. Her sons, Nelson and Eddy, had a Las Vegas baptism 10 days prior to their mother's next gig (per Dion's official biography ).

This started her second residency at the famous Caesars Palace casino. Between the first and second residencies, Dion reportedly attracted 4.5 million people to her shows (via  The Hollywood Reporter ). Her impressive star power in the city led the way for performers like Adele and Britney Spears to later have their own Las Vegas residences . Cementing her status among other great performers in Vegas history, like Elvis Presley and the Rat Pack, Dion concluded her residency in a truly memorable fashion. Her final show concluded with "an epic finale that delivered a 20-song, hit-studded set that didn't just pull at heartstrings, but gently unraveled them," per The Hollywood Reporter.

Celine Dion's biggest loss

During Celine Dion's hiatus from entertainment starting in 2000, "I was with my husband who needed me the most at this period of his life," she told CNN . The previous year, René Angélil was diagnosed with throat cancer. This started Angélil's struggle with the disease, and he had a tumor removed in 2013. But the following year, his cancer returned. 

Celine Dion focused on her husband throughout his three rounds of cancer,  People reported. Dion explained her decision to postpone shows and told People , "When I stopped performing, I wanted to be just a wife and a mother." She candidly shared with the outlet in 2015, "I am scared of losing him, because it's bad. But I have to show myself, my husband and my kids that I'm strong and we're okay."

One of Angélil's final wishes was to see Dion perform, so he watched a live steam of her Las Vegas performances, the Mirror reported. She said the shows made him happy toward the end of his life. The situation clearly gave "My Heart Will Go On" extra meaning when directed at Angélil. Knowing Angélil grew sicker each day, she said "what kept me going was that I thought of him. I did it for him." Sadly, in January 2016, Angélil died of throat cancer at the age of 73.

How Celine Dion overcame tragedy

Two days after Celine Dion's husband René Angélil died, her older brother Daniel, "the eighth of 14 Dion children," died from cancer (via The Guardian ). In the aftermath of the two losses, Dion turned to an unexpected source to help heal her wounds. She started a handbag line and took a huge interest in extravagant fashion. ​​"It's amazing how a little bit of fantasy can alter our moods," she told People . "I've always loved fashion, from as far back as I can remember. But as everyone knows, I've gone through some extremely difficult times in recent years, and I suppose that I'm spreading my wings a little bit more these days and doing so with the help of beautiful clothing and accessories," she said. 

Dion already had a career of amazing looks, including her iconic Dior backwards white tuxedo by John Galliano, which she wore at the 1999 Oscars. The look was shocking and "it was avant-garde at the time" because most women would wear dresses instead of pants to award shows, Dion told People . Fortunately, the singer kept this spirit of progressive and surprising outfit choices later in her career. In 2019, Dion was a true fashionista as she went to many couture and fashion weeks shows throughout the year. She donned outfits from the biggest names in fashion — Alexandre Vauthier, Valentino, and a stunning Oscar de la Renta dress at the famous Met Gala in New York City (via Harper's Bazaar ).

Viva Las Vegas for Celine Dion

Six years after releasing her album "Loved Me Back to Life," Celine Dion released her next English-language album "Courage" in 2019 (via  Rolling Stone ). The lyrics often focused on heartbreak since the album was her first after the death of her husband René Angélil. Also in 2019, Dion finally concluded her residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Over the course of 16 years, Dion performed at 1,141 shows at the casino's concert venue, per The Hollywood Reporter .

Continuing her domination in Sin City, Celine Dion announced on Facebook  – in French and English — that she was heading back to Las Vegas for performances starting in 2021 at the Resorts World Theatre. After eight months of preparing for her return to the stage, unfortunately, the singer had to cancel her first two sets of performances. Dion was dealing with "severe and persistent muscle spasms which are preventing her from performing," she and her team  shared  on Instagram. Though she couldn't perform as planned in 2021, Dion reached a seriously impressive milestone of forty years in the music industry. On June 11, 2021, Dion revealed on Instagram  that it was the 40th anniversary of her first single "Ce n'était qu'un rêve."

With her long run in entertainment and global appeal, Dion racked up a huge bank account. Thanks mostly to blockbuster contracts for her Las Vegas residencies, Dion was worth an estimated $800 million in 2021, according to Celebrity Net Worth .

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Céline dion says she hopes to “find a miracle” while fighting stiff person syndrome.

The singer added that she's "chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team."

By Zoe G Phillips

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Céline Dion said this week she is hoping to “find a miracle” in regard to her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, which she first announced in 2022.

“I haven’t beat the disease, as it’s still within me and always will be,” Dion told Vogue France . “I hope that we’ll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it.”

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Dion said she undergoes “athletic, physical and vocal therapy” five days a week to counteract the effects of her disease. “I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice… I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself. At the beginning I would ask myself: why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault?”

Now, the singer said, her outlook is more positive. “Life doesn’t give you any answers. You just have to live it! I have this illness for some unknown reason. The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself. I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”

Nevertheless, her therapies don’t mean that anything is guaranteed, and Dion said she “can’t answer” whether she will tour ever again.

“For four years I’ve been saying to myself that I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready,” she said. “As things stand, I can’t stand here and say to you: ‘Yes, in four months.’ I don’t know… My body will tell me. On the other hand, I don’t just want to wait. It’s morally hard to live from day to day. It’s hard, I’m working very hard and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there’s one thing that will never stop, and that’s the will. It’s the passion. It’s the dream. It’s the determination.”

“People who suffer from SPS may not be lucky enough or have the means to have good doctors and good treatments,” she said. “I have those means, and this is a gift. What’s more, I have this strength within me. I know that nothing is going to stop me.”

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How Céline Dion’s Bold Wedding Day Fashion Landed Her In the Hospital

By Kase Wickman

A lot of wedding vows have that sickness/health, richer/poorer type language, but perhaps couples preparing to walk down the aisle should take heed of Céline Dion ’s example and include something along the lines of “when the iconic yet very heavy accessory I wear at our wedding sends me to the hospital."

When the singer married René Angélil in 1994, she wore a massive seven-pound headpiece adorned with some 2,000 Swarovski crystals, covering most of her forehead and soaring high above her head, her veil attached and trailing behind her.

In a video with Vogue France this week detailing some of her most iconic looks throughout her storied career, the 54-year-old “My Heart Will Go On” singer shared that the tiara had to be sewn to her hair to keep it firmly in place, and she had to practice walking while wearing it to make sure she could hold up its weight.

“I practiced and everything is smooth and everything is fine, but when I had to walk in the cathedral, it's no wooden floor, it's a carpet,” she said of one possible trip-up. “I had an immediate facelift. And it's like, ‘Am I going to make it? Am I going to make it to my future husband? But like I said, ‘Oh, I’m Gonna Run to You.’ I did.”

“When you’re so happy, there’s no weight, there’s no problem, there’s no pain,” she said.

At the end of the night, however, when it came time to un-sew the headpiece from the newlywed, the drama behind the dramatic accessory began.

“I had a cut because the pressure was too much,” she said of her discovery at the end of the night. “The next day, I wake up I look at myself in the mirror, I have the size of an egg in the middle of my forehead… It’s so huge that it makes my eyes [go cross-eyed].”

She went to the hospital and was prescribed antibiotics to help heal the fashion-inflicted wound. Despite it all, Dion doesn’t have any regrets about her wedding day look.

“This is a moment that will be with me for the rest of my life,” she gushed. “The dress couldn’t have been big enough. I could’ve had three times the size on my head. I could’ve had six different dresses that night because he was, and still is, such a wonderful human being. He brought [out] the best in me. He really did.”

Angélil, who was also Dion’s manager, died in 2016 at the age of 73 after multiple cancer diagnoses. The couple shared three sons . In an interview also published earlier this week by French Vogue , in which Dion also shared an update on her own battle against the degenerative neurological condition Stiff Person Syndrome , the singer told the story of the first time she met her future husband. She was just 12 years old, and had recorded a demo. Angélil was solely Dion’s manager for years before their relationship expanded and became romantic.

“I was a bit scared and anxious, so I stuck close to my mother,” she said of that first meeting. “We went into a building, into a lift, into an office with gold records and a secretary... And then he opened the door. This man, who was very handsome, very well dressed, very classy, asked me: ‘Can you sing a little bit of the song for me? Singing in front of just one person is worse than performing for a crowd of 20,000.’ He gave me a pencil and said: ‘Imagine this is a microphone. Yes, that'll do!’ He wanted to make sure that it was really me singing on the demo. While I was singing, he started crying. That's how I met René.”

In the interview, she discussed her will to work every day and enjoy her life, and that she’s stopped asking herself why she has been stricken with her condition.

“Do I have any regrets? I don't know, I don't know and I don't care because the stage, my family, my children and my songs have taught me everything I know,” she said. “There's life, school, the arts, emotion, passion, secrets, desires, gifts. People question life all the time. Stop questioning life, we should be living it. It's not always beautiful, but it's here.”

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Céline Dion Shares Update Amid Health Struggles, Says She's 'Feeling Strong and Positive About the Future'

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Céline Dion looks fierce on the cover of Vogue France , offering a message of positivity amid her ongoing health battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. 

"Im honored to be doing a photo shoot for Vogue France . I'm very proud that, at 55, I've been asked to reveal my beauty," Dion says in a caption shared on Instagram, showing off her stunning cover shot. "But what is beauty? Beauty is you, it's me, it's what's inside, it's our dreams, it’s today. Today, I'm a woman who is feeling strong and positive about the future. One day at a time."

In the image, Dion strikes a pose in an open shirt and mini skirt by Balenciaga while covering an exposed breast with one hand. She wears sheer Calzedonia tights underneath and finishes the look with a pair of Chopard earrings.

In an alternate cover image shared on Monday, Dion wears a pink merino wool maxi coat by ALAÏA. 

Dion was styled for the shoot by Law Roach.

Her interview is featured in the mag's May issue, which hits newsstands on April 24. 

The feature comes months after Dion's surprise appearance at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards in February, where she graced the stage to present Taylor Swift with her history-making Album of the Year win for Midnights . She was accompanied at the time by her eldest son, 23-year-old René-Charles Angélil . 

Then, in March, the music icon stepped out to enjoy a hockey game alongside her 13-year-old twin sons, Nelson and Eddy. She shares all three of her children with her late husband, René Angélil.

Dion's recent outings come after  her December 2022 announcement  that she's been diagnosed with  Stiff Person Syndrome , a rare and incurable neurological disease. Five months later,  Dion canceled  her tour.

"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible," she said in March on International Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day . "I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you! I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!"

She added, "I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it! Love Celine xx…"

Now, according to Vogue France , Dion is working on her professional comeback "one day at a time." 

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Céline Dion Gives Health Update Amid Battle With Stiff-Person Syndrome

Céline dion isn't letting her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis stop her from living with positivity, saying, "life doesn't give you any answers. you just have to live it".

C é line Dion  isn't thinking twice about living her best life.

While the "My Heart Will Go On" singer has been on a difficult journey since sharing her  stiff-person syndrome diagnosis in 2022 , she is set on maintaining the positive attitude she has become famous for.

"Life doesn't give you any answers. You just have to live it!" she said in an interview with  Vogue France  published April 22. "I have this illness for some unknown reason."

"The way I see it, I have two choices," she continued. "Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it's over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself."

And as the 56-year-old explained, she's "chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe," to ensure that she's the best she can be. Adding that her current goal is "to see the Eiffel Tower again!"

"I haven't beat the disease, as it's still within me and always will be," she said. "I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it."

To that end, Céline—who is mom to  René Charles , 23, and 13-year-old twins  Nelson  and  Eddy , with her late husband  René Angélil —shared that each week she goes through five days of athletic, physical and vocal therapy to help maintain every part of her body from her toes to her singing voice. 

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And she knows  her path to wellness  wouldn't be possible without the support she feels from her family, friends, fans and her care team.

"People who suffer from SPS may not be lucky enough or have the means to have good doctors and good treatments," she said. "I have those means, and this is a gift. What's more, I have this strength within me. I know that nothing is going to stop me."

It's a sentiment the Grammy winner has echoed in the past, writing on Instagram for  International Stiff-Person Syndrome Awareness Day March 15 , "I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!"

And despite her diagnosis—which saw the "All by Myself" singer cancel her world tour in 2022—Céline is keeping her spirits high, even  stopping by the Grammy awards in February , where she treated fans to an  impromptu performance backstage alongside singer  Sonyae Elise .

To learn more about Céline's health battle, keep reading.

April 29, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced Céline Dion   to press pause on her Courage World Tour in 2020 and she was looking forward to getting back on the road in 2022. But that spring the singer said she'd be postponing her return until February 2023  while she continued to deal with a lingering health issue.

A note on her website further explained that she'd been treated for "severe and persistent muscle spasms which are preventing her from performing, and her recovery is taking longer than she hoped."

Dion said in a statement, "I need to be in top shape when I'm on stage. I honestly can't wait, but I'm just not there yet… I'm doing my very best to get back to the level that I need to be so that I can give 100 percent at my shows because that's what you deserve."

Dec. 8, 2022

Dion shared that she had been diagnosed with a "very rare" progressive neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, surely the first time that most people had ever heard of it.

"As you know, I've always been an open book," she said in an Instagram video. "I wasn't ready to say anything before, but I'm ready now. I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through."

She suffered muscle spasms that affected "every aspect" of her daily life, Dion explained, making it difficult to walk sometimes and, saddest of all, it was going to be impossible for her to go back on tour as she'd been planning.

"I'm working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again," Dion said. "But I have to admit, it's been a struggle."

According to the National Institutes of Health , symptoms include stiff muscles in the torso, arms, and legs, and greater sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, all of which can trigger muscle spasms.

April 13, 2023

Who says you can't have some new Céline Dion music when you least expect it? 

She had previously recorded five songs for the rom-com Love Again , and the title track dropped ahead of the film's May 5 release.  " I think it's a wonderful feel-good story, and I hope that people will like it, and like the new songs too," stated Dion, who also appeared as herself in the movie starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas  and  Sam Heughan .

Dion already had several signature movie tracks to her name—"Beauty and the Beast," "Because You Loved Me" and the Oscar-winning  Titanic   anthem "My Heart Will Go On"—but somehow she had never been in a movie before. (You can check out her debut in this one on Netflix.)

After a three-month delay, Dion canceled her Courage World Tour entirely through April 2024.

"I'm so sorry to disappoint all of you once again," she wrote on Instagram. "I'm working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you're 100 percent. It's not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it's best that we cancel everything now until I'm really ready to be back on stage again."

Oct. 30, 2023

Dion was seen out in a very public place  for the first time since she shared her diagnosis when she caught a Las Vegas Knights hockey game at T-Mobile Arena with her and late husband René Angélil 's three sons, René-Charles , 23, and twins  Eddy and  Nelson , 13.

The Montreal Canadiens shared footage of the family's meet-and-greet in the visiting team's locker room, Dion telling coach Martin St. Louis  (per an English translation) that it had been "an incredible night." She even gave the players a pep talk, advising, "Just stay healthy, strong...do what you do best."

But better yet, according to Canadiens executive  Chantal Machabée , their VIP guest sang "a few notes" for them and it was "an incredible moment."

"She's been through a lot, and to see her like this and smiling and being so happy...it's amazing," the team's VP of hockey communications told People . "I know she has good days and not so good days, but this was a very good day, and it was reassuring."

December 2023

Claudette Dion  gave a rather dire-sounding update on her sister's health battle, telling  7 Jours  (translated from the original French) that the singer—who's the youngest of 14 siblings—didn't have control over her muscles.

"What breaks my heart is that she's always been disciplined," Dion's big sister said. "She's always worked hard. Our mother always told her, 'You're going to do it well, you're going to do it properly.'"

The former judge on Quebec's  L'Étoile des aînés  (a competition for singers 65 and older)   said it was her and Dion's dream that the singer would be able to return to the stage. "In what capacity?" she added. "I don't know."

Jan. 30, 2024

The most promising sign yet that a new day had begun: Dion, who had understandably chosen to take a step back from public life while she battled her condition, was getting ready to give a raw look at what she was going through. 

Amazon announced the upcoming documentary  I Am: Céline Dion , directed by Irene Taylor , would reveal the lengths Dion had been going to in hopes she could go back to doing what she loved.

"As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans," Dion said in a statement, explaining why once more she was opening the door. "During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis."

Feb. 4, 2024

The 2024 Grammys may have ended with a few more people believing in the power of love.

As soon as Dion was announced as the night's final presenter (after social media got wind of her presence elsewhere in the building, but still), the audience was on its feet.

The five-time Grammy winner may not have been ready for a spotlight performance on music's biggest night just yet, but she did  sing a few bars with  Sonyaé Elise  backstage, the "Collide" artist sharing the moment on Instagram afterward amid other highlights from her "ICONIC night."

Dion and Taylor Swift also shared an off-stage hug, silencing the immediate uproar over Swift seemingly not paying proper homage to the elder legend onstage when Dion presented her with Album of the Year for Midnights . Not wanting to be an anti-hero on her history-making night, Swift posed for pics with Dion and René-Charles , who had sweetly escorted his mom to the microphone .

Dion also shared some highlights from the icons-only portion of the evening, including photos with Stevie Wonder   and Oprah Winfrey .

Celebrating the momentous night with Dion was her longtime stylist Law Roach , who dressed the star in a flowy Valentino dress and striking overcoat, with Tiffany & Co. diamonds upping the sparkle factor.

"This makes me so much Joy!" he captioned a next-day Instagram snap with Dion . "Not just to dress my Queen again but the fact that she's HEALTHY AND HAPPY! The UNIVERSE always PROTECTS and PROVIDES."

After a March trip to Boston, where she watched the Bruins take on the New York Rangers at TD Garden, Dion gave an update on her health to  Vogue France .

She was still learning to live with stiff-person syndrom, she shared in the article published April 22, but was working her butt off with athletic, physical and vocal therapy five days a week to not let it defeat her.

"The way I see it, I have two choices," Dion said. "Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it's over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself."

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