French-Canadian singer Céline Dion is well-known for her power ballads, which include the Academy Award–winning theme song “My Heart Will Go On” from the Titanic movie from 1997. Starry-eyed from an early age, Dion won multiple accolades and, by the time she was eighteen, had recorded nine French albums.
In 1990, she released her debut album in the English language, Unison. When Dion recorded the theme for Disney’s popular animated film Beauty and the Beast in 1992, it was her actual break into pop music fame. “Because You Loved Me,” “The Power of Love,” and “I’m Your Angel” are some of her No. 1 singles.
Early Life
On March 30, 1968, Céline Marie Claudette Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, in Canada. Her upbringing was in a close-knit musical family as the youngest of Adhemar and Therese Dion’s fourteen children. When Céline was a baby, her parents started a singing group called Dion’s Family, and they went on tour throughout Canada. Later, to the joy of patrons, they built a piano bar where 5-year-old Céline would perform.
When Dion was twelve years old, she recorded a demo cassette of a song she and her mother had written. They forwarded the video to René Angélil, a manager and producer who oversaw the career of well-known French vocalist Ginette Reno. Angélil signed Dion right away, contingent on his having all control over her career, after listening to the recording and asking her to perform live for him. To pay for her debut record, La Voix du beau Dieu, he took out a mortgage on his own house.
By the age of 18, Dion had nine French albums under her belt and multiple Felix and Juno awards—Canada’s version of the Grammy Awards—under her belt. She won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, and live broadcasts of her performance were seen in Australia, Japan, the Middle East, and Europe. Following this taste of worldwide recognition, she turned her attention to the south and American celebrity.
American Breakthrough: Beauty and the Beast
1990 saw Dion release her debut album in the English language, Unison. It was a joint effort with songwriter, arranger, and musician David Foster, just like the majority of her English-language albums. With the help of its Top 5 hit song “Where Does My Heart Beat Now,” Unison sold over a million copies globally.
When Dion and Peabo Bryson recorded the theme song for Disney’s popular animated film Beauty and the Beast in 1992, it marked her true ascent to pop music fame. “Beauty and the Beast” received an Academy Award and a Grammy in addition to peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was included on her second English album, Celine Dion, which sold over 12 million copies worldwide and turned into her first gold record in the US. No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart went to another success off the album “If You Asked Me To.” With the unquestionable success of her self-titled album, Dion was ready to begin her first headlining tour in the US.
“The Power of Love” and “Because You Loved Me”
Dion made quick use of her newfound notoriety by recording the smash hit song The Colour of My Love in 1993. The album featured the romantic power ballads for which Dion had gained notoriety, such as “When I Fall in Love,” which could be heard on the soundtrack of the popular movie Sleepless in Seattle, and “The Power of Love,” which became her first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single.
Dion’s rendition of “The Power of the Dream” at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 cemented her status as a global celebrity. Her album Falling Into You received Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album that same year. It featured the No. 1 hit song “Because You Loved Me,” which was taken from the soundtrack of Robert Redford’s heartfelt 1996 film Up Close and Personal.
Titanic and “My Heart Will Go On”
But Dion would achieve even greater fame the next year when the highly anticipated movie Titanic (1997), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was released. “My Heart Will Go On,” the movie’s theme song, was sung by Dion. The movie received a record eleven Oscar nominations (winning Best Song among them), and Dion’s ballad was played on radio stations all over the world.
“My Heart Will Go On,” which was featured on both the Titanic soundtrack album and Dion’s own Let’s Talk About Love (1997), became the singer’s third No. 1 hit and sold 50 million records globally. It also went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.Collaborations on Let’s Talk About Love also included performances by the Bee Gees, Bryan Adams, Barbara Streisand, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Over the ensuing decades, “My Heart Will Go On” maintained some of its appeal. It even became the focus of an internet meme where the song is played over videos clips either out of context or to highlight very important parts.
Late ’90s: Awards and Tours
In April 1998, Dion was awarded the highest distinction in her province, the National Order of Quebec. Later same year, she participated in the high-profile VH-1 televised concert Divas Live alongside Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, and Shania Twain.
After a grueling tour and multiple album releases (including the 1998 holiday album These Are Special Times and the Suffisait d’Aimer album), Dion was well-rewarded at the Billboard Music Awards in late 1998, where she took home six awards, including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year for her 1997 release Let’s Talk About Love.
Commencing in the summer of 1998, her extended 14-country tour came to an end on December 31, 1999, with a gala concert in Montreal to celebrate the turn of the millennium. “I’m Your Angel,” a duet Dion recorded with R&B singer R. Kelly for the song These Are Special Times, became her fourth No. 1 hit.
Husband and Children
When Dion married her manager, René Angélil, in 1994—despite the fact that he was 26 years her senior—her personal and professional lives were combined. In the 1980s, Angélil and his second wife separated, and at about the same time, he started dating Dion. The pair fell in love in 1991 and married in a lavish ceremony that was broadcast throughout the country at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica.
Dion declared in the beginning of 2000 that she was taking a break from her career to devote more time to her family. After years of infertility attempts, she and Angélil chose to use in vitro fertilization to become parents. Dion had two minor procedures done in May 2000 at a New York fertility clinic in an attempt to increase her chances of getting pregnant.
René-Charles, a son, was born to Dion on January 25, 2001, as a result of her successful efforts. In interviews, she disclosed that she intended to give her kid a sibling eventually and that she had kept another fertilized egg in the IVF center. At 42 years old, Dion gave birth to twin sons, Nelson and Eddy, on October 23, 2010.
Global Fame and Vegas Residencies
Celine Dion made her comeback in March 2002 with A New Day Has Come, which peaked at the top of the charts in over 17 countries, following a two-year break. She started a highly anticipated 36-month engagement at Caesars Palace, the renowned hotel and casino in Las Vegas, a year later. Concurrently, Dion released the album One Heart, which wasn’t as successful as the first one.
Dion released her first album in French in 2003, 1 Fille & 4 Types. She collaborated with photographer Anne Geddes on the children’s music CD Miracle: A Celebration of New Life (2004), which became a hit. Dion put out two albums in 2007: D’Elles, another recording in French, and Taking Chances, which almost peaked at the top of the mainstream album rankings.
Even while Dion was no longer topping the charts like she once was, she was still a well-liked performer. According to a June 2009 Forbes article, the singer had made about $100 million the year before, placing her second only to Madonna as the highest-paid musician.
The French-language albums Sans attendre (2012) and Encore un soir (2016), as well as the English-language album Loved Me Back to Life (2013), were Dion’s follow-up releases. In 2011, she also started a second residency at Caesars Palace.
Health Problems and Husband’s Death
To devote more time to her spouse and kids, Dion canceled all of her gigs through March 22, 2015. This was announced in August 2014. In 1999, Angélil had a throat cancer diagnosis, which led to a successful course of treatment. However, his cancer had come back. The singer released a statement saying, “It’s important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children because I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband’s healing.”
In 2014, the celebrity also struggled with her personal health. A press release stated that she was unable to participate in her Las Vegas act due to “inflammation in her throat muscles.”
The singer discussed her husband’s cancer treatment in a 2015 interview with USA Today, saying, “When you see someone who is fighting so hard, it has a big impact on you.” There are two options available to you. It hurts you to see your husband in such pain and not be able to help him. Or you may say, “I got you,” while glancing at your ill spouse. I understand. Here I am. Everything will work out just fine. At the age of 73, Angélil passed away in the family’s Las Vegas home on January 14, 2016.
New Tours and Albums
After coming to terms with her loss, Dion went back on stage for what turned been a yearly summer tour in 2016. In addition, she went back to her residency in Las Vegas, which ran for a long time until June 2019.
In September of that year, Dion announced three new singles and started a global tour to promote her next album. Her first studio album released in English in six years, Courage, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in November, much to the delight of her fans.
Due to Dion’s health, the tour was put on hold in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic and would have more postponements and cancellations over the following three years.
The title track of the romantic comedy film of the same name, “Love Again,” was Dion’s first new song release in four years. In addition to having an appearance in the movie, she wrote four new songs for the soundtrack.
Stiff Person Syndrome Diagnosis
Dion disclosed in December 2022 that she had been given a diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, an uncommon neurological condition. Severe muscle spasms and stiffness are the hallmarks of SPS, an autoimmune disease that can also produce double vision, poor coordination, and slurred speech in certain cases. Only one to two persons out of every million are thought to be affected.
In a video, Dion revealed that she had been having spasms that interfered with her daily activities, making it difficult for her to move and use her voice. She consequently canceled eight more shows and moved the spring 2023 portion of her world tour to the following year.
Dion declared in May 2023 that she would not be able to “successfully prepare for and perform” the remaining 42 dates of the tour until April 2024 due to her treatment for the incurable illness. Her touring career was reportedly in danger, but she responded to the rumors with a statement that said, “I’m not giving up, and I can’t wait to see you again!”
The singer has unpleasant spasms, according to her sister Claudette, who disclosed this information in September. She also stated that there is “little that we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.” A few months later, in December, Claudette revealed to 7 Jours that Celine had lost control of her muscles, raising further questions about the singer’s general health and prospects for a return.