Regarded as one of the most talented singers in the industry, Celine Dion has a voice that is as beautiful as she is. Recently, she spoke out about a certain part of her life. You will want to hear about it, so read on!
Here Is Everything You Never Knew About Celine Dion And Her Incredible Life
The Diagnosis
Back in 1999, Celine got the most terrible news she could have ever received. Rene, her beloved husband, had been diagnosed with throat cancer. They were told by their doctors that Rene would lose basic functions of his body as time passes. Celine needed to act as his caretaker, and this posed a lot of difficulty for their relationship. Celine went far beyond what was necessary in order to take care of her husband. Despite the diagnosis, she wanted him to continue enjoying life.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
Her Life Is Never Dull
Celine has experienced a lot of challenges in her life since she was young. To say that she led a dramatic life would be an understatement. Sometimes, there are issues from the past that still creep up on her present life. She had built herself an extremely successful musical career, got involved in a forbidden romantic affair, had to live most her life in the spotlight, and experienced several health problems. Regardless of these difficulties, you still see a smile on her face every time. Celine is not only a gifted singer but also one tough lady.
Her Life Is Never Dull
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
Her mother did not approve of her relationship with Rene. Celine once said, “When I told her I had some really strong feelings for Rene she tried everything to kill him and make me snap out of it… I was very frustrated and mad at first, but she tried to make me understand that this man tried marriage twice before – he has three children, he’s not responsible, ‘I want the perfect Prince Charming for you’.”
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
She Had Problems Conceiving
Celine built a legendary career. But even the biggest names in the industry have to take some rest sometimes. In 2000, she took time off from performing to spend more time with her family. Celine and Rene tried multiple times to conceive and had even tried help in the form of medical procedures. In January 25th of 2001, their first child Rene-Charles Dion Angelil was born.
She Had Problems Conceiving
She Almost Died
Before she became famous, Celine had a near-death experience. When she was 5 years old, a truck from nowhere hit her and was left unconscious for almost a week. She had a fractured skull but has thankfully fully recovered.
She Almost Died
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
Celine hated the song “My Heart Will Go On,” when she first recorded it. She thought that the song would flop the charts and worse even the damage her musical career. Well, she was wrong about that. She said, “…I didn’t really like the song, at first. I did another song for a movie before. It was very successful, and I thought we were pushing our luck…”
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
They Called Her A Traitor
One of her first biggest hits was from the movie “Beauty and the Beast” in 1991. The song was the one that gave Celine her first Grammy award. However, the Grammy award along with success and popularity of the song caused fans to turn their backs against her. Celine is French Canadian, and her fans from Quebec were angered by her rising popularity. Because of the negative response from her fans and supporters, Celine declined her English Artist of the Year award at the Felix Awards.
They Called Her A Traitor
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Did you know that Celine has 13 brothers and sisters? And did you know that she’s youngest out of them? Her parents weren’t planning on adding one more child because of the challenges of raising 13 children. But it seems that Celine was meant to be in this world. She slept inside a cabinet drawer when she was young because the family didn’t have enough beds for everyone. Her life has undergone a huge change since then.
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
Celine’s husband was the one who convinced her to release “My Heart Will Go On,” even though she was initially hesitant about the song. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, Celine said, ” “[Angélil] said, ‘Let’s just do a demo. Let’s give it a try and we’ll see after.’ The demo is actually the real recording. I never sang the song again.” A sneaky move but a good one to get Celine to record the song. The single immediately became a huge hit once it was released in 1997. The song earned Celine several awards. To this day, it is still one of the most popular songs by the Canadian singer.
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
A Shark When It Comes To Business
Celine’s mother, Therese Tanguay Dion, is famous in Quebec for her cooking. It seemed that Celine inherited her mother’s skills when she opened Nickels, her own restaurant, in Quebec. It was a success which made Celine decide to develop it into a restaurant chain. She now owns several restaurants located across Canada.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
Suing For Millions For Spreading Lies
The ‘90s was a rollercoaster of a ride for the singer. Celine released 13 studio albums and received the news of her husband’s cancer. She took a break from the limelight after the diagnosis was revealed. During this time, a tabloid magazine called the National Enquirer released a fictitious story of Celine being pregnant. The magazine was sued for $20 million. They apologized to Celine and donated on her behalf to the American Cancer Society.
Suing Millions For Spreading Lies
Doctor Dion
Celine received The National Order of Quebec which is the highest honor Quebec can grant. She has all sorts of recognitions. From stars in Canada’s and Hollywood’s Walks of Fame to an honorary doctorate degree from Level University. According to the singer, it was “a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne.” She dedicated the award to her husband.
Doctor Dion
She Had No Other Choice
Two years prior to the birth of the musician, a song called “Céline” was released by Hughes Aufray, a famous French musician. Celine performed the song during her brother’s wedding when she was 5 years old. It was now regarded as her breakthrough moment which signaled the start of her career. The entire family is composed of musicians but that performance proved that Celine had a little extra going for her.
She Had No Other Choice
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Her gifts were recognized by the family at an early age. Her mother along with her brother Jacques wrote a song hoping that it would lead to Celine’s discovery by someone from the industry. The plan worked, and the producer Rene Angelil reached out to her.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Her Mom Had To Interfere
The demo that Celine’s mother sent to Rene had a note that said, “This is a 12-year-old with a fantastic voice. Please listen to her. We want her to be like Ginette Reno.” At first, the producer didn’t respond. One of Celine’s brothers reached out to Rene and pleaded for him give the demo a chance. When he did listen to the demo, he contacted Celine straight away to invite her to do an audition.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
When Celine arrived for her audition, Rene handed her a fake microphone and told her, “Here’s your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sellout audience.” Celine’s performance was extraordinary. Rene was moved by the 12-year-old’s voice, and he was sold right then and there.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
Rene Angélil had already married twice before he met Celine. In his first marriage with Denyse Duquette, he had a son named Patrick Angélil.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
Rene Burst Into Tears
Celine’s audition was incredibly emotional. Celine said that Rene actually cried when she started singing. That was her cue to figure out that she did a wonderful job in the audition. She was immediately signed, and Rene knew that she would certainly make a name for herself. But he also knew that she was young and had to learn a lot of things before she started a career. He had a vision and it had to be perfect.
Rene Burst Into Tears
High Stakes Gambler
Rene realized that Celine would go on to be a star. In order to make sure that her first album had enough funding, the producer decided to mortgage his house. His sacrifices and hard work paid off when her first single did very well on the Canadian music charts in 1981. Rene was quite a gambler, and this was one of the biggest risks he had taken but it definitely paid off.
High Stakes Gambler
The Pope Loved Her
Pope John II visited Quebec in 1984. Facing a massive crowd in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Celine performed Une Colombe, her French anthem, for him. It was reported that the Pope enjoyed the performance and Celine loved performing for him.
The Pope Loved Her
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
Celine had a great career launch, but Rene advised her to take time off. It was risky since Celine was still new in the industry. In the end, she decided to take Rene’s advice and took almost two years off. Celine believes that the time off allowed her to grow into a woman.
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
Learning English And Going Global
It turned out that taking a short break was the best path for her. When she returned to the limelight, she was more confident and sang English songs better. “Incognito,” which was her comeback album, had sold more than half a million copies.
Learning English And Going Global
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
Celine’s first English album was released in 1990 and was entitled “Unison.” The album helped boost her career and turned Celine into one of the biggest celebrities around the globe. Unison had certified gold in the US and many of the singles were included in the top 10 such as “Where Does My Heart Beat Now.” It seemed like things were just going to get better but then the unexpected happened.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
Celine lost her voice just before she was starting her tour. The singer was exhausted and had been diagnosed with laryngitis. Celine wanted to push with the tour. However, her doctors sharply advised against any singing since it would further damage the vocal cords.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
Revealing Her Big Secret
There were several rumors surrounding her romance with her producer but Celine had never officially announced anything to the public. Just before she released the album “The Colour of My Love,” Celine finally made the announcement.
Revealing Her Big Secret
Fearing The Public
Rene was 26 years older than Celine. Rene and Celine started dating when Celine was only 19. The two of them knew that the huge age gap would be controversial despite their great affection for each other. And they were right to believe so. Even so, they continued to stay together, married each other, and started their own family.
Fearing The Public
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
For five years, Celine and Rene kept their relationship a secret. In one interview in 1994, Rene had said that he was fearful of what people would say. Celine was the one who convinced him to reveal their relationship and she didn’t care about other people’s judgment. According to the singer, “When you’re in love, you want to scream it to the world.”
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
Going Overboard
Celine married Rene at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica on the 17th of December in 1994. The wedding ceremony was broadcasted on TV. The couple’s wedding could rival that of royal couples with so many fans anticipating to watch the ceremony.
Going Overboard
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess?
Mirella and Steve Gentile designed the beautiful dress that Celine wore for her wedding. The dress took more than a thousand hours, and it was partly due to the 20-foot train. The complete wedding outfit included a huge 20-pound tiara. Celine’s wedding ensemble was all the entire world could talk about days after the ceremony.
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess@
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
Money was not an issue for the Celine and Rene. The couple bought a mansion worth $72 million. The mega-mansion had three pools as well as a golf course and a water park inside the property.
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
He Was Her Everything
Celine went to start her “Let’s Talk About Love” tour after the success of Titanic. Things were going well for the singer but then she received some horrible news. Her husband had cancer. She found out about the diagnosis during one of her shows and she dedicated a song in his name. Rene battled with cancer for a long time, and he was 73 years old when he passed away on January 14, 2016.
He Was Her Everything
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
On October 23, 2010, the couple welcomed their twin boys to the world. Celine gave birth to Eddy and Nelson. Eddy’s name was from Eddy Marnary, the Frenchman who produced Celine’s first albums while Nelson was from Nelson Mandela.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
Dreaming Of Changing The World
Celine helped raise $1 million for the victims of the Asian tsunami in 2004. She also sent help and donated $1 million to the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Celine spoke about the US government’s failure to respond to the aftermath of the disaster.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
Her Secret Dad
Unlike her mother who is often spoken about in interviews, Celine’s father is rarely mentioned. Adhemar Dion passed away in 2001. Celine said, “My dad was and is still my number one fan since I was a very little girl. I know that my dad would want me to be here tonight on stage with everyone I love, doing what we love.”
Her Secret Dad
She Prepared her Kids for Death
The singer was left with the huge task of helping her children accept understand the death of their father. When she reflected on this, Celine said, “I’m proud of the way I prepared my boys for their dad’s death. In life, you never know what’s going to happen, so you should never wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today, to say I love you, or send a thank-you note…The future is now.”
She Prepared Her Kids For Death
Her Son is Too Young
Rene Charles Angelil, Celine’s eldest son, created an uproar in social media when he presented an award at the Billboard Music Awards to his mother. It was one of his appearances in public and he started a huge following because of his good looks.
Her Son Is Too Young
She Made it to 90
Celine’s mother is still doing well today despite all the difficulties she and the singer faced. The mother and daughter are still close, and they recently celebrated her 90th birthday.
She Made It To 90
She NEVER Misses a Beat
People would think that huge celebrities and stars in the entertainment industry would be difficult to get along with. Not Celine Dion though. The singer is never known to be boring in interviews. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen complimented her jewelry. Celine broke out to the Donna Summer song, “She worked hard for the money.” Her witty, fun, and pleasant attitude only helped her more in maintaining her level of stardom.
She NEVER Misses A Beat
Without a Brother
Overall, the singer has achieved tremendous success in her career. Still, Celine has had more than a fair share of hardship in life. In a span of a week, she lost both her husband and her brother to cancer. It was surely the worst moments of her life.
Without A Brother
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
Celine’s family was comprised of musicians. One of her older siblings, Claudette, also dreamed of a musical career. Alas, Claudette’s career didn’t take off the way Celine’s did.
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
The French Canadian singer finally decided to release a fashion line. Celine was famous for her sense of style, always seen on best dressed lists. Being one of the best dressed people in the world, it encouraged Celine to release a collection of more than 200 items. The fashion line included bags and accessories that took inspiration from her family. In interviews, the singer stated that her mother and her twins were huge inspirations behind her first collection.
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
TV Debut
Her singing career was already at its peak. Celine decided to take on activities outside of singing and started accepting cameo roles on TV. For instance, she appeared in a Thanksgiving episode of the long running series All My Children.
TV Debut
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
Although Celine ventured away from singing for some time, her voice was the foundation of her passion and career. It is this talent that propelled her career, fame, and fortune allowing her to provide support to her family. Her net current worth is reported to be at $700 million.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
A Canadian Star
Trivia time! Celine is one of the few Canadian celebrities who have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is also one of the few celebrities to have a star both at the Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame. Not many people can say they have achieved this.
A Canadian Star
They Are All Related
It may be hard to believe but the celebrities you can see in the picture are all related to Celine in some degree. Madonna, Beyonce, and Shania Twain are just some of the names who were able to trace their lineage back to Zacharie Cloutier, a French Canadian. He fled from France in 1634 in the hopes of finding greener pastures in North America. Cloutier was one of the first to live in “New France,” and the celebs in the picture can be traced back to him.
They Are All Related
Master Of Many Tongues
If you weren’t already impressed by Celine Dion’s immense talents, then prepare to be amazed now. Majority of her songs are written and performed in French or English. But she also performs songs in other languages such as Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and German. That’s a lot!
Master Of Many Tongues
A Staggering Net Worth
Celine’s life has drastically changed from when was just launching her career. Hers is certainly what we’d call a rags to riches story. The amount of wealth she has accumulated in her long career of sold out concerts, millions of copies sold, real estate investments, successful fashion line, and public appearances is staggering. She is one of the highest grossing musicians in the 2000s and raked in $465 million from her Las Vegas shows alone.
A Staggering Net Worth
Hit And Miss
The name Celine Dion is associated with huge hits. While it’s true that Celine has numerous award-winning singles and albums in repertoire, not all of her releases had been as successful as “My Heart Will Go On” was. Her song “Dreams to Dream” for the movie “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West” didn’t gain much success as her singles from other movie soundtracks.
Hit And Miss
A Lifetime Hobby
It sure seems like Celine Dion is full of surprises. Would you believe that the singer totally loves golf? Celine loves playing and watching golf and it is one of her main hobbies in life.
Love Of Golf
Love Of Golf
There’s even proof for her love of the golf. She took her love for golf to the next level back in 2008. She and her husband donated millions to the Quebecois club when they decided to renovate Le Mirego. The couple also helped in promoting the club by issuing an official statement on the golf club’s website that read, “a visit to the Mirage is an adventure in itself.”
Celine Playing Golf
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
Celine Dion’s voice is a God-given gift and her numerous awards all signify it. We are happy because she definitely deserves every award. Celine holds the record for having the most number of performances in the history of the Oscars.
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
The Oscars
Part of the reason Celine has been invited again and again for a performance at the Oscars are her numerous hit singles from movie soundtracks. She performed at the prestigious awards show more times than any other artist has. Her 6th performance, which set the record, was a rendition of “Smile” dedicated in honor of the celebrities who passed away that year.
Oscar Performances
Oscar Fashion
Celine is also famous for her daring and bold sense of fashion. Back in the 1999 Oscars, she caused a racket when she wore a reversed white tuxedo suit for the red carpet. The outfit caused quite a stir.
Backwards Oscar Tux
Backwards White Tux
The singer faced a lot of backlash when she stepped out in the white suit. People even branded the outfit a “fashion disaster. ” In an interview with people magazine, Celine declared that she had no regrets wearing the white suit and it was way ahead of its time. We love it still. It’s also great to think about the big fashion risks that Celine Dion takes.
Backwards White Tux
White Backwards Tux
According to Celine, “When I wore that look, yes it was at the Oscars, and when I wore that, everyone was wearing dresses, not pants.” The singer further clarified, “I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work. It was avant-garde at the time. And it doesn’t matter, you just have to assume what you wear, you wear, and I did.”
Backwards White Tux And Gwen’s Dress At The Oscars
It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
Now, it’s back to her music. We think it’s really interesting. The popular song “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” was supposed to be recorded by Meat Loaf originally. That’s crazy, right? The song’s composer eventually decided that a female voice was needed and saved it for Celine. Good thing they did since it was a huge success.
A Hit Out Of Hell
Clinging On To Her Children
The singer had been very open regarding the difficulties she faced as she mourned and tried to get over the loss of her husband. In one interview, Celine said, “I miss him a lot for my partner, for the man I was embracing, kissing, making love with. I organize myself to not feel lonely. So what’s happened is I got myself a huge bed and I sleep with my twins. My twins are comforting me a lot. I need them. I need them close.”
Clinging On To Her Children
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
A part of why Celine is incredibly popular and admired around the world is her vocal range. You can say that there is no song Celine Dion cannot sing. She is recognized for the diversity in her music and her own magical touch that she puts on other musician’s songs. She made covers of “I Drove All Night,” by Cyndi Lauper, “Beautiful Boy,” by John Lennon, and one of the all-time favorites “All By Myself,” by Eric Carmen’s
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
Collaborations
To add to her ever-growing diverse list of huge hits, Celine has also established herself as “a great collaborator.” She has performed several impressive duets with some of the most notable musicians and artists. Names such as Aretha Fran Barbara Streisand, Michael Jackson, and Luciano Pavarotti are all included in Celine’s musical arsenal.
Collaborations
Certified Diamond
The Recording Industry Association of America or RIAAA started giving recognition in 1999 to albums that have achieve more than 10 million of sold copies. This was called the “diamond status.” Celine not only has one but two albums that are RIAA certified as diamond status. These are “Falling Into You,” and “Let’s talk About Love,” which had been released in 1996 and 1997 respectively.
Certified Diamond
A Best Selling Female Artist
Record producers began using the Nielson SoundScan system in 1991 to track their albums sales. If you look at Nielson’s data, Celine is one of the best-selling artists in both Canada USA with only Rihanna and Mariah Carey surpassing her records.
A Best Selling Female Artist
Catholic Star
The Dions were a Roman Catholic family. In 2014, Celine said that, “It’s important for people to have something they can touch and believe in.” The singer went on to explain, “I say that to believe in yourself is to believe in God. For me, God is life itself, the birds, the air, the sunrise and the sunset, the children. Yes, that is where I find God. Not in a church.”
Catholic Star
Reaching For Gold
Celine broke international records, and her rapid rose to worldwide fame allowed her to enter the difficult French market. The hit single “D’amour ou d’amitié” meaning “Of Love or of Friendship” was certified gold in France.
Reaching For Gold
Upgrading Her Image
As the years passed by, Celine’s career grew more and more, and her style changed as well. Celine and team decided that it was time upgrade her style and image. She felt that her teeth were an unappealing feature and tabloids even nicknamed her “Canine Dion.” She went through several dental procedures in the ‘80s to enhance her smile.
Upgrading Her Image
Mid Career Misses
Celine took a three-year break and returned to the music industry in 2002 by releasing an album called “A New Day Has Come.” The album is mostly comprised of songs that talk about her new experiences of being a mother.
Mid Career Misses
Accessible To All
Despite being the big star that she is, Celine continues to be adored by fans because of her down-to-earth nature and how she treats fans very well. When her husband passed away, Celine allowed fans to get a glimpse of her and personally accepted their condolences. It was such a difficult time for her, and this was such a generous move from Celine. The funeral was also televised for eight hours in order to be more open with her fans.
Accessible To All
She Won By A Single Point
In 1988, Celine joined and won the Eurovision Song Contest. At the time, she represented Switzerland which the singer has no formal ties with. She won by beating the United Kingdom by only one point.
She Won By A Single Point
Michael Jackson’s Fanatic Fan
Celine is known to be a big fan of Michael Jackson. Ever since she started her career, she had been open with Rene that she aspired to rival his accomplishments. Michael Jackson was such a huge inspiration to Celine, and we believe it’s one of the reasons she was able to achieve release several albums and achieve numerous awards at 18 years old.
Michael Jackson’s Fanatic Fan
A 5-Year-Old Hanging Out At A Bar
The Dion family owned a piano bar called Le Vieux Baril located in Charlemagne, Quebec. It’s where she and her family often practice music there. Since she was 5, Celine had performed regularly at the piano bar.
A 5 Year Old Hanging Out At A Bar
“A New Day Has Come” Received Harsh Criticism
Her album “A New Day Has Come” talks about her experiences as mother. It was her first release to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. However, critics didn’t respond well to it and remarked that the lyrics were “lifeless” and “forgettable.”
A New Day Has Come Received Harsh Criticism
Gold In France
Celine is the first ever Canadian artist to have Gold status for her album sales in France. But did you know that she achieved this record when she was only a teenager? What a feat for Celine!
Gold In France
Switzerland?
Celine first gained recognition in the international scene during the ’80s when she won the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in1982 and the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988. In both contests, the singer represented Switzerland.
Switzerland@
Caesars Palace
During the peak of her career, the singer took a break from the industry to spend time more with her husband after he was diagnosed with cancer. She came back in 2002 and made a deal to perform at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace every night.
Caesars Palace
Most Successful Concert Residency Of All Time
Celine holds the records for the most successful concert residency of all time. “A New Day” was a theatrical show that’s a mix of performance art and singing. The concert residency raked in $385 million in total!
Most Successful Concert Residency Of All Time
Another Residency Show!
With the success of her first concert residency in Las Vegas, the singer came back to perform another residency show in 2011. She signed a contract spanned several years of performances and was to last until 2019.
Another Residency Show
Highest Paid Resident Performer
It is no surprise that Celine is the highest-paid resident performer with the level of success of her concerts. She made $500,000 per show which was more than what Elton John, Mariah Carey, and Britney Spears earned.
Highest Paid Resident Performer
Documentary Success
The Oprah Winfrey Network released a documentary in 2011 about the singer’s life. The documentary revealed private details about her pregnancy, her life, and how her Las Vegas Show came to life. The documentary holds the second-highest rating for shows in TV OWN Canada up to now.
Documentary Success
Everyone Wants To Sit Next To Her
When FlightNetwork.com conducted a survey with 780 participants and asked them which celebrity they would want to sit next to a plane, Celine Dion was the number one name with 23.7% of votes. We would want to sit next to her too.
Everyone Wants To Sit Next To Her
Perfume Lines
Did we mention Celine is also a successful businesswoman? Her perfume line is one of her most lucrative business ventures. She recently released the 14th perfume for the Celine Dion Parfums Collection which she called “Signature”.
Perfume Lines
She Is Influenced By The Greatest Artists
Celine named musicians and artists such as the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Charles Aznavour, Anne Murray, and Barbara Streisand as the main inspirations in her music career. These are the legends and she was certainly influenced by the best.
She Is Influenced By The Greatest Artists
She Has A Great Sense Of Humor
TV Shows such as Saturday Night Live, Royal Canadian Air Farce, MADtv, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and South Park had all impersonated Celine’s strong accent as well as her antics on stage. Celine has an amazing sense of humor though and is said to be unaffected by the comments. She instead considered it flattering that people try to impersonate her. She even invited Ana Gasteyer on stage, who performed a parody of Celine on SNL, during one of her shows in New York.
She Has A Great Sense Of Humor
Hurricane Katrina
Celine tries not to get too involved in politics. However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the singer went on Larry King Live and shared her views. She pointed out how slow the government was in responding to the needs of the victims of the hurricane. She said, “There are people still there waiting to be rescued. To me, that is not acceptable … How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country.”
Hurricane Katrina
She Is Greatly Admired By Other Artists
There is a long list of artists who cite Celine Dion is one of their influences in music. Artists such as Rihanna, Adele, Lea Michel, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, Jordin Sparks, and Ariana Grande are just some of them.
She Is Greatly Admired By Other Artists
Timbaland Loves Her Too
American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer DJ Timbaland said, “Celine has such a beautiful, mesmerizing voice. She is so talented. I think we could create something that is a classic like she is already.”
Timbaland Loves Her Too
Celine Changed Vegas
The president and editor-in-chief of Pollstar Gary Bongiovanni once said in an interview that Celine paved a new way for how artists could perform in Las Vegas. Caesar’s Palace Vice President of Entertainment Kurt Melien also said that “Celine was a pioneer without question … Twenty years ago, we couldn’t have got someone the stature of Britney Spears to appear in Vegas. Stars like her would never have considered it if Celine hadn’t paved the way. She changed the face of modern Vegas.”
Celine Changed Vegas
Song Of The Century
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America both have “My Heart Will Go On,” in their Songs of the Century. We’re not surprised they included it on their list.
Song Of The Century
Goodwill Ambassador
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization Goodwill Ambassadors Programme started in 1999. In 2010, Celine Dion accepted the role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Celine was also appointed as a UNESCO Artist for Piece back in September 1999!
Goodwill Ambassador
Canada Honored Her Too
Canada also honors their own and they honored Celine big time. She was given the Companion of the Order of Canada in 2013. It was the highest rank that the Order of Canada can award to anyone.
Canada Honored Her Too
She’s A Big Philanthropist
One of the reasons the UN offered her the role of a Goodwill Ambassador was the fact that she worked on philanthropic and charitable activities around the world. She has teamed up with several charity organizations such as the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Celine also extends her help to children in need and joined McDonald’s in raising funds for World Children’s Day.
She’s A Big Philanthropist
An Emotional Announcement
Celine and Rene were married for 22 years, and a few years had already passed since she lost her husband. Recently, she decided it was time for her to release a statement about her romantic life. Several rumors about a new romance have been floating around through the rumor mill. She was asked about it during an interview and she said it was, “Bizarre.” According to the singer, “Now it is definitely too soon for me. I am definitely in love with him, married to him…He’s the love of my life. It’s very difficult for me to see myself with another person.”
An Emotional Announcement