Celine Dion’s voice may be one of the finest voices that we’ve ever heard. She is one of the greatest singers to have graced the industry. In fact, she possesses a three-octave range, from B2 to E♭6.
Celine Dion’s Traumatic Life What You Didn’t Know
She is definitely gorgeous inside and out. However, her life has been far from easy. To this day, she’s been dealing with all kinds of difficulties we can’t even imagine. This is the story of Celine Dion’s greatest challenge.
Her Life Was Never Dull
Many people admire Celine Dion due to her resilience and talent. From the beginning, she had many obstacles to overcome. It still isn’t smooth-sailing, even now that she has managed to reach an incredible level of success.
Her Life Is Never Dull
She had to learn how to handle her career with a controversial relationship and many health issues. Despite all of this, she never fails to look happy and give her best during performances.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
In 1999, she received devastating news regarding her husband. Rene was confined in the hospital because it was discovered that he had throat cancer. This required Celine to look after him full time.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
Rene’s health problem became a major trial in her ongoing career. Celine did everything she possibly could to help her husband have the best quality of life possible.
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
Her mother disapproved of the relationship from the very beginning. Celine explained, “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… ”
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
“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.’”
She Had Problems Conceiving
Amidst concerts and tours, Celine took a well-deserved break from her career in 2000 for her family. Celine went through two in-vitro fertilization procedures to boost the chance of conception.
She Had Problems Conceiving
They decided to go with this route after their numerous unsuccessful attempts with her husband. Finally, Celine was able to give birth to her first child named Rene-Charles Dion Angelil in 2001.
She Almost Died
Celine was only 5 years old when she had a serious near-death experience. She got hit by a truck and fell into a coma for an entire week. How terrifying that must have been for her and her parents!
She Almost Died
Luckily, she went on to make a full recovery from the fractured skull she suffered from the accident. All the same, the event must have been such a traumatizing one.
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
We were all captivated by the song “My Heart Will Go On” when it first started playing in Titanic. But did you know that Celine Dion had doubts about this song? She believed it would not get famous and will even affect her singing career negatively.
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
Celine said in an interview that she disliked the song: “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”
They Called Her A Traitor
Another Celine Dion chart-topper song was featured in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. She won her first Grammy from this performance! Even with the success it got, the song caused an enormous backlash from her Quebecois fans.
They Called Her A Traitor
Because of this, Celine declined the English Artist of the Year award at Felix Awards to show that she took pride in being French-Canadian and that she stood with her home country.
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Many don’t know that Celine is the youngest of 14 children in a family that was financially unstable. Her mother didn’t plan on having any more kids after giving birth for the 13th time.
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Apparently, destiny had other plans in store. When Celine was still a little baby, she actually had to sleep in a cabinet drawer because there weren’t any more beds available in her family’s house!
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
Rene was instrumental in recording Celine’s “My Heart Will Go On”. He convinced Celine that this song will be a big hit. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, she recalled, “[Angélil] said, ‘Let’s just do a demo. Let’s give it a try and we’ll see after.’”
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
“The demo is actually the real recording. I never sang the song again.” The rest was history and the song from 1997 film Titanic won several awards. This song will forever be Celine’s trademark song.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
Therese Tanguay Dion, Celine’s mother, is a renowned chef in Quebec. Now we know where Celine’s passion and skills in cooking came from! Celine herself established her first restaurant.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
It was in Quebec in 1990. Just like her songs, it was a massive hit. After plenty of success, she decided to expand Nickels and to open other locations throughout Canada.
Suing For Millions For Spreading Lies
The 1990s was a very stressful decade for Celine. She released an astounding 13 albums and received the bad news about Rene’s health. During this difficult period, she realized that she needed to take a break for herself and her family.
Suing Millions For Spreading Lies
During her hiatus, a magazine called National Enquirer published a story about Celine having twins. As a consequence, Celine took legal action against the magazine and asked for $20 million. The magazine quickly expressed and donated money to the American Cancer Society.
Doctor Dion
Celine Dion has many awards to her name including the highest honor her province can give, The National Order of Quebec. She was also given stars in both the Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame.
Doctor Dion
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she received an honorary doctorate from the Laval University. She dedicated this award to her husband Rene and called it “a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne.”
She Had No Other Choice
A famous French artist named Hugues Aufray released a song entitled “Céline” two years before her birth. On her brother’s wedding, 5-year-old Celine performed the song she was named after.
She Had No Other Choice
This performance was the exact moment when everyone noticed her extraordinary talent. While she was from a family of musicians, it was clear that she had serious potential.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Celine’s mother and brother Jacques composed songs for her because they knew Celine had the makings of a great singer. Her mother did everything she could to ensure Celine’s talent will not go to waste.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Fortunately, her family’s hard work paid off when they were able to catch the attention of Canadian musical producer and talent manager, Rene Angelil.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
Celine’s mother first sent a demo to Rene with a note saying, “This is a 12-year-old with a fantastic voice. Please listen to her. We want her to be like Ginette Reno.” Rene didn’t reply right away.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
In fact, it was only with the persuasion of Celine’s brother that the producer decided to give it a shot. Once Rene heard Celine’s voice, he immediately contacted her to audition for him.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
Rene was very excited to meet Celine personally after hearing her incredible demo. When Celine arrived at his office, he gave her a false microphone and said, “Here’s your microphone.”
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
“Now sing as though you were in front of a sellout audience.” Celine then went for it and Rene was absolutely stunned by her performance. It was as if she was born to perform.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
At the time, Rene Angelil was already twice married and twice divorced. From his first marriage that ended in 1972, he had a son named Patrick Angelil. His second marriage went on from 1974 to 1986, with him having another two children with his second wife.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
In 1994, he and Celine got married in an extravagant wedding. While they had difficulty conceiving, they succeeded in having three children: a boy in 2001, and then twin boys in 2010.
Rene Burst Into Tears
Celine recalled just how emotional Rene became during her audition. “While I was singing, he (Rene) started to cry,” she said. “I knew then I had done a good job.”
Rene Burst Into Tears
At that moment, Rene recruited her and he already knew that she will become a big star. Rene already had planned on how to accomplish that and he was ready to face any obstacle to get her to the top.
High Stakes Gambler
Rene took a big personal risk on Celine. He got a loan on his house to have enough money to release Celine’s first album! It sounds crazy, but it appears that he knew what he was doing.
High Stakes Gambler
All their sacrifices paid off as her song went straight to number one in Canada. Even though he was an avid gambler and poker player, this was probably the biggest risk Rene ever took.
The Pope Loved Her
When Pope John II went to Quebec in 1984, Celine, at age 16, sang the national anthem in front of him and thousands of fans in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.
The Pope Loved Her
After her massive success on the charts in Canada and this event, it was clear that Celine was going to be a star. Celine was very pleased to be singing for him and the Pope likewise enjoyed her performance.
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
Rene actually told Celine to take a break even though she was at the very beginning of her career. It was a huge risk to take at the time since she was still in the middle of establishing her name as an artist.
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
Despite the risk, she took 18 months away from the limelight. The reason for this break was very specific. Celine decided she wanted to be a star like Michael Jackson, and Rene knew she would need to have her look altered and rebranded to make it to his level of stardom.
Learning English And Going Global
Contrary to what everyone thought, it turned out to be a very beneficial move for her career. When Celine returned to the music scene, fans noticed Dion’s evolution into a more confident lady. Her pronunciation when singing English also improved.
Learning English And Going Global
Her comeback album “Incognito”, ended up selling over half a million copies. However, she had a mishap on tour and injured her voice, forcing her to take a three-week break and go through vocal training. All to avoid surgery.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
In 1990, Dion made massive strides in her career by launching her first English album, “Unison”. The career move pushed her into American stardom and she became famous throughout the world.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
The songs on the album were hits, especially “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” which went on to become a top 10 hit. While enjoying this tremendous success, something took her by surprise.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
Celine’s voice vanished and she couldn’t sing as she was preparing for the tour. She was suffering from both exhaustion and laryngitis and didn’t know what to do.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
She initially had zero plans to cancel the tour, but her doctors instructed her not to continue as she would damage her vocal cords even more. She then had to take a short break from singing to recover.
Revealing Her Big Secret
There were many speculations about her relationship with Rene, but neither of the two confirmed it right away. Many people thought it would be inappropriate for them to be in a relationship due to their 26-year age-gap.
Revealing Her Big Secret
Just before the launch of her album called “The Colour of My Love”, Celine finally revealed her romance with Rene and confirmed the already swirling rumors.
Fearing The Public
It was a May-December love affair: Celine was 19 years old and Rene was 46 years old. They were aware that people would criticize their relationship due to the unusually big age gap.
Fearing The Public
They faced all the criticism head-on and began officially dating in 1987 and got engaged in 1991. They ended up getting married in 1994 at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec.
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
Before disclosing the big secret, they were able to keep it to themselves for five whole years. It was actually Celine who wanted to announce it regardless of the public reaction and the publicity.
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
“When you’re in love, you want to scream it to the world,” she said. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Celine and Rene to keep such a big secret for such a long time.
Going Overboard
Celine and Rene’s wedding was televised live on Canadian television. They tied the knot in Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica on December 17, 1994. It was the equivalent of a Royal Wedding in Canada, considering the number of people who wanted to watch it.
Going Overboard
Every last detail of the wedding was as extravagant as ever. From Celine’s dress to the venue and the outrageous decor. The entire wedding was the epitome of luxury.
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess?
Celine’s wedding dress was the talk of the town even after the wedding ceremonial. It was designed by fashion designer couple Mirella and Steve Gentile. The piece actually took them over 1,000 hours to finish!
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess?
The gown was twenty feet long and was paired with a twenty-pound tiara that succeeded in making Celine look like a real-life princess. As you can tell from the photos, her look was timeless.
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
The power couple bought a $72 million mansion in Florida. Why on earth would it be so expensive? Well, for one thing, it has a golf course, three pools, and a water park.
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
Not to mention it’s on an island off of Florida. Juniper Island is actually home to many luxurious celebrity mansions. To top it off, this estate has a tennis court among other incredible amenities.
He Was Her Everything
After her sensational success with Titanic, Celine started her “Let’s Talk About Love” world tour. This was the same time that Rene was diagnosed with cancer.
He Was Her Everything
Celine received the heartbreaking news while performing. She then decided to perform a tribute song for her husband. On January 14, 2016, Rene passed away after fighting the disease.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
The couple was actually blessed with twins later on, after a variety of treatments. Eddy and Nelson were born on October 23, 2010. Nelson was named after the famous South-African president, Nelson Mandela.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
On the other hand, Eddy’s name derived from the producer of Celine’s first five albums, Eddy Marnary. Celine appeared on the cover of the Canadian edition of Hello! magazine with the newborn twins not long after.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
Celine Dion is also active when it comes to charity work. When the terrifying tsunami hit Asia, she organized an event that was able to raise $1 million for the victims.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
She also donated $1 million dollars for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. She was not afraid to let the whole world know about the US government’s inefficiency.
Her Secret Dad
Celine’s father is another person who played an important role in her success. Her father, Adhemar Dion, sadly passed away in back in 2001. She was very close to him, and his passing was very difficult on her as well as the rest of her family.
Her Secret Dad
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”.
She Prepared her Kids for Death
Celine had to deal with the big task of telling her kids about their father’s condition. When asked about it, she said, “I’m proud of the way I prepared my boys for their dad’s death.”
She Prepared Her Kids For 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.”
Her Son is Too Young
The first public appearance of Rene Charles Angelil was when he was a presenter in the Billboard Music Awards. He was assigned to present an award she won to his mom!
Her Son Is Too Young
Many were amazed by how handsome Celine’s first son was. All the same, it isn’t a usual thing for a celebrity to bring their child on stage in any public appearance.
She Made it to 90
To this very day, Celine’s mother is still healthy and living as well as ever. As a matter of fact, Celine’s beloved mother just recently celebrated her 92nd birthday! How incredible is that?
She Made It To 90
Aside from being a famous singer’s stage mom, Celine’s mother has become the host of a cooking show in Canada. Not to mention that she’s launched her own line of food products.
She NEVER Misses a Beat
Celine Dion is one of the easiest celebrities to conduct an interview with. Talk show hosts and journalists love her for it and can’t seem to get enough of her.
She NEVER Misses A Beat
For instance, when she was the guest star in the Ellen DeGeneres show where her jewelry was praised, Celine sang a Donna Summer song, “She worked hard for the money”. Her joyous attitude also played a part in launching her career.
Without a Brother
Celine had to endure many obstacles throughout her life. The same week Rene had passed away, Celine’s brother, Daniel, passed away for the same sad reason – cancer.
Without A Brother
It was most definitely the worst week for her and her family. Unfortunately, many families are typically familiar with the pain and suffering of having a loved one pass away from the horrid disease.
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
Celine’s siblings were talented singers as well – their whole family was actually very musically talented. Claudette, one of her older sisters, also pursued a career in music.
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
Sadly, she was unable to obtain the same level of fame and success that Celine has. But who knows, maybe she’ll reach her goals in the future!
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
Even after such an accomplished music career, Celine Dion took a gamble when released her very own fashion line. It made sense— she is well-known as one of the music industry’s most fashionable celebrities.
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
This motivated her to start her own clothing brand. Her line has over 200 pieces. According to her, it was her family members who inspired and influenced her when designing all the pieces.
TV Debut
Celine Dion is undoubtedly talented in more ways than one. She showcased her acting skills in a Thanksgiving episode of the popular TV show, All My Children.
TV Debut
In the episode, Celine was a guest of Erica’s (Susan Lucci) talk show, ‘New Beginnings’, singing the title track “Taking Chances”. The episode aired on Wednesday, November 21, 2007.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
She might have started dabbling in other fields, but her passion for singing has remained unchanged. After all, it was the instrument she used in order to achieve her goals and help her family.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
She is now worth an impressive $800 million. The Canadian singer and businesswoman is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 200 million records worldwide.
A Canadian Star
Did you know that Celine Dion is one of the select Canadian celebrities to have a star in both the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as in the Canadian Walk of Fame?
A Canadian Star
Don’t forget to keep an eye peeled out for her star when you find yourself in either of these places! This incredible achievement happened about thirteen years into her successful career.
They Are All Related
One interesting fact about Celine is that she actually shares blood relations with some of the biggest celebrities. This includes the likes of Madonna, Shania Twain, and Beyoncé. These performers discovered that they can all trace back their bloodlines to the French Canadian Zacharie Cloutier.
They Are All Related
In 1634, he left France and ventured into North America. His family was one of the earliest to settle in what was then known as “New France”. Now that’s an amazing story!
Master Of Many Tongues
Aside from English and French, Celine can also perform in other different languages like in Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Japanese, and Mandarin. Color us impressed!
Master Of Many Tongues
Who else can perform in so many different languages? Not many, now that we think of it. It truly is impressive to be able to sing in all these languages.
A Staggering Net Worth
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Celine Dion is making an absolute fortune. Her career spans many decades now and she had countless sold out concerts and millions of record sales.
A Staggering Net Worth
In the 2000s, she was declared as the highest-earning celebrity and she even accumulated $465 million from her singing performances in Las Vegas. Her other sources of profit are her investments in multiple restaurants, real estate, TV gigs, and her fashion line.
Hit And Miss
Celine is blessed to have numerous hits under her name. We all know that “My Heart Will Go On” was and remains her greatest hit. However, not all of her songs achieved similar success.
Hit And Miss
A clear example was a song she performed for the animated movie “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West”. The song “Dreams to Dream” didn’t become very popular.
Love of Golf
Do you know what Celine Dion’s favorite sport is to play? It’s golf! In fact, she enjoys it as both a player and a spectator. The sport is one of her preferred ways to relax and unwind.
Love Of Golf
Now, you might be wondering if she was any good. And we can safely say that, yes, she is a very good golfer. She played it for many years and still adores the sport to this day.
Love Of Golf
To back it up, Celine and her husband actually modernized Le Mirage and gave millions to the Quebecois club for its development. This was back in 2008.
Celine Playing Golf
The pair even advertised the fancy club and posted an online statement to encourage visitors to drop by. They said that “a visit to the Mirage is an adventure in itself.”
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
No other artist has had the opportunity to perform at the Academy Awards than Celine Dion. With her wonderful voice, we don’t know anyone who is more deserving of the honor!
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
In fact, she took the stage in 1998, performing her iconic hit, “My Heart Will Go On”. Not to mention, Celine has said that this performance was a defining moment of her career.
The Oscars
The primary reason why she has always been asked to perform is due to her work in movie soundtracks. In 2011 Oscars, she sang “Smile” as a tribute to the celebrities who passed away in the previous year.
Oscar Performances
Over the years, she has been able to set the record for an artist performing in the Oscars. She performed so well that Rolling Stone magazine included her performances in their top 20 list of the Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances.
Oscar Fashion
Celine never failed to amaze us over and over and again! And not just when it comes to her performances. In 1999 Oscar, she wore a backward white tuxedo.
Backwards Oscar Tux
At the time, this look made waves in the fashion industry. Nowadays, however, Celine says that this look was simply ahead of its time. She claims that had she worn it recently, it would have been adored.
Backwards White Tux
Many people criticized Celine when she wore this ensemble. Some even went as far as to call it a “fashion disaster”. And in an interview with PEOPLE magazine, she expressed that she was happy while wearing it, despite the negative reaction she received.
Backwards White Tux
Regardless, it’s undeniable that Celine set herself apart from the other guests! It actually became somewhat of a signature look of hers. We say this because she was seen recently sporting a blazer backwards, again.
White Backwards Tux
“When I wore that look, yes it was at the Oscars, and when I wore that, everyone was wearing dresses, not pants,” she explained, “I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work.”
Backwards White Tux And Gwens Dress At The Oscars
“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.” There’s no doubt that this look has become iconic in the years since.
It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
This song was originally meant to be sung by Meat Loaf! It sounds a little unbelievable now, but that was how it was. The composer eventually decided that it would be better for a female singer.
A Hit Out Of Hell
That was probably the best decision of his life, considering how “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” became extremely popular around the world.
Clinging On To Her Children
Celine was having a hard time moving on from the death of her husband. Who can blame her? In an interview, she said, “I miss him a lot for my partner, for the man I was embracing, kissing, and making love with.”
Clinging On To Her Children
“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.”
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
When talking about her choice of songs, it appears like she can sing it all! Celine is known for putting her own touch on other artist’s songs.
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
Just listen to her covers of hits like Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night”, Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself”, and John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy.” You’ll know what we mean. Only a handful of artists have the ability to do that!
Collaborations
In the industry, Celine has a reputation for being a great collaborator. These testimonies came after her duets with other sensational singers. Some of the artists she sang with were Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti, and Aretha Franklin.
Collaborations
Celine and Barbara’s duet, “Tell Him”, was nominated for a Grammy and was nearly performed at the award ceremony. The reason it wasn’t is because Barbara came down with the flu and couldn’t sing.
Certified Diamond
Celine Dion is one of the handful of famous artists to earn the “diamond status” award. An album must sell more than 10 million copies in order to obtain this prestigious status from the Record Industry Association of American.
Certified Diamond
Celine has two albums that have been verified diamond status. They are “Falling Into You” from 1996 and Let’s Talk About Love” from the following year.
A Best Selling Female Artist
Nielson Soundscan System was used in 1991 by various record executives to keep an eye on album sales. Based on the statistical data, only Rihanna and Mariah Carey were ahead of her in terms of the number of albums sold in the Northern American region!
A Best Selling Female Artist
Just about all her albums earned certifications and made their way to the top of the charts in many different countries all over the world. In short, Celine is nothing less than a global phenomenon!