is celine dion biography

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction

Early life and career

Superstardom and “my heart will go on”, career hiatus, las vegas residencies, and collaborations, death of husband and stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, honors, memoir, and documentary.

• What is the Eurovision Song Contest?

Céline Dion

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• AllMusic - Celine Dion
• The Canadian Encyclopedia - Biography of Céline Dion
• Official Site of Celine Dion
• Turner Classic Movies - Biography of Celine Dion
• Céline Dion - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

News •

Céline Dion (born March 30, 1968, Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian pop singer, known for her vocal prowess and her passionate showmanship, who achieved international superstardom in the 1990s. Working primarily in the pop ballad tradition, she recorded numerous hit albums in both French and English .

The youngest of 14 children raised in a small town near Montreal , Dion began singing with her musically inclined family when she was five years old. At age 12 she came to the attention of impresario René Angélil—whom she eventually married in 1994—and he launched her career with the album La Voix du bon Dieu (1981; “The Voice of God”). Dion subsequently won an award at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo in 1982, and the following year she received the first of many Félix awards (for musicians from Quebec ). Also in 1983 she became the first Canadian recipient of a gold record in France . Invited to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988, Dion won with her performance of “Ne partez pas sans moi” (“Do Not Leave Without Me”). By the end of the 1980s, she had recorded eight studio albums in French. As she transitioned into adulthood, she shed her image as a winsome naïf in favor of a more worldly look and sound.

In 1990 Dion released her first English-language album, Unison , and the romantic ballad “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” became her first top-10 single in the United States . She attracted further international attention for her Grammy Award -winning duet with Peabo Bryson on “ Beauty and the Beast ” (1991), from the Disney animated feature of the same name . Before long, Dion’s evident vocal talent and emotionally driven songs had made her a worldwide phenomenon, even as some critics dismissed her music as schmaltzy and overly polished. With The Colour of My Love (1993), she scored another hit single (the soaring “The Power of Love”), and Falling into You (1996) earned two Grammys, including album of the year .

At the beginning of the 21st century, Dion took a hiatus from her career to focus on her family. She returned with the albums A New Day Has Come (2002) and One Heart (2003), which flirted with dance pop in addition to her usual adult contemporary fare. While the releases were commercially successful by most standards, their sales did not reach Dion’s previous heights. In 2003 she began performing a live show in Las Vegas , which ran for more than four years, and she launched a second residency there in 2011. Dion’s later recordings included the English-language Miracle (2004) and Taking Chances (2007) and the French-language 1 fille & 4 types (2003; “1 Girl & 4 Guys”) and D’elles (2007; “About Them”).

Despite the fact that Dion was no longer the dominant cultural force that she had been a decade earlier, it was reported in 2007 that worldwide sales of her albums had surpassed 200 million. That total increased after the release of Sans attendre (2012; “Without Waiting”), which included several duets, including one with French rock legend Johnny Hallyday, and Loved Me Back to Life (2013), which featured a duet with Stevie Wonder , among others.

In 2014–15 Dion took a break from performing to care for her ailing husband, who died in early 2016. During this time she was in the midst of her Las Vegas residency and was recording the French album Encore un soir (2016; “One More Night”), which was released some seven months after René Angélil’s death. She later recorded “How Does a Moment Last Forever” for the live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017) and “Ashes” for the parody superhero film Deadpool 2 (2018). In 2019 Dion released Courage , her first English-language album in six years. Three years later the singer announced that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome. The rare neurological disorder was causing spasms that affected her mobility and vocal cords . As she underwent treatment, Dion canceled or postponed various dates for her 2023 tour.

Dion was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was appointed Companion in 2008. A memoir, Ma vie, mon rêve ( My Story, My Dream ; with Georges-Hébert Germain), was published in 2000. I Am: Celine Dion , a behind-the-scenes documentary about her career and health struggles, was released to positive reviews in 2024.

CELINE DION

A Woman of Destiny

1968 - 1980.

Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Québec, a little town 50 kilometers from Montréal. She was the 14th child of Thérèse Tanguay and Adhémar Dion. The Dion family was a humble one of modest means, but never lacked for love. The house was jam-packed with children, and Celine’s mom even had to lay her littlest one to sleep in a drawer.

Already, the legend had begun …

The entire family shared the same passion: music. The parents and children even formed a group that performed concerts in the area. From her earliest childhood, Celine would join in. Thérèse swiftly noted her baby’s remarkable talent. All of her children were gifted, but Celine was exceptionally so.

At the age of 12, she wrote her first song, with the help of her mother and her brother Jacques: "Ce n’était qu’un rêve." But it certainly was not just a dream! And thanks to her mother, that dream would start to become a reality. Thérèse sent a cassette of the song to impresario René Angélil. She chose him because he had managed the career of the family’s idol, Québécois singer Ginette Reno. In fact, Reno had just informed Angélil that she would no longer require his services. He was about to realign his career when he heard the cassette that would change his destiny, and the destiny of a young girl from Charlemagne.

He invited her to an appointment in his office, handed her a pencil and said, “Here’s your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sold-out audience.” Celine sang. On the spot, René became her biggest fan. It was the beginning of the most wonderful artist-manager relationship in the history of show business.

1981 - 1985

On June 19, 1981, Celine Dion sang on TV for the first time, on Michel Jasmin’s talk show. The Québécois audience immediately adopted her. Everyone was convinced that she would go far, but no one could have imagined what was to come.

René Angélil believed so completely in his young protégée that he mortgaged his house to finance her first album. It was the finest bet the great gambler ever made. Lyricist Eddy Marnay, who had worked with some of the world’s greatest vocalists including Édith Piaf, Yves Montand and Barbra Streisand, agreed to write songs for Celine. The first time Marnay heard Celine sing, he exclaimed: “It’s the voice of the Good Lord!” La voix du bon Dieu would become their first hit.

In 1982, Celine won the gold medal at the 13th Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. She sang "Tellement j’ai d’amour pour toi", written by Marnay and Giraud, for an audience of 115 million TV viewers. She was just 14.

Next, she made her first appearance on TV in France, on famed program Champs-Élysées hosted by Michel Drucker. To this day, the entire country recalls the moment when the host announced to his audience: “Remember her name: Celine Dion!” In 1983, she became the first Canadian to be awarded a gold album in France. It would not be her last.

That same year, at the ADISQ gala recognizing the finest in Québécois music, she won her first 4 Félix Awards. She has won a record 45 to date.

On September 11, 1984, in Olympic Stadium in Montréal, an audience of 60,000 watched Celine sing "Une colombe" in front of Pope John Paul II. A moment of grace. Two months later, she performed in the Olympia in Paris, opening for fanciful singer Patrick Sébastien for five weeks. In 1985, she launched a major tour of Québec. From show to show, the young singer was evolving into a true performer.

1986 - 1992

And then, she and her manager decided the time was right to take a break. An artist on the rise, Celine withdrew from live performance for 18 months. It was another daring gamble. Would she be forgotten like so many child stars before her, never able to recapture the success of their debut? In fact, the opposite was true. When she returned, her audience met a Celine transformed, more solid than ever, having perfectly mastered English, topping the charts with the album marking her metamorphosis: Incognito . The title track was written by Luc Plamondon, a talented lyricist in tune with his era. Celine was no longer a child singer – she was the voice of her time. Incognito sold over half a million copies. It was the first album produced with her new record label, CBS, which would become Sony Music; the same label as Michael Jackson. Celine was in the major leagues.

In 1988, in Dublin, Ireland, she won the prestigious Eurovision contest before an audience of 600 million TV viewers. That moment was the beginning of her global conquest.

In 1990, she successfully entered the American market with her first album in English, Unison . Certified gold in the U.S., the single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" reached #5 on the charts. She was welcomed to The Tonight Show by host Jay Leno, who predicted she would go on to an extraordinary career. At Canada’s Juno Awards, recognizing the finest in Canadian music, she won the Juno for Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

In the autumn of 1991, she launched the album Dion chante Plamondon , certified gold on the day of its release.

With her career unfolding like a fairytale, the singer made her own American dream come true thanks to the theme song for a Walt Disney film. "Beauty and the Beast", performed as a duet by Celine and Peabo Bryson, hit #1 on charts worldwide, winning a Grammy Award and an Academy Award. On March 30, 1992, her 24th birthday, Celine sang with Peabo during the Oscars broadcast.

The day after the Oscars, Celine launched her second English-language album on The Tonight Show. The Wall Street Journal proclaimed Celine as a “once-in-a-generation voice.”

As 1993 began, Celine sang “The Power of Love” for President Clinton at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the power of love was what drove the Dion-Angélil duo. In November, upon the release of the album The Colour of My Love , Celine revealed to her audience that she was in love with René.

The single “The Power of Love” remained at #1 on the Billboard charts for 4 weeks. In England, both the single “Think Twice” and the album held the #1 spot on the hit parade for 5 weeks, equaling a record held by The Beatles. The Colour of My Love was certified as a diamond album in Canada for racking up sales of over one million copies.

On December 17, 1994, Celine married the love of her life, René Angélil, in Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal. It was a wedding fit for a princess, as spectacular as it was sincere. The legend rolled on; so did the honeymoon with her audience.

In 1995, Celine Dion teamed up with singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman to create one of the great masterpieces of francophone music: the album D’eux . It would go on to become the biggest-selling French album in history, selling 10 million copies around the world, with a series of classics forever etched in our memories: “Pour que tu m’aimes encore“, “Je sais pas“, “Les derniers seront les premiers“…

D’eux also included the moving song “Vole“, dedicated to the memory of Karine, Celine’s niece, who died at the age of 16 after a long struggle with Cystic Fibrosis.

In February 1996, Celine triumphed at the Victoires de la Musique, the French version of the Grammy Awards, winning the Victoires awards for Song of the Year (Pour que tu m’aimes encore) and Female Vocalist of the Year.

In March of the same year, Celine launched the album Falling Into You . It would go on to become the biggest-selling album of 1996 worldwide. Hitting #1 in 11 countries, the album went on to win two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Falling Into You has sold over 30 million copies.

On July 19, 1996, for a TV audience of 3.5 billion viewers, Celine Dion sang “The Power of the Dream“ during the Opening Ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympic Games. It was the ultimate triumph: she was now the most famous singer on the planet.

In March 1997, Celine Dion became the first artist to perform two songs during the Oscars. She sang her own hit “Because You Loved Me“, theme song from the film Up Close and Personal , and replaced an ailing Natalie Cole at a moment’s notice, performing “I Finally Found Someone“, the theme song from the film The Mirror Has Two Faces . The woman has nerves of steel.

In November 1997, Celine released her 18th album, Let’s Talk About Love , featuring collaborations with Luciano Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Carole King and Sir George Martin. What a constellation of stars! Let’s Talk About Love also included the momentous single “My Heart Will Go On“, theme song from the mega-production Titanic . The song would become the jewel of Celine’s repertoire.

She performed it majestically during the 70th Academy Awards. “My Heart Will Go On“ won the Oscar for Best Original Song. The original soundtrack to Titanic became the best-selling soundtrack in history, selling 30 million copies, equaling the sales of the album Let’s Talk About Love , which also included the hymn to Jack and Rose's love affair. A titanic feat.

In February 1998, Celine launched the album “S’il suffisait d’aimer“, created with her close collaborator Jean-Jacques Goldman. The title song became an instant classic in the francophone repertoire. Just before the end of the year festivities, she offered her fans a gift: the album These Are Special Times . The same year witnessed the publication of her first official biography, written by George Hébert-Germain.

The Let’s Talk About Love world tour was a massive triumph, culminating in two evenings at Stade de France, à Paris, attended by 180,000. René, now battling cancer, missed the events. Celine paid tribute to him during the show, receiving a standing ovation. René beat the disease and was onstage at the Centre Molson in Montréal on December 31, 1999 to kiss his sweetheart in the last seconds of the millennium. The extraordinary concert was the last before Celine took a well-deserved rest.

On January 25, 2001, Celine achieved the most important role of her life: mother! René-Charles Angélil was born at 1 a.m., weighing 6 lbs., 8 oz.

Just over a year later, Celine launched the album A New Day Has Come . It landed at #1 on the charts in 17 countries including Canada, France, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

And then René, the visionary, made another gamble, one only Celine could win. He created a new show in Las Vegas in a 4000-seat theater specially conceived just for her in Caesars Palace, presenting it as a residency, five nights a week, for a minimum of three years. A spectacle including dancers and special effects directed by Franco Dragone, the renowned creator behind 10 Cirque du Soleil productions. The show, A New Day… , is a revolution. It forever changed the face of the entertainment capital.

The premiere was held on March 25, 2003, the farewell almost 5 years later, on December 15, 2007. Over 700 sold-out performances for 3 million spectators! Once again, the gamble paid off. The DVD Celine Dion Live in Las Vegas became the only triple-platinum certified music DVD in Canada.

During her residency in Vegas, Celine somehow found the time to release the albums One Heart , Une fille & 4 types , the live album A New Day… Live in Las Vegas , the concept albums Miracle and D’elles , the compilation On ne change pas , and Taking Chances .

She also managed to appear as part of the Oscars on February 25, 2007 for a 5th time, participating in the tribute to one of the greatest of film composers, Italy’s Ennio Morricone.

With her Las Vegas farewell barely over, Celine embarked anew on global conquest. Her tour opened on February 14, 2008 in South Africa, then rolled through Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada and the U.S. 5 continents, 23 countries, 93 cities, 3 million spectators. The 2nd most profitable North American tour of 2008. The film, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World , immortalized the world tour, presenting it as a family trip. We follow Celine and her loved ones through every stop. The DVD landed at #1 on the charts in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

On August 22, 2008, Celine triumphed in front of 250,000 fans assembled on the Plains of Abraham for a unique concert unique as part of the festivities surrounding the 400th anniversary of Québec City. She performed many duets with each and every one of her special guests but above all, she finally got to sing with one of her all-time favourite idols.

The biggest-selling female singer in music history took a break for her second pregnancy. And since she never does anything by half measures, on October 23, 2010, she gave birth to twins: Nelson and Eddy! They were baptized on March 5, 2011, in Las Vegas, just 10 days before her highly anticipated return to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Celine returned to the theatre to present a brand-new show directed Ken Ehrlich, the producer of the Grammy Awards. Las Vegas got its diva back. The entire city walked just a little taller. Her second residency in the Colosseum broke all box office records. The show landed at the top of the rankings in the Billboard Boxscore, the North American concert bible.

In November 2012, Celine presented her new album Sans attendre , singing duets with the icons of francophone song: Johnny Hallyday, Jean-Pierre Ferland and the late Henri Salvador. The album, certified diamond in France, was the biggest-selling album of the year in Québec.

In 2013, Celine launched the album Loved Me Back To Life , eagerly awaited by her fans all over the world. It held the #1 spot on the iTunes charts in 44 countries and reached #2 on the Billboard Top 200.

In July 2013, Celine returned home, presenting the concert-event Celine une seule fois on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City.

And then at the end of 2013, shocking news: René had began to battle cancer again.

Several months later, in 2014, Celine announced that she was postponing all her engagements to stay close to her husband, who was bravely fighting cancer. Celine went home to take care of her man and her family.

After spending a few months by René’s bedside, her sweetheart asked her for a favour: he wanted to see her onstage again. He wanted to hear her sing again. And so Celine re-started her residency at Caesars Palace. Diva by night; mother, wife and caregiver by day.

2016 - 2019

On January 14, 2016, René Angélil, the most famous impresario in the world, passed away. Millions and millions of fans were in mourning. Never before had a man in the shadows held such an important place in the hearts of the people. Fate would hand Celine a double blow, as two days later, her brother Daniel died.

On January 22, Angélil was buried after a national funeral in Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal, the very same place where, 22 years earlier, Celine and René had been united, for better or for worse, until death do us part.

The evening before, during the lying in state, Celine had received condolences from thousands of fans. Every decision René had made regarding Celine’s career was guided by his concern and desire to please her audience. Respect for the audience is the greatest legacy this distinguished man has bequeathed to the artistic community. And Celine burns with that same flame.

And that is why, on February 23, 2016, several weeks after the death of her husband, Celine took to the stage of Colosseum again. She knows that her fans count on her to illuminate their lives, and she counts on them to illuminate hers. The opening of the concert, relayed on the Internet, captured the heart of the online world.

On May 22, at the Billboard Music Awards, Celine sang “The Show Must Go On“ and was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Icon Award by her son, René-Charles. Rarely has there been an award presentation so moving, so full of tender and sincere emotion.

On May 24, she launched the first single from her new French-language album. Written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, it is a tribute to René, entitled "Encore un soir". The song rocketed to #1 on every chart in the French-speaking world.

In the summer, Celine completed a 28 sold-out show tour of Europe and Québec before returning to Las Vegas for another series of performances.

In August, Sony Music released Encore Un Soir Celine’s first French-language album in four years. Encore un soir topped the charts in France, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland, and was certified Diamond in France, Double-Platinum in Canada and Platinum in Belgium and Switzerland. Encore un soir also became Celine’s first French-language album to appear on the US Billboard charts.

Celine began 2017 by continuing her residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Projects followed one another as Celine launched the Celine Dion Collection, a line of handbags, luggage and accessories and released "How Does Moment Last Forever", theme song of the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast .

In May, Celine attended the prestigious Met Gala in New York where she shined in an Atelier Versace outfit designed by Donatella Versace. Later that month, Celine hit the stage at the Billboard Music Awards to sing her mega hit "My Heart Will Go On" in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the movie Titanic .

In the summer of 2017, Celine took a break from her Las Vegas residency to tour across Europe and the United Kingdom with 25 sold-out shows in 15 cities. She broke records across the UK as the highest grossing artist at each UK venue and garnered critical acclaim.

After this triumphant trip to Europe, Celine returned to Caesars Palace for a new series of shows to end 2017.

In May 2018, the song "Ashes", from the soundtrack of the Deadpool 2 movie, was released along with the official video, directed by David Leitch. The video features Deadpool himself and was filmed in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the very venue where Celine hosts her Las Vegas residency show.

That summer Celine embarked on a two-month tour of the Asia-Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand – the first time in 20 years! Celine returned to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in September 2018 and announced that more than 15 years after the premiere of her first critically-acclaimed Las Vegas residency, her second production Celine at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace would end on June 8, 2019.

In November 2018, Celine and kids wear brand NUNUNU launched a new children’s fashion brand CELINUNUNU featuring gender-neutral styles and a minimalistic colour palette.

2019 promises to be the beginning of a new era. Celine, named L'Oréal's newest global spokesperson, will begin her Courage World Tour in the fall after ending her legendary Las Vegas residency. During her last show in Las Vegas Celine debuted “Flying On My Own” a new upbeat, empowering track from her forthcoming album.

Three months later, in Quebec City on September 18, Céline kicks off her much-anticipated Courage World Tour, which was scheduled to take her to nearly a hundred cities around the world.

On November 15, Céline releases her first English-language album in 6 years, ‘Courage’, an eclectic album reflecting Céline's new artistic direction. The album includes the hits "Imperfections", "Lying Down" and "Courage", all released on the same day as her major world tour.

2020 - 2023

The year 2020, however, muddies the waters for both Céline and the rest of the world. After 50 sold-out concerts, Céline gave what turned out to be the last two concerts of her Courage world tour, on March 7 and 8, in Newark, New Jersey, before the rest of the tour was postponed in view of the growing threat of the COVID-19 virus. The remainder of the Courage tour, scheduled to tour the U.S. and Europe in the following months, is postponed.

In May 2021, Céline announced her grand return to the stage, at the new Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas, which would take place in November of that year. Unfortunately, a few weeks before the start of this residency, Céline was forced to postpone her Las Vegas show dates, due to health problems.

Then, on December 8, 2022, Céline bravely revealed that she was suffering from a rare syndrome called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPF), which prevented her from returning to the stage.

In 2023, fans however had the opportunity to see Céline perform on the big screen, as she plays herself alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan in the romantic comedy ‘Love Again’, her very first film role.

The film is accompanied by a soundtrack consisting mainly of Céline's greatest hits and five new, previously unreleased songs, including the title track. The film is a big hit with Céline fans, both in cinemas and on streaming platforms.

With a career spanning over 40 years, Céline Dion has become an icon of popular music. One of the most powerful and moving voices ever heard. An honest woman who sings from the heart. It's as simple and true as that.

The Smooth Late Show with Martin Collins 10pm - 1am

Now Playing

Songbird Eva Cassidy Download 'Songbird' on iTunes

Celine Dion

Celine Dion facts: Singer's age, family, husband, children and career explained

25 June 2024, 16:17

Celine Dion is known for her powerful vocals, and is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and best-selling French-language artist of all time.

• This video of Celine Dion singing in 9 different languages is absolutely incredible
• The electrifying moment unknown Celine Dion won Eurovision by just one point in 1988
• Celine Dion gives moving message in first video appearance since Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis

Celine first emerged as a teen star in her home country, and won international fame by winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest , where she represented Switzerland.

She soon signed with Epic Records in the United States, and by 1993 she had become a worldwide star.

With record sales of over 200 million, she is regarded as one of pop music's most influential and successful singers. Celine has also won five Grammy Awards, and is referred to as the 'Priestess of Pop'.

How old is Celine Dion and where is she from?

Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Quebec, Canada. She celebrated her 56th birthday in 2024.

• Celine Dion's reaction to a fan singing at her is hilarious - video

The youngest of 14 children, Celine joined her parents Adhemar and Therese Dion on the road when she was a baby.

They formed a singing group called Dion's Family and toured Canada with the children and would later open a piano bar where Celine impressed customers with her singing voice when she was just at 5-years-old.

Does Celine Dion have a partner and children?

After Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil died in 2016, Celine has been linked to backing dancer Pepe Munoz.

• Celine Dion and her kids pay emotional tribute to late husband at final Las Vegas show

Celine and Rene were married for 22 years after their wedding in 1994 and until his death and they had three children together.

19-year-old Rene-Charles Angelil and 9-year-old twin boys Eddy Angelil & Nelson Angelil.

In 2020, Celine has been rumoured to be dating 34-year-old Pepe Munoz, but this has yet to be confirmed by the singer.

What is Celine Dion's net worth?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on Jan 30, 2020 at 7:40am PST

Celine Dion is one of the most successful musicians in history.

Her net worth is a reported $800 million and according to Forbes she earnt $37.5 million in 2019 alone .

• Celine Dion's 7 greatest duets of all time

An incredible half of her wealth has been earned in Las Vegas alone. Since the 2003 opening of her A New Day show, Celine has earned around $400 million performing 70 shows a year.

Celine has sold 220 million albums during her 30-year career and is also a spokesperson for L'Oreal.

What are Celine Dion's most famous songs?

Arguably one of the most famous songs in musical history, Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' from the film Titanic, which won the 1998 Oscar for Best Original Song.

The next year at the 1999 Grammy Awards, Celine Dion cleared the boards with 'My Heart Will Go On' winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.

Other famous songs by Celine include ' Because You Loved Me ', ' The Power Of Love ', 'That's The Way It Is', Falling Into You' and ' All By Myself '.

• Celine Dion's 10 greatest songs, ranked

Celine has been recognised across the world as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time and other awards she has won include seven Billboard Music Awards, six American Music Awards, twenty Juno Awards and forty-five Félix Awards.

What health issues does Celine Dion have?

Celine Dion announces diagnosis with incurable neurological disorder

Celine Dion has been quietly battling Stiff-Person Syndrome after being diagnosed in 2022.

The rare autoimmune neurological disorder affects 'one in a million' people, and is characterised by muscle spasms, often triggered by noise, touch and stress.

• Celine Dion's sister shares health update after star's Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis
• Celine Dion's last performance: Star sings 'My Heart Will Go On' before Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis

Celine said her health had been causing her trouble for an extended period of time.She said: "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.

"I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it's been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.

"While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having," she added.

"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February."

More from Celine Dion

See more More from Celine Dion

Celine Dion's 10 best ever songs, ranked

Celine dion in tears over kelly clarkson's cover of 'my heart will go on', when celine dion paused backstage interview to watch her idol whitney houston perform, michael jackson's forgotten star-studded charity single for 9/11 that his label axed is amazing.

Michael Jackson

‘Fly’: The devastating song Celine Dion dedicated to her late niece Karine

Latest music news.

See more Latest Music News

When Taron Egerton teamed up with Elton John for soaring ‘Tiny Dancer’ duet

80s icon nik kershaw hitting the road in 2025 for intimate uk tour, remembering liam payne's powerful rendition of 'cry me a river' at his 2010 x factor audition, boy george and culture club to play special uk tour including massive liverpool and manchester shows, how sting and robert downey jr struck up an unlikely lifelong friendship, smooth playlists, smooth's all time top 500, smooth soul, smooth country hot hits, smooth chill concentration, smooth podcast picks, they don't teach this at school with myleene klass, take that: this life, runpod with jenni falconer, the news agents.

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

Turns out there was more to Céline Dion’s surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammy Awards than what TV cameras captured. Dion, who currently isn’t performing due to her neurological disorder stiff person syndrome, showed off her vocals backstage in a viral Instagram video from the ceremony on February 4. In the clip, the 55-year-old is seen sharing riffs and runs with singer and songwriter Sonyae Elise.

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 .

Who Is Céline Dion?

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.

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.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn ’ t look right, contact us !

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Grammy Awards

Dolly Parton

Cynthia Erivo

Taylor Swift

Garth Brooks

Sean “Diddy” Combs

Kris Kristofferson

Post Malone

Keith Urban

Gwen Stefani

Miley Cyrus

Celine Dion Biography

Birthday: March 30 , 1968 ( Aries )

Born In: Charlemagne, Canada

Celine Dion is a Canadian singer counted among the highest earning singers in history. Highly popular not just in her native Canada, but all over the world for her soulful and melodious voice, she is best known for singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’, the main theme song of the 1997 blockbuster film ‘Titanic’. The song peaked at No. 1 in several countries across the continents including Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia and made her one of the most sought after singers in the world. This was the kind of fame and success even Dion herself would not have envisioned decades ago when as a little girl she was growing up in a large, poverty-stricken family. Talented and ambitious from a young age, she always dreamed of becoming a singer one day. As a child she began performing at the small club her parents operated and composed her first song in collaboration with her mother and brother at the age of 12. This song grabbed the attention of music manager Rene Angelil who was so touched by her voice that he mortgaged his home to finance her first record. His intuition proved to be right, and soon Celine became a major star in Canada. Gradually her popularity spread to other parts of the world and today she figures among the best-known international singers.

Recommended For You

Canadian Celebrities Born In March

Also Known As: Céline Marie Claudette Dion

Age: 56 Years , 56 Year Old Females

Spouse/Ex-: René Angélil (m. 1994–2016)

father: Adhémar Dion

mother: Thérèse Dion

siblings: Jacques Dion, Linda Dion, Michel Dondalinger Dion

children: Eddy Angelil, Nelson Angelil, René-Charles Angelil

Born Country: Canada

Philanthropists Pop Singers

Height: 5'7" (170 cm ), 5'7" Females

Grouping of People: Christians

Personality: ENTP

Founder/Co-Founder: Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

You wanted to know

What are some of celine dion's most popular songs.

Some of Celine Dion's most popular songs include "My Heart Will Go On," "The Power of Love," "Because You Loved Me," "All By Myself," and "To Love You More."

How many languages can Celine Dion speak?

Celine Dion is fluent in both English and French.

Has Celine Dion been involved in any charity work?

Yes, Celine Dion has been involved in various charitable efforts, including supporting organizations such as the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.

What is Celine Dion's vocal range?

Celine Dion is known for her impressive vocal range, which spans from a low E2 to a high C#6.

Has Celine Dion ever acted in movies?

Yes, Celine Dion has made appearances in a few movies, including "The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot" and "The Muppets Most Wanted."

Recommended Lists:

Celine Dion once released a fragrance called "Celine Dion Notes" in 2011, showcasing her passion for both music and fashion.

She holds the record for the longest-running residency show in Las Vegas, with her show "Celine" at Caesars Palace running for over 8 years.

Celine Dion has a unique superstition of touching a piece of wood before every one of her performances for good luck.

In addition to her impressive music career, Celine Dion is also known for her philanthropic efforts, supporting various charities and causes over the years.

Celine Dion is fluent in both English and French, showcasing her versatility as a multilingual artist.

See the events in life of Celine Dion in Chronological Order

How To Cite

People Also Viewed

Also Listed In

© Famous People All Rights Reserved

Search The Canadian Encyclopedia

Enter your search term

Why sign up?

Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map.

• MLA 8TH EDITION
• Rioux, Christian et al. "Céline Dion". The Canadian Encyclopedia , 02 July 2024, Historica Canada . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc. Accessed 17 October 2024.
• The Canadian Encyclopedia , 02 July 2024, Historica Canada . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc. Accessed 17 October 2024." href="#" class="js-copy-clipboard b b-md b-invert b-modal-copy">Copy
• APA 6TH EDITION
• Rioux, C., & King, B., & McIntosh, A. (2024). Céline Dion. In The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc
• The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc" href="#" class="js-copy-clipboard b b-md b-invert b-modal-copy">Copy
• CHICAGO 17TH EDITION
• Rioux, Christian , and Betty Nygaard King, , and Andrew McIntosh. "Céline Dion." The Canadian Encyclopedia . Historica Canada. Article published October 30, 2008; Last Edited July 02, 2024.
• The Canadian Encyclopedia . Historica Canada. Article published October 30, 2008; Last Edited July 02, 2024." href="#" class="js-copy-clipboard b b-md b-invert b-modal-copy">Copy
• TURABIAN 8TH EDITION
• The Canadian Encyclopedia , s.v. "Céline Dion," by Christian Rioux, Betty Nygaard King, and Andrew McIntosh, Accessed October 17, 2024, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc
• The Canadian Encyclopedia , s.v. "Céline Dion," by Christian Rioux, Betty Nygaard King, and Andrew McIntosh, Accessed October 17, 2024, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/celine-dion-emc" href="#" class="js-copy-clipboard b b-md b-invert b-modal-copy">Copy

Thank you for your submission

Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions.

Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Céline Dion

Article by Christian Rioux , Betty Nygaard King , Andrew McIntosh

Published Online June 25, 2024

Last Edited July 2, 2024

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, CC , OQ , singer, entrepreneur (born 30 March 1968 in Charlemagne, QC). Céline Dion has been a global pop superstar for more than 30 years. She is the most commercially successful Canadian singer of all time and one of the best-selling music artists ever. A Québécoise icon since she was a teenager, she is equally successful in French and English and has sold more than 220 million albums worldwide. Known as the “queen of power ballads,” she has won five Grammy Awards, 20 Juno Awards and more than 40 Félix Awards , in addition to a myriad of other honours. Named the Best Selling Canadian Recording Artist of the Century in 1999, she has been inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, Canada’s Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada , an Officière of the Ordre national du Québec , a Compagne of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec and a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

Early Years and Career

Céline Dion’s mother was a violinist, and her father, an accordionist. The youngest of 14 children (most of them active in show business), Céline was a naturally gifted vocalist. Named after the song “Céline” by French singer Hugues Aufray, she was singing the songs of Ginette Reno at her parents’ restaurant near Repentigny by age seven.

Dion’s mother wrote her first song, “Ce n’était qu’un rêve.” She sent a recording to René Angélil , Ginette Reno’s manager, and arranged a meeting with him. Angélil later told the Montreal Gazette : “She was this homely little kid named Céline Dion. The mother did all the talking, and the girl never said a word. Then she started singing into a pencil, pretending it was a microphone. And what I heard was enough to make me cry. I heard a special voice like I had never heard before.” Angélil commissioned French lyricist Eddy Marnay to write “La Voix du Bon Dieu.” He also supervised the recording of Dion’s first single and became her manager.

Despite her undeniable, monumental talent and her reputation as something of a child prodigy, Dion has spoken of the difficulties she had growing up and establishing her career. Accustomed to her large, tight-knit family dynamic, she had trouble adjusting to school and wrote in her autobiography that she “detested” it. She was bullied and called “vampire” because of her skinny build and abnormally large canine teeth (which she has since had corrected). One Quebec tabloid even went so far as to crassly dub a teenage Dion “Canine Dion.” As she told W magazine in 2007, “I didn’t have, visually, what it took. I was not pretty, I had teeth problems, and I was very skinny. I didn’t fit the mold.”

However, Dion’s extraordinary voice and her simplicity quickly conquered Quebec. Her career experienced a meteoric rise. She made her Quebec television debut on 19 June 1981, at age 13. Her first album, La voix du bon Dieu , which Angélil mortgaged his house to finance, was released in November 1981. In 1982, Dion took part in the Tokyo Song Festival singing “Tellement j’ai d’amour pour toi.” She 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 sang on the program Champs-Élysées . In May 1982, she performed with the Orchestre métropolitain at Place des Arts , before embarking on a recital tour throughout Quebec. She also received a gold record in France (over 500,000 copies sold) for her recording of “D’amour ou d’amitié.”

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 . In 1983, she won several Félix Awards , including for best female performer and discovery of the year.

On 28 and 29 July 1984, Dion sang before an audience 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, Dion disappeared for a year and a half. She reappeared sporting short hair and tight sequinned dresses and speaking more fluent English. She had also taken dance and voice lessons. She began to sing music with very upbeat rhythms for young audiences. In 1988, she won the Eurovision Song Contest (representing Switzerland) for “Ne partez pas sans moi,” selling 200,000 copies of that single in Europe in two days. Incognito , an LP recorded that year, sold more than 200,000 copies in Quebec.

With CBS ( Sony ) investing in her international career, Céline Dion cut her first record in English, Unison (1990). It was produced by David Foster in Los Angeles, Chris Neal in London and Andy Goldmark in New York. It sold more than 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. Dion appeared several times on the American program The Tonight Show and rapidly became a darling of the US talk show circuit. She had already won 15 Félix Awards by 1991, when she won Juno Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year ( Unison ).

Dion generated mild controversy in 1990 when, asserting her French-Canadian status, she refused a Félix Award for best Anglophone artist. “I am not an anglophone artist and the public understands that,” she said. “Everywhere I go in the world, I say that I'm proud to be Québécoise.” In 1991, Dion told the Montreal Gazette , “The only dream I ever had was to be famous and to sing all my life and travel all over the world performing. And this is my dream come true.”

The year 1992 was a turning point in Dion’s career. Her second English-language album, Celine Dion , sold more than five million copies worldwide and became her first US platinum recording. It went on to achieve a rare diamond certification in Canda for more than 1 million copies sold. A single from the album, “If You Asked Me To,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Having become more proficient in English (thanks in part to Berlitz courses), Dion was able to make a concert tour of Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. A series of film soundtrack recordings ( An American Tail , Beauty and the Beast and Sleepless in Seattle ) were all successful. Dion sang at the Academy Awards (a duet of “Beauty and the Beast,” which won for Best Original Song). The recording also won the 1993 Grammy Award for best pop performance by a duo, cementing Dion’s entrance into the US market.

Dion toured the US, now as headliner, in 1993. On 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 now comfortable conversing in English, Céline Dion hosted the Juno Awards in 1993. She achieved the rare feat of winning Junos in both French-language and English-language categories, including Single of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Best-Selling Francophone Album ( Dion chante Plamondon ).

That same year, Dion 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 in 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 focused on powerful heart-tugging ballads and upbeat dance tunes.

The Colour of My Love (1993) became the most successful album to that time by a Canadian female pop singer. It sold 20 million copies worldwide. “The Power of Love,” a single produced by David Foster, reached No. 1 in both Canada and the US, and No. 4 in the United Kingdom.

In 1994, Dion married René Angélil in a lavish ceremony at Montréal’s Notre Dame Basilica . Angélil continued to manage her career.

Dion continued to have chart hits in both English and French, often in several countries (including France) simultaneously. Céline Dion à l’Olympia (1994) made her the world’s biggest-selling French-language singer. Her album D’Eux (1995) became the best-selling French album in history. Dion received the prestigious Médaille des Arts et Lettres from the French government. In the UK, she became a phenomenon in 1995 when The Colour of My Love and “Think Twice” topped the UK album and singles charts simultaneously for more than a month — the first time that feat had been achieved since The Beatles in 1964.

Dion embarked on a period of further intense activity, including world tours (1996–97, 1999) and North American tours (1998). She sang “Power of the Dream” at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta to an estimated TV audience of 3.5 billion. Dion’s fourth English-language album, Falling into You (1996), won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. It included the international hit single “Because You Loved Me,” which topped the US charts for six weeks.

Dion’s career followed a dizzying upward curve after Falling into You (1996) and Let’s Talk About Love (1997) each sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. (They would both eventually top 30 million worldwide.) The latter was fuelled by “My Heart Will Go On,” an epic romantic ballad that became a monster global hit. It reached No. 1 in at least nine countries, sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and became the second best-selling single by a woman ever, behind Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” “My Heart Will Go On” served as the love theme for James Cameron ’s blockbuster film Titanic (1997). Dion performed the Oscar-winning song at the 1998 Academy Awards.

During this period, Dion also maintained a parallel career in French, recording albums such as Dion chante Plamondon (1991) and D’eux (1998). The greatest hits album All the Way... A Decade of Song was released in 1999. In addition to nine familiar hits, it featured seven new songs, including the single “That’s the Way It Is” and a David Foster -produced version of the Frank Sinatra classic “All the Way.”

Beginning in January 2000, Céline Dion took an extended break from performing to start a family. In 2001, she gave birth to a son. She re-emerged in 2002 with the album A New Day Has Come , which featured pop ballads. It entered the album charts at No. 1 in 17 countries. The album One Heart followed in 2003. Her recordings and interviews began to focus on the theme of motherhood. One Heart was followed in October 2003 by 1 fille & 4 types . Like her earlier francophone albums, it was produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman.

In 2003, Dion signed a $100-million contract to perform five nights per week at the purpose-built Colosseum theatre at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Titled A New Day... , the show was directed by Cirque du Soleil ’s Franco Dragone and became an immediate success. It routinely sold out the 4,000-seat venue.

Two albums emerged in 2004: the concert recording A New Day... Live In Las Vegas and the album/book project Miracle . It was dedicated to the relationship of mother and child. It features covers of John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” among others. Dion participated fully in American writer Jenna Glatzer’s biography Celine Dion: For Keeps . It was released in 2005, coinciding with the release of On ne change pas , a francophone greatest hits collection.

By 2006, Dion had sold 175 million albums worldwide and earned US$55 million in a single year. She had become entrenched as a global pop superstar and was viewed in Quebec as a representative on the world stage. She had won 33 Félix Awards and 20 Juno Awards .

Originally scheduled to run for three years, A New Day... was extended through December 2007. By the time her Caesars Palace residency ended, Dion had again re-established herself as a recording artist in both official languages. The francophone D’elles was released in May 2007, debuting at No. 1 in Canada and topping charts in France and Belgium. She followed it with the anglophone Taking Chances in November of 2007. It was marginally more rock-oriented than her usual mainstream pop sound. The album featured songs by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Linda Perry and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, among others. Like D’elles , it topped the Canadian charts in its first week. By year-end, it had shipped a reported 3.1 million copies worldwide.

Dion began her 12-month, 101-date “Taking Chances World Tour” in Johannesburg, South Africa, in early 2008. She also marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City with a free outdoor concert for some 250,000 people on the Plains of Abraham. She performed 30 songs, all in French. A DVD of the concert, Céline sur les Plaines , was released in November 2008.

Commercial Success

Céline Dion won a World Music Award for Best Canadian Artist of the Year in 1992 and another as the best-selling female Canadian Artist in 1995. She also won a Billboard Music Award for International Achievement in 1993.

She was named the Recording Industry Association of America’s top-selling artist of 1998. By the end of 1999, she had sold nearly nine million albums in Canada — far more than any other artist. That year, the Canadian Recording Industry Association (now Music Canada ) named her the best-selling Canadian recording artist of the century. In 2003, Dion received an IFPI Special Award for selling 50 million albums in Europe and another for selling 10 million copies of Let’s Talk About Love.

By 2019, Dion’s career gross income was almost US$1.1 billion. By May 2024, she had sold more than 220 million albums according to Forbes magazine, which estimated her net worth at US$550 million.

Characteristic Style, Praise and Criticism

At her peak, Céline Dion’s voice could purportedly cover five octaves. She quickly became known for her incredible range and vocal control, and for her passionate, emotive performances. The day after she performed at the 1992 Academy Awards, the Wall Street Journal described her as having a “once-in-a-generation voice.” Considered on the same level as Whitney Houston and Maria Carey, Dion is known for her powerful, technically proficient vocals. She is also known for her eccentric quirks as a performer, such as enthusiastically pumping her fist and thumping her chest. Her string of incredibly successful hit songs in the 1990s — most notably “Where Does My Heart Beat Now,” “The Power of Love,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and “My Heart Will Go On” — earned her the nickname the “queen of power ballads.”

In 1994, Stephen Holden wrote in the New York Times that Dion has “a good-sized arsenal of technical skills. She can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. And as her duets... have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice.” Charles Alexander of Time magazine wrote that Dion’s “voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace.” In 2021, Katie Underwood wrote in Maclean’s that Dion is “the rare entertainer whose vocals are frequently compared to an actual instrument — a numinous sound that’s simultaneously tender and not at all gentle.”

Nevertheless, Dion has often been criticized for “stylistic excess” and “pointless pop vocal frills” ( Globe and Mail , 29 March 1994), as well as for the “Svengali-like” management of Angélil. The Toronto Star reported on 18 September 1999 that Dion’s “over-the-top emoting, the saccharine sentiment of her lyrics and overblown arrangements have never endeared her to music critics.”

Personal Life

In her late teens, Céline Dion realized she was falling in love with her manager, René Angélil . As she wrote in her autobiography: “He had become the object of the love that I sang about, he was the man of my songs… I wanted only one man for my entire life. I knew that one day it would be René.” Dion’s mother was wary of her daughter’s feelings for the much older, twice-divorced Angélil, and chaperoned Dion closely until she was 19. But Dion reportedly told her: “I'm not a minor. This is a free country. No one has the right to prevent me from loving whoever I want to.”

Dion and Angélil became romantically involved after she won the Eurovision Song Contest, one month before her 20th birthday. But they kept their relationship private. They were engaged in 1991 but did not go public with the news until 1993. Dion announced their engagement at the album’s launch party in November 1993. She also wrote about their relationship in the liner notes of The Colour of My Love . (“René, for so many years I’ve kept our special dream locked away inside my heart… But now it’s getting too powerful to keep this inside of me.”)

On 17 December 1994, the 26-year-old Dion and 52-year-old Angélil were married in a lavish ceremony at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica . It was broadcast on television. Dion wore a seven-pound headpiece of 2,000 Swarovski crystals sewn into her hair. She has said that the wedding was “the ceremony of my dreams, what I had always hoped for. It was magic.”

In 1999, Angélil was diagnosed with throat cancer . Dion put her career on hold while he underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumour as well as radiation treatment. After he made a full recovery, the couple celebrated by renewing their wedding vows in Las Vegas in January 2000.

Dion and Angélil tried for years to have children before turning to in-vitro fertilization in 2000. Their first child, René-Charles Angélil, was born on 25 January 2001. Dion suffered a miscarriage in 2009 and underwent several more rounds of in-vitro fertilization before giving birth to fraternal twins Eddy and Nelson Angélil on 23 October 2010. Eddy was named after French songwriter Eddy Marnay, while Nelson’s namesake is anti-Apartheid activist Nelson Mandela .

Death of René Angélil

René Angélil ’s cancer returned in 2013. Doctors removed another tumour from his throat in December, and Dion took a year-long sabbatical from her Las Vegas residency to support him. He died in Las Vegas on 14 January 2016, two days before his 74th birthday. In the following days, many figures from the entertainment, media and political worlds paid their respects. The Government of Quebec offered to hold a state funeral. The service took place on 22 January 2016 at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica . René-Charles Angélil delivered the eulogy three days before his 15th birthday.

Two days after Angélil’s death, Dion’s 59-year-old brother, Daniel, also died of cancer.

In February 2018, Dion told the Daily Telegraph ’s Stellar magazine that she holds a replica of Angélil’s hand before every performance. “I shake my husband’s hand and knock on wood with him every night before every show,” she said. “Even after he’s gone, I still talk to him.” During her residency at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, she would also keep Angélil’s usual seat at the sound mixing board empty in his honour.

Stiff-Person Syndrome and Other Health Issues

Throughout her career, the naturally skinny Céline Dion has refuted rumours that she has an eating disorder. In 1999, she told People magazine “I don’t have an eating problem, and there’s nothing more I can say about it.” In her autobiography, Celine Dion: My Story, My Dream (2000), she wrote: “My work requires me to be in great physical shape. I wouldn't have been able to give up to a hundred shows a year and travel ceaselessly from one end of the world to the other if I had eaten too much or not enough, or if, as certain magazines have claimed, I made myself throw up after each meal.”

In March 2018, Dion’s management announced that she had been dealing with hearing irregularities for a year and a half and would undergo surgery to repair an issue with her Eustachian tube. She was forced to cancel her March and April concert dates as a result.

In December 2022, Dion publicly revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune neurological disorder known as stiff-person syndrome (SPS). She said that she had been suffering from symptoms of the illness for 17 years and had been receiving treatment at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus since 2020. The progressive disorder affects the brain and spinal cord and can result in extreme muscle stiffness and impaired mobility. Dion said, “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.” In May 2023, she cancelled the remainder of her Courage World Tour to focus on her health.

Fashion Icon

In 2018, Céline Dion received the International Style Icon Award at the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. In 2019, cosmetics company L’Oréal Paris announced that Dion would be the international face of their brand. In September 2019, the CBC noted that even though Dion “has long been known for her cinematic style, she recently became the new face of L'Oréal Paris, was the toast of Paris Fashion Week, and when she stepped into this year's Met Gala wearing a Ziegfeld Follies-inspired gown draped with 3,000 strands of bugle beads and a show-ready headpiece, all eyes — and cameras — were on her.”

As fashion writer Guy Trebay wrote in the New York Times in May 2019, “A generation too young to have known her megahits has discovered her anew as a kooky and ubiquitous YouTube presence prancing and posing and vamping across social media wearing couture finery.”

Other Activities

Céline Dion has had many successful business ventures outside of her singing career. In Quebec, she has owned an artist management company, the Nickels Grill & Bar restaurant chain, the iconic Schwartz's Deli in Montreal , and Le Mirage Golf Club in Terrebonne . She co-owned a Las Vegas nightclub called Pure with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Shaquille O'Neal. She also has a perfume line called Céline Dion Parfums, a line of handbags and accessories called Céline Dion Collection, and a children’s clothing line called Celinununu.

In addition to singing and recording regularly in French and English, Dion has also recorded songs in Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Japanese and Mandarin.

Philanthropy

Céline Dion has been involved with numerous charities and philanthropic efforts around the world. She has been a spokesperson for Cystic Fibrosis Canada since 1982. In 1993, she became the foundation’s National Celebrity Patron. (Dion’s niece, Karine, died of cystic fibrosis at age 16.) Dion has supported many health and education initiatives, including the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. She has also been a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ2 community, dating back to the AIDS crisis. She has helped finance the publication of Gay Globe Magazine , and its associated HIV prevention materials, since 2004.

In 2003, Dion took part in World Children’s Day, organized by McDonald’s to raise money for international children’s health organizations. In 2005, she helped raise more than $1 million to help survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami. She also donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina and $100,000 to assist Chinese children and teenagers after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. She has also been involved with the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in October 2010.

Céline Dion has received a myriad of honours, both in Canada and internationally. In addition to more than 40 Félix Awards , she has won five Grammy Awards, 20 Juno Awards , five SOCAN Awards, seven World Music Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award in 2016.

Dion was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1998 and a Companion in 2008. She was made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in 1996 and an Officière of the Ordre national du Québec in 1998. She was appointed to France’s Legion d’Honneur in 2009 and made a Compagne of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2019.

In 1999, she gained a place on Canada’s Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004 and Kraków’s Aleja Gwiazd (Avenue of Stars) in 2008.

She was named Entertainer of the Year at the International Achievement in Arts Awards in 1997, received a UNESCO Artist for Peace award in 1999, and was named the Most Recognized Canadian by the National Post in 2002. That same year, the Banff Television Foundation named her “one of 50 all-time famous faces in Canadian television.” In 2004, she received a Diamond World Music Award and the Society of Singers’ Ella Award for lifetime achievement.

Dion won the Las Vegas Guide Visitors’ Choice Award for Favorite Headliner in 2005 and 2006, was named the Entertainment Industry’s Most Influential Canadian at the 2006 MovieEntertainment Awards and was crowned the Entertainer of the New Millennium at the Nevada Commission on Tourism Awards in 2007. In 2008, she was awarded the Commemorative Medallion of the 400th Anniversary of Quebec City. She was named Artist of the Decade by the Journal de Montréal in 2009 and Artist of the Year at the CBC Music Awards in 2014.

Félix Awards

• Discovery of the Year (1983)
• Pop Album of the Year ( Tellement j’ai d’amour... ) (1983)
• Most Distinguished Artist Outside Quebec (1983)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1983)
• Best-selling Album of the Year (“Les chemins de ma maison”) (1984)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1984)
• Album of the Year (“Mélanie”) (1985)
• Best-selling Album of the Year (“Mélanie”) (1985)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1985)
• Popular Song of the Year (“Une colombe”) (1985)
• Best-selling Single of the Year (“Une colombe”) (1985)
• Best Stage Performance of the Year (1988)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1988)
• Most Popular Song of the Year (“Incognito”) (1988)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1988)
• Anglophone Artist of the Year (1990)
• Most Distinguished Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (1991) (*refused)
• Best-Selling Album of the Year ( Dion chante Plamondon ) (1992)
• Most Distinguished Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (1992)
• Most Distinguished Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1993)
• Most Distinguished Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (1993)
• Most Distinguished Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1994)
• Album of the Year in a Language other than French (1994)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1994)
• Pop/Rock Album of the Year ( D’eux ) (1995)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1995)
• Popular Song of the Year (“Pour que tu m’aimes encore”) (1995)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1996)
• Best-Selling Album of the Year ( D’eux ) (1996)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1996)
• Show of the Year – Performer (1996)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (1996)
• Félix spécial(1996)
• Best-selling Album of the Year ( Live à Paris ) (1997)
• Pop-Rock Album of the Year ( Live à Paris ) (1997)
• Most Famous Quebec Artist outside Quebec (1997)
• Most Famous Quebec Artist outside Quebec in a Language other than French (1997)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1997)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (1999)
• Most Successful Quebec Artist in a Language other than French (2002)
• Prix hommage (2008)
• DVD of the Year ( Céline sur les Plaines ) (2009)
• Adult Contemporary Album of the Year ( Sans attendre ) (2013)
• Best-selling Album of the Year ( Sans attendre ) (2013)
• Adult Contemporary Album of the Year ( Encore un soir ) (2017)
• Best-selling Album of the Year ( Encore un soir ) (2017)

Juno Awards

• Female Vocalist of the Year (1991)
• Album of the Year ( Unison ) (1991)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1992)
• Single of the Year (“Beauty and the Beast” with Peabo Bryson) (1993)
• Female Vocalist of the Year (1993)
• Best-Selling Francophone Album ( Dion chante Plamondon ) (1993)
• Best Dance Recording (“Love Can Move Mountains” club mix) (1993)
• Best-Selling Album, Foreign or Domestic ( Colour of My Love ) (1995)
• Album of the Year ( The Colour of My Love ) (1995)
• Best-Selling Francophone Album ( D’eux ) (1996)
• International Achievement Award (1997)
• Best-Selling Francophone Album ( Live á Paris ) (1997)
• Best-Selling Album, Foreign or Domestic ( Falling into You ) (1997)
• International Achievement Award (1999)
• Best Female Vocalist (1999)
• Best Album ( Let’s Talk About Love ) (1999)
• Best-Selling Francophone Album ( S’il suffisait d’aimer ) (1999)
• Best-Selling Album, Foreign or Domestic ( Let’s Talk About Love ) (1999)

Prix Gémeaux

• Best Variety Special ( Céline Dion - Unison ) (1990)
• Best Variety Special ( Let’s Talk About Love avec Céline Dion ) (1998)
• Best Variety ( Un an avec Céline ) (1999)
• Best Variety ( La dernière de Céline ) (2000)
• Best Performance: Humor ( La Petite Vie: Noël chez les pare ) (2003)

Grammy Awards

• Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals (“Beauty and the Beast”) (1993)
• Album of the Year ( Falling into You ) (1997)
• Best Pop Album ( Falling into You ) (1997)
• Record of the Year (“My Heart Will Go On”) (1999)
• Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“My Heart Will Go On”) (1999)

American Music Awards

• Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist (1998, 1999)
• Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004)
• Favorite Soundtrack ( Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture ) (2004)

Best of Las Vegas Awards

• Best Overall Show ( A New Day… ) (2003)
• Best Singer (2004)
• Best Headliner (2005, 2006)
• Best Singer (2007, 2008, 2016)
• Best All-Around Performer (2007)
• Best Show Choreography ( A New Day… ) (2007)
• Best Overall Show ( Céline ) (2012, 2014)

Billboard Music Awards

• Billboard International Creative Achievement Award (1993)
• Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year (1998)
• Album Artist of the Year (1998)
• Female Album of the Year ( Let’s Talk About Love ) (1998)
• Soundtrack Single of the Year (“My Heart Will Go On”) (1998)
• Soundtrack Album of the Year ( Titanic ) (1998)
• Album of the Year ( Titanic ) (1998)
• Billboard Icon Award (2016)

Japan Gold Disc Awards

• International Single Grand Prix Award (“To Love You More”) (1996)
• International Artist of the Year (1998)
• International Pop Album of the Year ( Let’s Talk About Love ) (1998)
• International Artist of the Year (1999)
• International Song of the Year (“My Heart Will Go On”) (1999)
• International Pop Album of the Year ( These Are Special Times ) (1999)
• International Soundtrack Album of the Year ( Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture ) (1999)
• International Music Video of the Year ( VHI Divas Live ) (1999)
• International Artist of the Year (2000)
• International Pop Album of the Year (All the Way… A Decade of Song) (2000)

MIDEM Awards

• Award for Combined European Sales of Over 10 Million Units in 1995 (1996)
• Award for Sales of Over 4 Million Units Worldwide for the Album D’eux (1996)
• Best Selling Artist in Europe (2002)

MuchMusic Video Awards

• Best MOR Video (“Can’t Live with You, Can’t Live Without You”) (1990)
• Best Adult Contemporary Video (“Je danse dans ma tête”) (1992)
• Peoples Choice: Favourite Artist (“My Heart Will Go On”) (1998)

NARM Best Seller Awards

• 1996-1997 Artist of the Year (1997)
• 1996-1997 Recording of the Year ( Falling into You ) (1997)
• 1996-1997 Pop Recording ( Falling into You ) (1997)
• 1997-1998 Soundtrack ( Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture ) (1998)

SOCAN Awards

• Pop Music (“A New Day Has Come”) (2003)
• International Achievement (“A New Day Has Come”) (2003)
• Song of the Year (“Tout près du bonheur”), SOCAN Francophone Awards (2006)
• Classic Song (“A New Day Has Come”) (2009)
• Songwriter of the Year (“Entre deux mondes”), SOCAN Francophone Awards (2012)

Sony Music Entertainment Awards

• Special Award for Selling Over 100 Million Albums Worldwide (1999)
• Special Award for Selling Over 15 Million Albums and Singles in the UK (2002)
• Special Award for Selling Over 3 Million Albums in South Africa (2008)
• Special Award for Selling Over 1 Million Albums in Poland (2008)
• Special Award for the Only Artist with 7 Million-Selling Albums in Canada (2008)
• Artist of the Year (1996, 1998)
• Best Female Artist (1998)
• Diva of the Year (1998)

Victoires de la Musique

• Francophone Artist or Group of the Year (1996)
• Song of the Year (“Pour que tu m’aimes encore”) (1996)
• Original Song of the Year (“Sous le vent”) (2002)

World Music Awards

• World’s Best Selling Canadian Female Artist of the Year (1992, 1995)
• World’s Best Selling Canadian Artist of the Year (1996, 1997, 1998, 2008)
• World’s Best Selling Artist of the Year (1997)
• World’s Best Selling Pop Artist of the Year (1997)
• World’s Best Selling Female Pop Artist of the Year (1999, 2000)
• Diamond Award for Selling Over 100 Million Albums (2004)
• Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry (2007)
• Gold Medal – Best Song (“So Much I Have Love for You”), Yamaha World Popular Song Festival (1982)
• Best Artist, Yamaha World Popular Song Festival (1982)
• First prize (“Ne partez pas sans moi”), Eurovision Song Contest (1988)
• Young Artist of the Year, MetroStar Awards (1988)
• Best Video (“Can’t Live with You” with Billy Newton Davis), MuchMusic Video Awards (1990)
• Best Canadian Artist of the Year, World Music Awards – International (1992)
• Medal of Recognition, Governor General of Canada (1992)
• Best Song Written for a Motion Picture (“Beauty and the Beast”), Academy Awards (1992)
• Award for International Achievement, Billboard Awards (1993)
• Best Seller – Canadian Female Artist, World Music Awards (1995)
• Chevalier, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (1996)
• Francophone Council Song (“Pour que tu m’aimes encore”), Radio France Internationale Awards (1996)
• Best International Female Artist Album ( The Colour of My Love ), IRMA Awards (1996)
• Best International Female Artist Album ( Falling into You ), IRMA Awards (1997)
• Entertainer of the Year for Distinguished Achievement in Music, International Achievement in Arts Awards (1997)
• Best International Female Artist, National TV 2 Awards (1997)
• Song of the Year (“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”), BMI Pop Awards (1998)
• International Album of the Year ( Let’s Talk About Love ), Hungarian Music Awards (1998)
• Special Achievement Award (“My Heart Will Go On”), Japan Record Awards (1998)
• Officière, Ordre national du Québec (1998)
• Officer, Order of Canada (1998)
• Best Selling International Album ( Falling into You ), South African Music Awards (1998)
• Best Selling International Album ( Let’s Talk About Love ), South African Music Awards (1999)
• Favourite Song from a Movie (“My Heart Will Go On”), Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (1999)
• Inductee, Canada’s Walk of Fame (1999)
• Inductee, Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame (1999)
• Favorite Female Musical Performer, People’s Choice Awards (1999)
• Best Selling Canadian Recording Artist of the Century, CRIA Special Awards (1999)
• International Song of the Year (“My Heart Will Go On”), MTV Asia Awards (1999)
• UNESCO Artist for Peace, UNESCO Awards (1999)
• First English-Language Song to Top Hot Latin Tracks (“My Heart Will Go On”), Billboard Latin Music Awards (2002)
• All-Time Famous Faces in Canadian Television, Banff Television Foundation Awards (2002)
• Best Sales Releases, Foreign ( A New Day Has Come ), IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Awards (2002)
• Francophone Duo/Group of the Year, NRJ Music Awards (2002)
• Most Recognized Canadian, National Post Awards (2002)
• Special Award for Selling 50 Million Albums in Europe, IFPI Special Awards (2003)
• Special Award for Selling 10 Million Copies of Let’s Talk About Love in Europe, IFPI Special Awards (2003)
• Inductee, Hollywood Walk of Fame (2004)
• Favorite Headliner, Las Vegas Guide Visitors’ Choice Awards (2005, 2006)
• Entertainment Industry’s Most Influential Canadian, MovieEntertainment Awards (2006)
• Entertainer of the New Millennium, Nevada Commission on Tourism Awards (2007)
• Commemorative Medallion of the 400 th Anniversary of Quebec City (2008)
• Inductee, Kraków’s Aleja Gwiazd (Avenue of Stars) (2008)
• Honorary Award, NRJ Music Awards (2008)
• Companion, Order of Canada (2008)
• Legion d’Honneur, France (2009)
• Artist of the Decade, Le Journal de Montréal Awards (2009)
• Artist of the Year Award, CBC Music Awards (2014)
• International Style Icon Award, Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (2018)
• Compagne, Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (2019)

Honorary Degrees

• Doctor of Music, Université Laval (2008)
• Doctor of Music, Berklee College of Music (2021)

Selected Discography

• La Voix du Bon Dieu (1981)
• Tellement j’ai d’amour... . (1982)
• Les Chemins de ma maison (1983)
• Chants et contes de Noël (1983)
• Mélanie (1984)
• C’est pour toi (1985)
• En concert (1985)
• Les Chansons en or (1986)
• Incognito (1987)
• Unison (1990)
• Dion chante Plamondon (1991)
• The Colour of My Love (1993)
• L’Olympia Live (1994)
• Falling Into You (1996)
• Let’s Talk About Love (1997)
• These are Special Times (1998)
• D’eux (1998)
• Live in Paris (1998)
• S’il Suffisait D’Aimer (1998)
• All the Way - A Decade of Song (1999)
• Collector’s Series Vol 1 (2000)
• New Day Has Come (2002)
• I Fille and 4 Types (2003)
• One Heart (2003)
• A New Day - Live in Las Vegas (2004)
• Au Coeur du Stade (2004)
• Miracle (2004)
• On ne Change Pas (2005)
• Best of the Early Years (2007)
• Taking Chances (2007)
• Taking Chances (Special edition) (2007)
• D’Elles (2007)
• Celine (Box set) (2008)
• Celine X2: Let’s Talk About Love (2008)
• Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert (2010)
• Sans attendre (2012)
• Loved Me Back to Life (2013)
• Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 (2014)
• Encore un soir (2016)
• Courage (2019)

Further Reading

Barry Grills, Falling Into You: The Story of Céline Dion (1997).

Georges-Hebert Germain, Céline: The Authorized Biography of Céline Dion (2001).

Céline Dion, My Story, My Dream (2000).

Jenna Glatzer, Céline Dion: For Keeps (2005).

Recommended

Ginette reno (old), jean-pierre ferland.

Luc Plamondon

Robert charlebois, jean leloup, beau dommage, gilles vigneault, cœur de pirate, madame bolduc, claude dubois, félix leclerc, claude léveillée, karl tremblay.

About Celine

Celine has stopped to smell the roses and has felt the pain of the thorns as she continues on her successful journey as a world-wide music artist. Throughout the years she has changed many things about her shows to keep in line with culture and to offer up a variety of entertainment to her global fans.

In 1990 Celine released her English debut, Unison, with Epic in the United States. During her tour for Unison she lost her voice before one of the performances and had to cancel part of the tour. The doctor shared that her vocal chords were badly inflamed and she would need to be silent for at least 3 weeks. She recovered at the end of the break and resolved to take better care of herself. While on tour, Celine doesn’t talk three days before making a new album and she keeps silent before performances into the late afternoon. It has been stated by many that she is very disciplined about her work.

Celine became engaged to Rene Angelil, her manager & best friend, in 1991. Her happiness brought her even greater success with the release of The Colour of My Love in 1992, which included the hit singles “The Power of Love” and “When I Fall in Love.” It was written in the New York Times, “Ms. Dion exudes a pleasing mixture of innocence and soulfulness throughout the album…endowing even the slickest songs with palpable passion.”

In 1993 Celine’s niece, Karine Menard, died in her arms after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Dion added cystic fibrosis to the children’s charities that she raised money for and wrote the song “Vole” in memory of her niece. Dion explained how the death of her niece had affected her to Dennis Hensley in Cosmopolitan, “We take a lot for granted. The air we breathe, the ability to walk and talk. When were happy, it’s easy to forget how lucky we are.”

Dion married Rene Angelil on December 17, 1994, at a ceremony at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica with 500 guests watching on.  In 1997 Dion became a household name with the song “My Heart Will Go On” from the soundtrack of the film Titanic.

Barbara Streisand was Dion’s musical hero and she was able to perform a duet with her called “Tell Him.” Streisand said, “Celine is all anyone could ask for in a singing partner-professional, easygoing, and generous” and “her amazing voice is surpassed only by her kind and gentle heart.”

In 2000 after a World Tour, Celine and Rene decided to take off some time to work on a family. Which they were successful at. They have 3 children, Rene-Charles, and the Twins-Nelson and Eddy. Celine loves being a mom and enjoying family. When Rene Charles turned 4 years old he told his mommy that he wanted to go to the show and see her sing. Celine said she was so nervous and that little Rene-Charles was the only male to intimidate her. She has sweet powerful memories about this moment and still holds on to the rose and ticket that she bought him before taking him on stage with her. It was her little guy’s way of saying that it was okay to share his mommy with the world.

Dion breast fed her little miracle baby and still remembers the feelings, “His eyes, his skin, his smell, his sleeping, the sweetness, the love, there’s nothing like it. You know I’m not really a singer.” My life is to be a mom. It is what I enjoy the most. It is my most amazing reward. I will take a chance with my music. I don’t take risks with my family.” Interviews like that states exactly who Celine Dion is at heart.

The great tragedy in the loss of her husband Rene has taken a great toll on her life. She is being strong and continuing on after she took off quite a bit of time for grieving the loss of the lover of her life and best friend.

Celine also enjoys business outside of singing. She founded artist management company Les Productions Feeling Inc. and in 2003 Celine signed a deal with Coty, Inc. to release a brand line of perfume called Celine Dion Parfums.