Musicians and singers alike consider Celine Dion one of the most talented singers in the music industry. Her looks even match the beauty of her voice to a stunning extent. She shocked listeners and fans further when she made an unexpected announcement that took the world by storm.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
1999 was a life-changing year for Celine. Her adoring husband Rene was diagnosed with a debilitating form of throat cancer. Doctors said his prognosis was bleak, and in time, he would lose all basic physical function.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
Celine took the reigns and became his primary caretaker, a decision which presented many challenges for Celine and Rene’s relationship. Being the female powerhouse that she is, Celine prioritized caring for Rene and ensuring that his future will be as comfortable as possible in spite of the diagnosis. What a woman.
Her Life Is Never Dull
While Celine may be one of the queens of the music industry, her life story would have you think otherwise. From birth, she faced many challenges, including illnesses, a taboo love affair, and criticism from the public for her award nominations.
Her Life Is Never Dull
Nevertheless, Celine is one of the few artists you’ll see who always has a glowing smile on her face. She is a fashion icon among women and an inspiration to many.
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
If hate had manifested itself in human form, it took the shape of Celine’s mother. She despised Celine and Rene’s relationship so much that she tried to “kill” Rene. Celine detailed the incidents in this statement.
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
“When I told her I had some really strong feelings for Rene, she tried everything to kill him and make me snap out of it…” She added, “I was very frustrated and mad at first, but she tried to make me understand that this man tried marriage twice before – he has three children, he’s not responsible; ‘I want the perfect Prince Charming for you.'”
She Had Problems Conceiving
While Celine is a singing powerhouse, even she needed some time to dedicate to her family. In 2000, she took a break from the music scene to have her first child. She spent months trying to get pregnant, but she and Rene were having troubles.
She Had Problems Conceiving
As a result, they began fertility treatments, with Celine having two operations to assist in the process. On January 25, 2001, the best happened and she welcomed her first son, Rene-Charles Dion Angelil.
She Almost Died
Celine experienced traumatic hardships even as a young child. At just five years old, a wayward truck hit her, fracturing her skull and leaving her in a coma for seven whole days.
She Almost Died
As we all now know, she thankfully recovered fully from that horrendous childhood accident to become an international singing sensation. All the same, we can’t even imagine how terrifying the experience must have been for her and her family.
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
Every artist is critical of their own work, but Celine’s criticism of “My Heart Will Go On” seems a little off-base. She confessed that she thought it would never do well and could perhaps be a dent to her career trajectory.
She Hated My Heart Will Go On
She stated in an interview, “I didn’t really like the song, at first. I did another song for a movie before. It was very successful, and I thought we were pushing our luck.” Luck was on her side for that song and managed to propel her career to be among the most well-known in the music industry.
They Called Her A Traitor
1991 was a mixed year for the pop star. Her hit song in “Beauty and the Beast” earned Celine her first Grammy and drew millions more into her fanbase. However, her fanbase from Quebec was not as pleased.
They Called Her A Traitor
They retaliated against her and the song and even went so far as to label her a traitor. Given her French Canadian ethnicity and strong identification with her fan base, she turned down the English Artist of the Year award at the Felix Awards.
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Celine started her life as the 14th and youngest child in her family. Her parents had no desire to have a 14th child, but fate had other plans. When she was born, due to the unplanned nature of her birth, her parents had her sleep in a cabinet drawer until a bed was available from one of her 13 siblings.
Celine Wasn’t Planned
Her life has changed astronomically since then, and it perhaps explains her humility as an artist. Celine’s humble origins have stayed near and dear to her heart and inspire us all.
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
Thanks to Rene, Celine’s husband, “My Heart Will Go On” is Celine’s most popular song to date. Despite her reservations, Rene convinced Celine to at least record a demo of the song. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, Celine confessed that the single everyone has heard on the radio is actually the original and only demo of the song.
Her Husband Put His Foot Down
She says, “[Rene] said, ‘Let’s just do a demo. Let’s give it a try and we’ll see after.’ The demo is actually the real recording. I never sang the song again.” Kudos to Rene for encouraging Celine to record the demo, as the song is her most popular song to date and helped earn her five Grammy awards that year alone.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
If you think the only thing Celine can do is sing, think again. Celine’s mother, Therese Tanguay Dion, is among the top chefs in Quebec. Celine seemed to have inherited her mother’s coveted skill because, in 1990, she opened up her own restaurant in Quebec.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
The restaurant, called Nickels, acheived incredible success. Soon business soared, and Celine was able to franchise her restaurants with locations now all across Canada.
Suing For Millions For Spreading Lies
Like many celebrities, Celine has experienced her fair share of slander. But in 1990, with a husband newly diagnosed with cancer and having just finished releasing 13 studio albums, Celine found herself needing a break from work to concentrate on herself and her husband.
Suing Millions For Spreading Lies
That didn’t stop tabloid magazine National Enquirer from seeing an opportunity to spread libelous information about the star. They released some serious fake news about Celine being pregnant with twins, infuriating the pop star. Their mistake was that they forgot the golden rule: Don’t mess with Celine. She quickly sued the magazine for $20 million in damages. The magazine apologized and made a donation to the American Cancer Society on her behalf.
Doctor Dion
Hardships aside, Celine has received some considerably outstanding awards from her home in Quebec as well as from her American fans. She received the highest honor possible from Quebec, The National Order of Quebec.
Doctor Dion
Her stars on the Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame shine to this day. In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from Laval University in Quebec City. Upon receiving the award, she said it was “a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne.” She dedicated the award to her loving husband, Rene.
She Had No Other Choice
Celine came from a family of musicians, so she had little choice but to join the industry. When she was only five years old, she performed a song titled “Céline” by French musician Hugues Aufray at her brother’s wedding.
She Had No Other Choice
Many consider this as the breakthrough moment that jumpstarted her career. After this performance, her family and the greater music community began recognizing Celine with a talent for performance well above the norm.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
It was clear early on in Celine’s life that she would become a superstar. Her mother and older brother Jacques ignited her fame by composing a song for her to perform for producers. They knew she needed to be heard.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Their plan worked out very well, better than they could have ever imagined. A man named Rene Angelia contacted the family to learn more about this Celine. As it turns out, he was a Canadian musical producer and talent manager.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
When Celine’s mother sent the demo to Rene, she attached a note saying, “This is a 12-year-old with a fantastic voice. Please listen to her. We want her to be like Ginette Reno.” Rene was unconvinced and didn’t respond.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
Later, one of Celine’s brothers contacted Rene and begged him to listen to the demo, and he did. It took no time for him to contact Celine and invite her for an audition.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
It’s not every day that a producer hands a young girl a fake microphone and says the words, “Now sing as though you were in front of a sellout audience.” Rene was so moved by Celine’s voice that he was excited to meet her face-to-face.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
After hearing her sing in person and watching her ‘perform’, he immediately became her producer. He knew from that very moment that Celine was a natural born performer with great potential.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
Rene had been married twice already before meeting Celine. His first marriage came to an end in 1972 and resulted in a son named Patrick Angelil. His second marriage began in 1974 and came to an end in 1986.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
During his second marriage, Rene and his wife had two children. Finally, in 1994, he and Celine tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. While the two had trouble becoming pregnant, they eventually succeeded and had a baby boy in 2001, and twin boys in 2010.
Rene Burst Into Tears
When Celine began singing in front of Rene, he started to cry, and other members of the audience were equally emotional. Rene signed her immediately and automatically knew she would be famous.
Rene Burst Into Tears
Because she was so young, he also knew that it would take some hard work before Celine would be that superstar he knew she would. Luckily, he already had a plan in mind.
High Stakes Gambler
Rene has a well-known reputation as a high stakes gambler, and producing Celine was no exception to his known gambling habits. He mortgaged his own home to make sure her first album was sufficiently funded.
High Stakes Gambler
All his hard work paid off in the end because her first single topped the charts in Canada. Despite being an avid gambler, this is probably the biggest risk Rene had ever taken, and it seriously paid off.
The Pope Loved Her
Just three years after her first single, Celine sang for the Pope himself in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. She sang the French anthem, “Une Colombe” in front of a massive audience that included Pope John II.
The Pope Loved Her
Seeing how well her music was doing, it was clear that Celine was well on her way to becoming a superstar. According to later reports, the Pope loved seeing Celine perform, not to mention that Celine loved performing for him as well.
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
Despite the booming start to her career, Rene advised a young Celine to take some time off. Considering how new she was to the music scene, this was considered a risk. However, during her time away from the studio, Celine believes she had time to grow from a teenager to a woman.
She Demanded Time To Grow Up
In those 18 months she took off, Celine went through a transformation of sorts. Since she decided she wanted to become an artist like Michael Jackson, Rene told her she’d need to undergo some changes. And so she did.
Learning English And Going Global
When she returned from her long 18-month break from the music scene, Celine’s English was better than ever, along with her confidence. She titled her comeback album “Incognito,” which ended up selling over half a million copies.
Learning English And Going Global
During her rise back to fame, she had a mishap while on tour. She injured her voice. This forced her to take a three-week break and go through vocal training. Otherwise, she would have needed to have surgery.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
Celine was destined to be an international superstar, and the success of her first English album, “Unison” was clear evidence of that. Released in 1990, the album was certified gold in the U.S.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
Her hit song, “Where Does My Heart Beat Now?” was just one of many top ten hits from the album. Her worldwide celebrity status couldn’t stop what would happen next.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
It’s every singer’s worst nightmare and that nightmare became Celine’s reality. Before going on a major tour, Celine lost her voice. Her vocal and physical strength had been so depleted that she developed laryngitis.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
She wanted to continue with the tour anyway, but doctors strongly advised against it, or else she could further damage her vocal cords.
Revealing Her Big Secret
While there were many rumors of her romance with Rene, she hadn’t officially announced their relationship to the public. Finally, she made the big announcement right before the release of her album “The Colour of My Love.”
Revealing Her Big Secret
Due to their 26-year age gap, many people thought it would be inappropriate for the two to be in a relationship. All the same, her fans were supportive of the romance.
Fearing The Public
Despite discovering her as an adolescent and their long-standing business relationship, Celine and Rene began dating when she was 19 years old. They knew many would question their relationship due to the large age difference, but they continued dating nonetheless.
Fearing The Public
Their controversial relationship stayed hidden for many years. The two began dating in 1987 and got engaged in 1991. Finally, in 1994, they got married.
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
Celine and Rene feared the public’s backlash so much that they kept their relationship a secret for over 5 years. Rene, it turns out, was the one who feared public scorn.
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
However, Celine stated in an interview that she insisted on breaking their silence, saying, “When you’re in love, you want to scream it to the world.” We can only guess how difficult it must have been for them to keep this secret for so long.
Going Overboard
Celine married the love of her life, Rene, in December of 1994. They went all out for the wedding, marrying at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica and live broadcasting their wedding on Canadian TV.
Going Overboard
By this time, they were Canada’s equivalent of a royal couple, and it was important to Celine’s fans that they see the wedding. It’s no surprise that they went all out for the wedding. Every last detail was extravagant.
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess?
Celine’s massive wedding dress to marry her long-term romance with Rene took over 1,000 hours to make. This was due to a 20-foot long train that connected to the dress. The designers, Mireya and Steve Gentile, sanctioned her wearing a 20-pound tiara on the day itself.
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess@
What Celine didn’t know was that the entire world would be talking about her wedding dress for days following the ceremony. Her look was timeless, making her look like royalty.
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
With so much success, money was nothing to worry about for Celine and Rene. They purchased at $72 million mansion in Florida which included not two, but three pools, a private golf course, and access to a private water park.
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Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
The island the mansion was on was filled with other luxurious celebrity mansions. Not to mention that Celine and Rene’s estate had a tennis court among other amazing amenities. How cool would it be to live in a house like this?
He Was Her Everything
Not all love stories have happy endings, unfortunately. While on her “Let’s Talk About Love” tour, Celine received some terrible news. Rene was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.
He Was Her Everything
She dedicated a song to him on her tour since she found out the sad news during one of the shows. He died on January 14, 2016, at 73 years old after losing his battle against the disease.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
Though, there was some happiness before Rene passed away. They welcomed their twin sons, Nelson, and Eddy in 2010. They named Nelson after the former South African president, Nelson Mandela.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
On the other hand, Eddy was named after Eddy Marnary. He was the one who produced Celine’s first five albums. Celine appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of the Canadian version of Hello! magazine.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
When it came to charity, this was another area Celine was passionate about. Following the horrendous Asian tsunami of 2004, Celine raised $1 million for victims to try and help them as much as she could.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
She donated the same amount of money to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. In addition, she was sure to speak out against the U.S. government’s failure to do more.
Her Secret Dad
Celine rarely spoke of her father, Ademar Dion, and although he passed in 2001, she fondly remembered him in an interview. “My dad was and is still my number one fan since I was a very little girl.”
Her Secret Dad
She continued, “I know that my dad would want me to be here tonight on stage with everyone I love, doing what I love.” Celine’s father played an important role in his daughter’s success, and Celine knew it.
She Prepared her Kids for Death
Celine prepared herself and her children mentally for the death of her husband, their father, well before the day happened. Ever the optimist, she stated later, “I’m proud of the way I prepared my boys for their dad’s death.”
She Prepared Her Kids For Death
“In life, you never know what’s going to happen, so you should never wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today, to say I love you, or send a thank-you note… the future is now.”
Her Son is Too Young
Her first son, Rene Charles Angelil presented an award to his mother Celine at the Billboard Music Awards. This was his very first public appearance. His appearance caused a social media uproar due to his dashing good looks and young age.
Her Son Is Too Young
All the same, it isn’t such an unusual thing for a celebrity to have their child accompany them to an award show or any other event. Celebrity children often make public appearances nowadays.
She Made it to 90
Despite her major apprehensions to her dating Rene, and eventually marrying him and starting her family with him, Celine and her mother mended bridges and still have a close relationship today. In fact, her mother recently celebrated her 92nd birthday.
She Made It To 90
Other than being the mother of such a major pop star, Celine’s mom has become the host of a Canadian cooking show. On top of that, she’s also launched her own line of food products.
She NEVER Misses a Beat
Celine’s positive attitude shines in all areas of her life. Even in interviews, she keeps an upbeat attitude. Most notably, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen complimented Celine on her jewelry.
She NEVER Misses A Beat
Instead of simply saying “thank you,” she started singing Donna Summer’s “She Worked Hard For The Money.” Talk show hosts and journalists can’t help but adore her once they meet her. Her positive spirit is what keeps her popular among fans until today.
Without a Brother
Even though she was aware that her husband Rene would pass soon, it was still a difficult time for Celine. In the same week, she had lost both her brother and Rene to cancer.
Without A Brother
Without a doubt, it was the worst week for her and her family. Unfortunately, a lot of families have experienced the terrible pain of losing a loved one to this horrible disease.
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
Celine came from a family of musicians, but not all of them made it as big as she did. Her older sister Claudette aspired to have a career in music too, but her’s never quite reached the level that Celine’s did.
Her Siblings Never Made It Big
While she hasn’t made it big so far, you can never really know what will happen in the future. We wish her all the best with her career! Since Celine is so talented, she must be as well.
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
Seeing as she’s made the top of most celebrity fashion lists, it was no surprise to anyone that Celine was well-dressed. She monetized this skill and decided to start her very own fashion line of over 200 items.
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
Some of the pieces in her collection were bags and accessories inspired by her family. In later interviews, she stated that her twins and mother were her main inspiration for the collection.
TV Debut
This woman has many gifts. She took a tour of the acting world and appeared in the Thanksgiving episode of All my Children. She has had other small cameo roles in television since.
TV Debut
In this episode, Celine played a guest on Erica’s (Susan Lucci) talk show, ‘New Beginnings’. She performed the title track “Taking Chances”. The episode aired on November 21, 2007.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
It is clear that Celine’s main strength, however, is singing and performing. Her talent from the audition room until now has helped her and her family experience the classic “Rags To Riches” story.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
The Canadian superstar and businesswoman is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. Her present net worth is reported to be about $800 million.
A Canadian Star
Celine is one of the few Canadian stars to have both a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Walk of Fame in Canada. There are not many Canadian stars who can speak of having as successful of a walk in international stardom as Celine can.
A Canadian Star
If you happen to be near either of these places, keep your eyes peeled for Celine’s star! This incredible achievement happened to Celine about thirteen years into her immensely successful career.
They Are All Related
It seems that to be an international singing sensation, you should be related to Celine. All the stars pictured, from Shania Twain and Madonna to Beyonce can all trace their lineage to the French-Canadian migrant Zacharie Cloutier.
They Are All Related
In 1634, he fled France to find a better life, and was one of the first families to live in “New France.” All of the celebrities pictured are related to him, including Celine Dion herself.
Master Of Many Tongues
Besides speaking French and English fluently, Celine knows and has performed songs in many other languages. She has performed in Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, German, and Latin.
Master Of Many Tongues
If that’s not impressive, we don’t know what else is! Who else can perform in so many different languages? Not many, that’s for sure. It’s really impressive to be able to sing in all these complex languages.
A Staggering Net Worth
It’s not every day that an artist has a net worth as large as Celine’s. From her days in Montreal to her days selling out shows around the world, she has amassed a wealth of nearly a billion dollars.
A Staggering Net Worth
Selling millions of records, having a stellar fashion line, a chain of restaurants around Canada, and real estate investments are just a few of her money-generating techniques. She was among the top-grossing artists of the 2000s and during her time in Las Vegas, she earned $465 million. Who knows what she will do next to dazzle us with her voice or her incredible entrepreneurial skills.
Hit And Miss
Not all of Celine’s singing endeavors have been entirely successful. While she has had many big hits for movies, not all of them have garnered strong popularity. Her biggest movie hit, by far, was “My Heart Will Go On.”
Hit And Miss
One example of another song she sang, in the animated movie, “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West,” Celine sang the song, “Dreams to Dream.” The song was not such a big hit.
Love of Golf
Is there anything that Celine can’t do? You may not believe it, but she is an avid golfer. She loves playing as well as watching golf. In fact, golf continues to be one of her major hobbies.
Love Of Golf
You might be wondering whether she’s any good at the sport, and we can safely say that, yes, she is. She’s been playing for years, and to this day it’s her favorite way to relax.
Love Of Golf
If you don’t believe us, here’s some more info about how much Celine loves golf: in 2008, she and her husband Rene renovated Le Mirego, and the couple decided to donate millions to the Quebecois Club.
Love Of Golf
Aside from this, they also used their massive stardom to promote the Lush Club. They released a public statement that encouraged visitors to stop by, reading, “a visit to the Mirage is an adventure in itself.”
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
Celine has an award-winning voice, an amazing top-hit history, and has the background and skills to show for it. She has performed at the Oscars more times than any other artist in history!
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
In fact, she holds a record for performing the most times at the Oscars. In 1998, she took the stage and performed her iconic hit, “My Heart Will Go On”. Celine herself has mentioned that this performance was a meaningful and defining moment in her career.
The Oscars
Celine has many movie hit singles, starting with “My Heart Will Go On.” This is one of the biggest reasons why she’s been asked to perform at the Oscars so many times. In 2011, she set her sixth record-setting performance with the song, “Smile.”
The Oscars
Her performance honored celebrities who had passed away in that past year. Throughout the years, Celine has set the record for the artist who performed at the Oscars the most times. In fact, her performances were so amazing that Rolling Stone magazine included her in their list of top 20 Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances.
Oscar Fashion
Celine is well-known in the fashion industry for being bold and unapologetic with her taste. In the 1999 Oscars, she wore a backwards white tuxedo which had fans on the floor.
Oscar Fashion
This was a very big fashion risk at the time she wore it, the look made waves in the fashion world. Nowadays, Celine says about the look that is was simply ahead of its time and if she would wear it now, it would be adored.
Backwards White Tux
The backwards tuxedo was said by many to be a fashion faux pas, and with some even calling her look a fashion disaster. When discussing with PEOPLE Magazine about her outfit choice, she stated she had no regrets, and that the outfit was before its time.
Backwards White Tux
Staying true to her high confidence and eternal optimism, we say that we love her attitude around this outfit so much that it was a fashion-win. Not to mention that she truly set herself apart from everyone else at the event!
White Backwards Tux
In an interview, Celine said, “When I wore that look, yes it was at the Oscars, and when I wore that, everyone was wearing dresses, not pants.” She added, “I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work.
White Backwards Tux
It was avant-garde at the time. And it doesn’t matter, you just have to assume what you wear, you wear, and I did.” She is the queen of not apologizing for her looks. In any case, this look has since become iconic.
It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
Besides her sometimes-outrageous looks, Celine’s music is what we came to learn about. The song, “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” was originally composed not for Celine, but for Meatloaf.
It’s All Coming Back To Me Now
After giving it some thought, the composer decided the song would need a female vocalist, and worked with Celine on the song. It became a huge hit for her.
Clinging On To Her Children
Considering how close the couple were throughout Rene’s life, it’s no surprise that their closeness stayed strong after his death. In an honest interview, Celine said, “I miss him a lot for my partner, for the man I was embracing, kissing, making love with.”
Clinging On To Her Children
“I organize myself to not feel lonely. So what’s happened is I got myself a huge bed and I sleep with my twins. My twins are comforting me a lot. I need them. I need them close.”
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
Fans love Celine for her enormous vocal range, and for the fact that she can basically sing absolutely anything. This is attributed to the diversity of music that she listens to. In fact, she loves to sing many of the songs that she loves to play, too.
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
Three songs that she’s been known to deliver incredible covers on are Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night,” Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself,” and John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy.” We can’t think of many other artists that can do that!
Collaborations
Celine has been able to cover hits as well as collaborate with other music powerhouses. She’s called herself “A Great Collaborator” and has worked with Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti, and Aretha Franklin.
Collaborations
In fact, Celine and Barbara’s duet, “Tell Him’ was nominated for a Grammy and was almost performed at the event itself. The only reason this didn’t happen was because Barbara came down with the flu and couldn’t sing.
Certified Diamond
The Record Industry Association of America began awarding albums with over 10 million copies sold as “Diamond Status.” One of the few artists who have this status is Celine Dion, of course. She has not only one, but two albums that are certified diamond by the RIAA.
Certified Diamond
Her 1996 album “Falling Into You” and 1997 album “Let’s Talk About Love” are the two albums that earned her this extremely coveted status. we gotta say, is anyone surprised, really?