Celine Dion, the French-Canadian star was, at one point in time throughout the 90's, on your playlist after she successfully created the second best-selling single ever (by a female artist.) Celine started her professional singing career when she was only 12! By the time she was 21, she released her first single, which topped the charts. She got some help from someone very important to her.
If You Want It The Most
A few years later she had to put her career on hold so she would have time to deal with turmoils which afflicted her private life and changed it forever. Keep on reading to see how she pulled herself together and conquered all the obstacles life threw at her, including her beloved husband's death.
Keep reading, her story is too amazing to miss out:
A star is born
It seems Celine was destined for the world of music, she was even named after a song! According to Dion, she was named after French artist Hugues Aufray’s song called Céline. Despite being born into a family of musicians (she was the youngest of 14 children!) a young Celine stood out from a young age for her talent which was heads and shoulders above the rest.
At the young age of five, she performed for the first time, a performance that would be the beginning of one booming career.
A 5-Year-Old Hanging Out At A Bar
The Dion’s were without a doubt a cool family and owned a piano bar called Le Vieux Baril which was the family’s way of providing their kids a place and space to practice their musical abilities. Located in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion was a regular performer at the place from the young age of five.
She became an instant hit with the locals… can you imagine being one of those people who got to see a baby Celine singing at a bar?
Celine Wasn’t Planned
As we mentioned, Celine was the youngest siblings of 14! And she was unplanned. Her family was downtrodden with a poor financial state and had no plans on a 14th child, luckily, however, fate had other plans.
The happy family was always finding a way to accommodate for new life and baby Celine. She slept in a cabinet drawer because there were no more beds, how different is her financial state today!
She Almost Died
Like any pop star, Dion has had her fair share of drama in her life starting from the young age of five where a freak accident nearly killed her! There little Celine was, minding her own business when suddenly, a huge truck backed into the young girl.
Dion was left knocked out and unconscious for a full week and suffered skull fractures. Luckily for her and us, she recovered.
She Hated 'My Heart Will Go On'
Anyone who is anyone is familiar with the hit Titanic song ‘My Heart Will Go On’ where Dion puts her vocals on full display. However, believe it or not, Dion was not a fan of the song at first and was sure it would bomb at the charts!
In an interview, she said that she hated the song: “…I didn’t really like the song, at first. I did another song for a movie before. It was very successful, and I thought we were pushing our luck…”
She didn't see a hit
As we said, Celine was not all that enthusiastic about recording the song ‘My Heart Will Go On.’. however, it was her husband Rene who ultimately pushed her to go for it. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, she explained that “ 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.”
As we know, it was the biggest hit and still Dion’s most recognizable song to date.
A Shark When It Comes To Business
Dion is no one trick pony and is capable of more than just being a brilliant singer. Much like Dion’s mother, Therese Tanguay Dion who is renowned in Quebec for her cooking skills Dion also has a thing for food. In fact, the star opened a restaurant in Quebec by the name of Nickels in 1990 and soon it became such a success she made a chain out of it!
Not too mention the singer has her very own magazine, the Celine Dion Magazine….can she be any more talented?
Suing Millions For Spreading Lies
The 90’s was one hell of a ride for Dion. For the good and the bad. The star released a crazy 13 albums. Her husband Rene was also diagnosed with cancer which prompted Dion to take a step out of the spotlight and focus on caring for her man. During the hiatus, a ridiculous story was released by National Enquirer with the heading ‘I’m Pregnant with Twins!’”
Celine sued them for a whopping $20 million. She received an apology from the magazine as well as a donation to the American Cancer Society.
Doctor Dion
Celine has had one prosperous career and has received many accolades throughout. Some include the highest honor that her home province can give – The National Order of Quebec, stars on both Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame and even an honorary doctorate from Laval University. She called it “a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne.”
The singer, who never even graduated high school herself, dedicated the award to the person who had the biggest influence on her life, her husband Rene.
Celine’s Mom Hated Her Relationship
When Celine decided she wanted to marry Rene nothing could stop herm even her mother who was incredibly against the idea and had her own thoughts on the situation. “It was very difficult for her,” Dion said. “When I told her, I had some really strong feelings for Rene she tried everything to kill him and make me snap out of it…”
“I was very frustrated and mad at first, but she tried to make me understand that this man tried marriage twice before – he has three children, he’s not responsible, ‘I want the perfect Prince Charming for you.’”
She Had Problems Conceiving
Sometimes we see stars and their lives as perfect, but it is not the case and everyone has their challenged including Dion who had to try many times to have children. She even had two operations to assist in the process of falling pregnant. In 2000, the singer decided to take a break and concentrate on her efforts to build a family.
Miraculously in January 25th, 2001, Dion gave birth to her first child, a son Rene-Charles Dion Angelil in Florida.
Her Husband’s Diagnosis
As it happens, Dion’s life changed when she found out about her husbands’ diagnosis in 1999. Rene was diagnosed with throat cancer and over time lost his basic abilities slowly. Celine played the role of both a lover and a caretaker never leaving his side.
Throughout his sickness, she used everything in her power to make sure his quality of life was as high as possible.
Discovered In The Weirdest Way
Celine came from a family of talent. In fact, the song she was discovered by was co-written by her mother and brother Jacques. Her mother recognized Dion’s talent from the start and knew she had to get on the radar and reach her full potential, so she looked through many albums and contacting a variety of names attached to the sleeves.
Eventually, a producer got in touch with her. He went by the name of Rene Angelil.
Her Mom Had To Interfere
Her mother was not one to give up and was determined her daughter’s voice would be heard. At first, she sent a demo to Rene and 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.”
But Rene was inundated with many demos and notes from excited parents who believed their child was the next big thing. Soon Celine’s brothers got involved and managed to get in touch with Rene. Once Rene had a listen he was hooked and requested that Celine audition for him immediately.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
Rene was excited to meet Celine after hearing her sing, he recognized the star quality in her voice immediately and wanted a chance to judge her based on all her attributes. After arriving at his office, Rene gave her a pencil as a pretend mic and said, “Here’s your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sell-out audience.”
It only took that performance to secure Rene as a fan for the rest of his life, as we very well know.
Younger Than Her Own Stepson
Rene Angelil would go on to tie the knot with the musical prodigy Celine Dion, however, that was not his first marriage, he has been married twice before.
His first wife was Denyse Duquette and they had a son called Patrick Angelil.
Rene Burst Into Tears
Dion’s first ever audition for Rene was far from normal and actually was incredibly emotional. She recalls “While I was singing, he (Rene) started to cry,” she said. “I knew then I had done a good job.” As you can imagine Rene signed her there and then.
However, the road to success would be a long one as she was still very young and had a lot of work to do to fulfill her and Rene’s vision.
High Stakes Gambler
Rene was so confident in Celine’s abilities, that he was not afraid to take the biggest risks for her career. One of those extreme measures he went to for her success was in 1981 when he mortgaged his house to provide enough money to fund her first ever record, La Voix Du Bon Dieu.
As we well know, his sacrifice more than paid off and the song went number one in Canada. Although Rene was always known to be a gambler, Celine was the best risk he ever took.
The Pope Loved Her
It wasn’t long before Dion become a world-famous sensation and her voice echoed through radios across the world, . When Pope John II visited Quebec in 1984, the singer performed the popular French anthem "Une Colombe" for him in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. The arena held over 65,000 people, making it her biggest audience at the time.
Over the years she would go on to perform in many important places for important people, yet she always considered the Pope to be her most beloved person to perform for.
Much needed time off
Rene was always the voice of reason throughout Celine’s career. One such advice was to take some time off early on in her career, a risky move considering she was still an up and coming artist. However, these 18 months of time out the spotlight was necessary for her transition from a young girl into a successful woman.
Just like she progressed on stage she needed time to progress off stage in real life.
Learning English And Going Global
The risk taken by taken time off turned out to pay off big time, not only did she re-emerge as a much more confident artist with brilliant stage presence, but she also became way better at the English language.
On the back of this came her comeback album Incognito, selling over half a million copies. This was the first album she released after signing to CBS, her new record label.
America’s Sweetheart Was Born
1990 was the year Dion released her first full-English album which made her become a popular figure amongst American fans too. The album was even certified gold in the US!
The most memorable single from the album was "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", which was a top 10 hit. But just as Dion was about to embark in her first American tour, something incredibly unexpected happened which nearly put her singing career to bed forever.
Almost Losing Her Voice Forever
Days before the tour was about to commence, the singer’s health became a concern. Dion had been suffering from laryngitis and was generally tired from such a busy schedule/ although she was itching to start her tour the doctors warned that her vocal chords needed at least a month break, or she would have to undergo surgery.
This is always a singer’s worst nightmare and it was just not in her nature to not sing!
Revealing Her Big Secret
While her career was moving fast and furiously, so was her personal life! rumors regarding Dion and Rene’s relationship were going around for a while and finally, she revealed to the public that her relationship with Rene had moved from professional to romantic!
She revealed everything in the sleeve of her album The Colour of My Love. Where she claimed, “Maybe at 17, 18 years old, my feelings started to change for him,” Dion said. “I kind of saw him differently.”
Fearing The Public
In reality, Rene and Dion began dating when the singer was only nineteen and Rene was a whopping twenty-six years her senior! Despite their age gap and many people viewing their relationship as strange, the two turned a blind eye to their criticism and were dedicated to their relationship.
It wasn’t all hat long before Celine and Rene decided to take things to the next level. They wanted to get married and have a family.
She’s A Fantastic Secret Keeper
The couple kept their relationship hidden for five years. “I was afraid of what people would think,” Rene said in 1994. But ultimately, it was Dion who insisted that the right thing to do was tell the public. “When you’re in love, you want to scream it to the world,” she said.
But no one cold have reacted the way her fans would react upon discovering their secret.
Going Overboard
By December 1994 Dion was practically Canadian royalty and had a wedding to match. Finally, she was tying the knot with her beloved Rene and no expense was spared. They had their wedding at one of Canada’s most beautiful locations, Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica. To make matters even more epic, the couple had the ceremony broadcasted on Canadian national TV.
While it was from good intentions as they felt their fans deserved to attend the wedding on some level to, many criticized them on the ridiculous grandeur of the whole affair
Bridezilla Or Royal Princess?
Her iconic silk gown was designed by Mirella and Steve Gentile and took a total of 1000 hours to make. Who could forget the regal gown which has a twenty-foot-long train!! Not to mention a twenty-pound tiara worn by the singer.
The wedding and her dress seemed to be all the Canada and the world could talk about for quite some time.
Pricey Homes And Multiple Investments
Unlike many other newlyweds who have to save up for a couple of years before buying their first home, thanks to the success of this pair they already owned multiple properties before tying the knot.
Their most extravagant property had to be the one they acquired and later sold in Jupiter, Florida. The stunning $72 million mansions included three pools, a golf course, and even a water park.
He Was Her Everything
Dion had one success after another. After the hit song in Titanic she did Let’s Talk About Love world tour. It was during this time, while she was raking it in after 180,000 strong concerts, that the worst news came her way.
She was told her husband Rene had been diagnosed with cancer during one of her shows! Despite the shock she still performed and even sang a song paying tribute to her husband, Sadly, Rene passed away on 14 January 2016, only two days before he’d turn 74.
Her Children’s Names Were Chosen Carefully
The couple had experienced ,many happy times throughout their marriage, such as in 2010 when Rene announced that his wife was pregnant with twins! This news was huge as Celine was known to have problems with fertility and was treated with IVF for the 6th time in her life.
On October 23, 2010, Celine gave birth to twins Eddy and Nelson, both who were named very specifically with meaning. She named Eddy after her favorite songwriter, Frenchman Eddy Marnay, the producer of her first five records. While she named Nelson after the former South African revolutionary, Nelson Mandela.
Dreaming Of Changing The World
With superstar status and the fame and wealth that comes with it, Celine found herself in a position to help, and after the Asian tsunami of 2004 that’s exactly what she did. She decided to act and helped to raise $1 million for the people who suffered from the natural disaster. She also donated $1 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
She was also vocal about her criticism of the U.S. government, saying, “There are people still there waiting to be rescued. To me, that is not acceptable…How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country.”
Her Secret Dad
Although her dad is not as heavily documented and mentioned in the press as her mom, he played a huge role in Celine’s life. Adhemar Dion lost his life in 2003 and daughter Celine commented about his effect on her on the day he passed away.
She said, “My dad was and is still my number one fan since I was a very little girl. I know that my dad would want me to be here tonight on stage with everyone I love, doing what we love.”
She Prepared Her Kids For Death
Celine’s husband Rene was sick for a long time before he passed away, giving Celine the amazing opportunity to prepare her children knowing it would be difficult for them to accept such news.
She was open about how she handled the situation, saying, “I’m proud of the way I prepared my boys for their dad’s death. In life, you never know what’s going to happen, so you should never wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today, to say I love you, or send a thank-you note…The future is now.”
Her Son Is Too Young
When Dion presented an award at the Billboard Music Awards, she brought her son Rene Charles Angelil along with her. it was the first time the public got a full view of the gorgeous Rene and fans went pretty wild.
One fan joked about the fact though that he was only 15 years of age. “Shawn Mendes is 17, Celine Dion’s son only FIFTEEN. Thanks #BBMAs for making us all feel like fat old perverts
Her mom made It To 90
Dion’s mother has been her rock and biggest fan since day one and amazingly just celebrated her 91st birthday in 2018! In honor of her mother, Celine posted photos of the two together online along with some emotional captions.
Dion wrote in both English and French, saying, “What a privilege for all of us to still have you around. Happy 90th birthday mom! We love you.”
She NEVER Misses A Beat
Unlike many other celebrities whose fame has gotten to their heads and who are a pain when it comes to interviews, Celine always has a smile on her face and is ready to give it her all. When Ellen DeGeneres interviewed her, she complimented Dion on the jewelry she was wearing that day.
This compelled the singer to start chanting the Donna Summer song, “She worked hard for the money.” Naturally, the audience burst into applause.
Making Money Off Her Fashion Sense
As we know, Celine’s talents extend even further than signing. One such talent is business and fashion. Dion released her own fashion line which includes 200 items including bags and accessorize and are all based on the star’s very own style.
The most amazing thing about her designs is that they are inspired by her family. Her mother and twin sons were her main inspiration.
TV Debut
Celine Dion has even made it to the screen when she had a debut in the Thanksgiving show All My Children. However, it didn’t take too much acting skill as the star plated herself and sang her song ‘Taking Chances’
“I hope this new song in some small way will touch the hearts of all of us,” she said.
A Voice Worth Hundreds Of Millions
Celine has one of the most beautiful voices of our generation and it is down to her raw talent that she climbed her way from humble beginnings to complete stardom.
Before she knew it, Dion was able to repay her loved ones for having so much faith in her over the years. Dion’s net worth currently stands at $700 million.
9-11 Hit Her Hard
9-11 hit the singer very hard as the terrorist attack occurred shortly after she gave birth to her twins. The singer returned to the spotlight with a performance of "God Bless America" at the concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. “The performance…brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul,”
Billboard’s Chuck Taylor wrote. “Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope.”
A Canadian Star
When you think about a Walk of Fame you obviously imagine Hollywood, however Canada has its own Walk of Fame too! Celine Dion is one of the only celebrities to have stars laid down on both the Walk of Fame in Hollywood and Canada.
The Canadian edition came first in 2003, followed by her induction into Hollywood.
Master Of Many Tongues
Celine is best known to sing in her mother tong French and English. However, the singer is determined to fully connect to her fans and has sung multiple songs in many other languages too!
Other languages that Dion has been known to record and perform in include Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese!
A Staggering Net Worth
You can imagine that with a career like Dion’s which spans over decades and is successful throughout, results in some crazy cash. She has sold out numerous concerts, sell millions of records and receive numerous awards. She was the highest grossing artist of the 00’s and she even made $465 million from her shows in Las Vegas.
Other business ventures include a restaurant chain and real estate. Celine Dion is currently worth $700 million.
Hit And Miss
One of Dion’s trademark features is making hit music for some of Hollywood’s most classic films. But not all her movie numbers were if Titanic proportion. Apparently, Dion was originally also going to sing “Dream to Dream” from the animated film An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.
And who could forget her song for “Beauty and the Beast”? can you believe she was so unknown at the time that they included Peabo Bryson in the recording to make it trendier.
Love Of Golf
Even superstars with talent like Celine need their own downtime and separate passions and hobbies and this singer's is golf. Dion has enjoyed playing and watching golf throughout her career and in 2008, she and Rene took their gold love to the next level when they donated millions to a Quebecois club to give it a fresh look.
The couple released a statement on the club’s website, saying “a visit to the Mirage is an adventure in itself.”
And The Winner Goes To…Celine Dion
Celine Dion should win an Oscar for how many Oscars she has been a part pf. The singer has performed at these prestigious awards for a record of six times!
Her sixth performance came in 2011 when she sang the song “Smile.” This particular performance was in honor of the celebrities who had lost their lives over the past year. She has also performed her songs “My Heart Will Go On” and “Because You Loved Me.”
A Hit Out Of Hell
Who can forget Celine’s hit song “It’ll All Coming Back to Me Now”. Although the song was originally meant to be recorded by Meat Loaf the lyricists Jim Steinman was adamant that the song was destined for a girl and reserve the song for Dion.
However, Meat Loaf would not take it down sitting and recognizing the value of the song he recorded his own version. We will always be fans of Celine Dion’s though!
Clinging On To Her Children
As you can imagine, losing Rene who was Celine’s guiding light from the beginning had a huge impact on the singer.
In an interview, she stated “I miss him a lot for my partner, for the man I was embracing, kissing, making love with. I organize myself to not feel lonely. So, what’s happened is I got myself a huge bed and I sleep with my twins. My twins are comforting me a lot. I need them. I need them close.”
She Can Pretty Much Sing Anything
And with a voice like hers, it is no surprise! There is nothing the powerhouse musician cannot sing and put her own spin on. From covers of Cyndi Lauper’s "I Drove All Night", Eric Carmen’s "All by Myself" and John Lennon’s "Beautiful Boy" somehow Celine always does it best.
She is also renowned for her collaborations with artists including Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti and Aretha Franklin.
Certified Diamond
In 1999 the Record Industry Association of America began certifying albums that have sold over 10 million units with diamond status. This honor is something very few musicians have achieved.
As you can imagine, Celine is amongst them and has gotten not one, but two albums certified! Falling into You", which Dion released in 1996, and "Let’s Talk About Love", which was released in 1997. To understand the significance of this think that even Elvis Presley who has more certified albums than any other recording artist in history only has one certified diamond album.
A Best Selling Female Artist
The Nielson Soundscan system which tracks album sales has also proven that Celine somehow is destined to stay on top.
Still today she is one of the best-selling female artists topped only by Rihanna and Mariah Carey who are the only two female artists who have out-sold Celine.
Catholic Star
Although Celine was raised in a Roman Catholic household (which is still the most common religion in Canada) it is clear her views on religion and god have changed quite a bit since her young years. in 2014, Dion shared her current views on religion, “It’s important for people to have something they can touch and believe in,” she says passionately.
“I say that to believe in yourself is to believe in God. For me, God is life itself, the birds, the air, the sunrise and the sunset, the children. Yes, that is where I find God. Not in a church.”
Reaching For Gold
With an artist like Celine it is almost impossible to list all the awards and accolades received by her over the years. She picked up on world fame early on in her career despite her first songs being in French, a tough market to crack.
Think about it- her single, “D’amour ou d’amitié”, which means “Of Love or of Friendship”, went gold in France, making Dion the first Canadian performer to ever achieve the status in France, and she was still only a teenager at the time!
Upgrading Her Image
As you know, as your fame grows so does public scrutiny. The media was unkind at times to Celine’s image, especially when it came to her teeth and crowned her ‘Canine Dion (pun intended)
Her and Rene who was her manager in the early years, decided to put some effort into upgrading her look. During her yearlong makeover in the mid-80s, she went through a procedure that involved adding dental crowns to make her smile more even, as well as teeth whitening.
Mid Career Misses
Celine took a three-year hiatus from the industry until she released the album A New Day Has Come in 2002. The album had extremely mixed reviews: while it was a commercial success and was her first ever album to debut in the number one slot of the Billboard 200, critically it was not favored.
Critics were unimpressed with the quality of her lyrics, calling them “forgettable” and “lifeless”, as well as saying that the music was “trite and mediocre”.
Accessible To All
One of Celine’s best features and what attracts so many fans is her personable and accessible nature. A perfect example of this is how she behaved after the death of her husband Rene. Unlike other stars who would use the opportunity to capitalize on grief, Celine allowed every fan who wanted to see her a chance to personally extend their condolences, with no special access granted to anyone.
Dion’s selfless gesture meant that she was standing for eight hours during the televised funeral. Dion’s openness with the public is just another reason her fans keep coming back for more.
She Won By A Single Point
It's easy to forget that Celine was once a winner of the Eurovision competition after all that has happened since then, but she was!
Funnily, she didn’t even represent France, but the neighboring country of Switzerland. Over 600 million viewers watched Dion represent a country she had no formal connection to. Nevertheless, Dion won the competition, beating the UK by just one vote.
Michael Jackson’s Fanatic Fan
Dion had a unique relationship with the king of pop Michael Jackson especially since she signed for CBS, the same label that the pop legend was signed too. Celine is known to be a huge fan of MJ and was determined to try her best to emulate the King of Pop’s achievements.
It seems she didn’t do too badly, already at 18 she was winning many awards and has released a whopping ten albums in French!
They Are All Related
Although it is kind of impossible to believe, all these celebrities in the image are in a way related to Celine! Shania Twain, Madonna and Beyoncé are just a few of the celebrities who have been able to trace their families back to French-Canadian Zachary Cloutier. This was a man who fled France in 1634 to find a better life the other side of the Atlantic.
He founded one of the first families in “New France.” Apparently, Jack Kerouac and Alanis Morissette are also related.
They Called Her A Traitor
Of course, with great power comes great responsibility and Dion felt this when she received extreme backlash from her Quebecois fans who accused her of betraying them for her American fans! What caused this was the next breakthrough song of Dion from Disney’s 1991 movie ‘Beauty and the Beast, the hit song from the film won her a Grammy!
However, always known to bounce back Dion regained the love of her fellow Quebecois when she refused to receive to the English Artist of the Year award at the Felix Awards. In her mind, she always had a French heritage.
Without A Brother
Despite having such a successful career, Dion has also faced her fair share of misfortune throughout her life. Tragically, the singer lost both Rene and her brother to cancer in the same week. It was the worst week of her life. But Celine never let the tremendous loss destroy her and as she always would, put a positive spin on the untimely event.
During an interview, Celine said so eloquently that “René (her husband) escorted my brother. It was perfect.”
We have read that Dion came from a family of 14 children and that many were musically inclined, so it makes sense that she was not the only Dion who tried to break it into fame. Her older sister Claudette was also determined to make it in the music industry. But unlike her superstar sister, Claudette never made the same sort of buzz as a singer.
She made a little bit of money from her musical endeavors, but nothing close to the success of her baby sister.
An Emotional Announcement
It has been just over three years since the singer lost her husband and it is clear that she is still in the mourning process. But it is her
