The Heartbreaking Life of Celine Dion

Celine Dion is one of the world’s best-known Canadians. A prolific recording artist, as of November 2019, she has released 27 albums, both in French and English. While she has reached incredible heights as a singer, what is perhaps less known about her are the incredible and, at times, tragic, details of her remarkable life thus far. Dion has been the subject of both praise and controversy and many unfair rumors, but always manages to prevail with her head held high.

Part of a Massive Family

Dion’s childhood, even pre-stardom, must have been hectic- she is the youngest of 14 children and had to sleep in a cabinet drawer when she was a baby, as her family did not have enough beds for her as well as all of her siblings. Dion was born and raised in Charlemagne, Quebec, which is a suburb of Quebec roughly 30 miles outside of the main metropolitan area. Dion was born into a musical household- she was named after the Hugues Aufray song, Céline.

Beauty and the Beast Greatly Angered Fans

In 1991, Céline won her first Grammy for the song Beauty and the Beast! This was a fantastic achievement, but, because the song is sung in English, it angered many of her French-Canadian fans, who felt betrayed by Céline. The success of the song also meant that Céline was nominated for a Felix Award in Canada for English-speaking artists, but she declined to accept in order to avoid further angering her French-Canadian fans.

Céline and Her Mother Thérèse Are Both Incredible Businesswomen

Both Céline and her mother Thérèse have had successful food-related businesses. In Quebec, Thérèse is known both for her cooking and for her line of food products. Céline also got involved with the culinary industry, first by investing in restaurants and then expanding into owning a chain, once her first restaurant, Nickels, became very successful. Now she is the owner of several different restaurants around Canada.

Laryngitis Nearly Ended Céline’s Career

Laryngitis is an inflammatory condition of the voice box that commonly affects singers and other artists who use their voice frequently. Céline once developed laryngitis before she was due to go on tour. It can be a serious condition if not properly treated, and there was a chance that Céline’s career could have ended due to the illness. She therefore took the advice of doctors and decided to rest instead of going on tour.

A Musical Bunch

The Dion family all enjoyed music, but Thérèse felt even from an early age that Céline displayed remarkable talent and musical ability. While all the children were musically gifted, Thérèse thought Céline was special. The huge family with all 14 children formed a group that performed concerts around their hometown of Charlemagne in Quebec, wherein they were all able to work on and refine their passion and ability for performing music.

Celine Had a Near-Fatal Accident When She Was Just Five

When she was just 5 years old, Céline had an accident that almost ended her young life. A truck driver backed into her, and she suffered from several skull fractures, and went into a coma. She was completely unconscious at first, and took almost a week to come to, and did not have a very promising prognosis initially, but was fortunately able to eventually make a full recovery from her injuries.

An Early Start to an Incredible Career

Céline first performed for the public at wedding of her brother Michel. Aged only 5, she sang the song Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, originally recorded by the French-Canadian singer-songwriter Christine Charbonneau. The song would have been a nice choice for a wedding performance, with the narrator describing all the ways she would dote on the subject of the song, and how she would like to help him and use a thread, needles and cotton to demonstrate her feelings towards him.

She Had Great Encouragement from Her Parents

After Celine’s performance at her brother’s wedding, her mother especially felt that Céline’s talent needed to be encouraged. This moment also cemented in Céline the desire and passion to become a singer. Both working in the hospitality industry, Céline’s parents owned a piano bar, called ‘Le Vieux Baril,’ which means ‘the old barrel’ in English, and she would perform there often, along with her siblings. This was a great opportunity for her to become comfortable performing in front of crowds, as well as working on her singing technique.

From Humble Beginnings, to the Greatest Heights

When Céline was 12 years old, she worked with her brother and mother to write her first original song, which was called Ce N’Était Qu’un Rêve, meaning ‘it was only a dream.’ Her mother Thérèse sent a copy of the recording to René Angélil, a manager whose name the family found in the liner notes of an album by the recording artist Ginette Reno. In her letter, Thérèse mentioned that she hoped that Céline could be like Reno, and that she felt she had the potential to become a great star.

Celine’s Parents Hadn’t Planned on Having Her

Céline, coming from a huge family, is the youngest of 14 children! Both her parents were hospitality workers, and already struggled to support their 13 children, so they hadn’t intended to have Céline as well. When she was first born, baby Céline had to sleep in a chest of drawers, because her family home did not have enough beds, and her parents couldn’t afford to buy one for her at the time.

René Gave Her a Chance

Céline received an invitation from René to come and audition for him. Somewhat ironically, the singer, Reno, after whom Céline’s family felt she should model her career, had just told René that she no longer needed him as her manager, and he was about to begin searching for another career himself when he received the cassette from Céline’s family. Upon listening to Céline’s recording, he felt it was worth giving her a shot, and asked her to come to his office to sing for him.

She Moved Him to Tears

The story goes that, when Céline and René met, he handed her a pencil and asked her to pretend it was a microphone. He told the young Céline that she was to imagine she was singing to a sold-out crowd, and her resulting performance was so moving for René that he began to cry. René was absolutely sold on Céline’s talent, and felt he had to do whatever he could to ensure that she became a success.

An Incredible Bunch of Relatives

The image below shows a number of women, all very talented in their own right, who are related to Céline. Zacharie Cloutier left France in 1634 for North America, as he wanted to make a better life for himself. Céline is related to him, and Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Shania Twain and Beyoncé, to name a few, are apparently all able to prove that they are descended from him, as well. Cloutier was one of the original Frenchmen to live in the New World, and must have had quite a large family.

She is Also an Avid Golfer

Not only is she a supremely talented singer, but Céline has a number of hobbies. Golf is one of her greatest passions, and she has played throughout her life. René and Céline actually renovated a golf club in Quebec, and also sent the club a generous donation to help them to continue operating. The couple also helped to promote the club, with a statement of theirs published on the club’s website to help draw business to it.

Celine had ‘The Voice of the Good Lord!’

René believed so strongly in Céline, that he mortgaged his house to help pay for her debut album. Part of the funding René was able to provide by mortgaging his house went to paying Eddy Marnay, the famous French lyricist, to work with Céline on her album. René was known for being a serious high-stakes gambler in his life, and took many chances to support Céline’s career.

Sometimes Her Fashion is Outrageous

When she appeared at the 1999 Oscars, Céline caused a real uproar with her outfit- an all-white backwards tuxedo. When asked about it, Céline recalled that, “…everyone was wearing dresses, not pants” at the awards ceremony. It was a Galliano suit, and she certainly stood out amongst everybody else at the show. Céline said it was her intention to be avant-garde, and that you can’t worry too much about what others will think when you make decisions like that- you just need to commit, and ignore the doubters.

Céline Can Speak Many Different Languages

Apart from being a great artist in her own right, it’s clear that Céline is also a really smart and gifted woman in many other ways. One of these is her mastery of language; she is not only able to speak French and English fluently, but she also knows some level of Mandarin and Japanese, as well as Spanish, Italian and German. She can also read and write in Latin. Céline has recorded music in these languages, too!

Céline Thrilled Audiences at Home, Too

That year, in Quebec, Céline attended the annual ADISQ gala. These galas are planned to reward the greatest French-Canadian talent, and are where the Félix awards are presented. At the age of only 15, Céline received her first ever Felix Award, and it was to be the first of many accolades she has received over her lengthy and impressive career. This was just a small part of the incredible following she had earned herself at home in Canada by this point.

A Brush with the Pope

The following year, in 1984, Pope John Paul II visited Canada. As part of his visit, he travelled to French Canada, and it was there that Céline sang for him. She performed the song Une colombe for him, at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, in front of an audience of 60,000 people. The Pope reportedly loved Céline’s performance. Pope John Paul II spoke French, and travelled extensively during his time as Pope.

René Worried That People Would Judge Their Relationship

When Céline was only 19, she and René began dating. This meant they had an age gap of 26 years between the two of them and this fact, combined with René being Céline’s manager, could give people the wrong impression about the nature of their relationship. He was worried about what people would think, so the couple kept their romance a secret for five whole years, before their love was announced to the world.

Vegas Would Not Be the Same Without Her

Kurt Melien and Gary Bongiovanni, two executives and seriously influential men in Las Vegas, were asked to discuss Celine’s impact on entertainment and residencies in the city. They stated that she had absolutely changed the way in which entertainment in Vegas operates, and that, before her epic residency there, performers like Britney Spears would never have considered appearing in Vegas in the way that Céline had, thanks to her pioneering spirit.

Céline is a Truly Dedicated Wife

René and Céline were married for 22 years before he passed away after his battle with cancer. However, it didn’t take long for rumors to emerge about Céline dating people or entering into a new relationship. She bluntly dispelled these rumors, calling them ‘bizarre.’ Céline went on to explain that René was the love of her life, and that she still felt married to him, and that it was exceptionally difficult for her to imagine herself with anybody else.

René Got Divorced, Which Opened the Door for Their Secret Relationship to Begin

Céline’s first tour began in January in 1985, but in February, René’s wife, Anne Renée, left him and the tour stopped temporarily. As René was such a massive part of Céline’s career, it was not possible for the tour to continue while his personal life was in such a state of upheaval. He had to travel back home to resolve the divorce, which was a hugely dramatic event at the time, but also created the possibility for their relationship to begin in secret.

She Has A Great Sense Of Humor

Céline has been the subject of parody, and has been impersonated on a variety of American comedy shows. These sketches tend to focus on her accent or dramatic performance style, but Céline has said that she isn’t bothered by the sketches and even finds them amusing at times. Ana Gasteyar is an actress who spoofed Céline on SNL, and Céline actually invited her onstage for one of her performances in NYC!

The Sweet Smell of Success

Always the businesswoman, it seems that Céline is constantly looking for new ventures to expand into, and new things to try. She has also established a perfume line, Celine Dion Parfums, which currently has a whopping 14 fragrances available as part of its collection. The latest perfume from the company is simply called ‘Signature,’ and if it is anything like the woman herself, it is surely a classy and elegant fragrance.

The Shows Were Loved by Both Critics and the Public

Both the public and critics were blown away by Céline’s first proper concert tour. She was compared by critics to other French-language singers like Édith Piaf, and it was said that she was able to touch people in a remarkable way through her singing. The show was also more commercially successful than had been expected, and she ended up performing 42 shows around Canada. The concert she performed at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal was also recorded and released on cassette that year.

But Then She Took Some Time off to Grow Up

While René was confident in Céline, he felt her image was not one that was likely to make her a global star, and so he advised her to take some time off from performing in order to develop more in this respect. In order for her to become a global star, she needed badly to improve her English and spent the time off taking lessons and she feels that this time allowed her the space to finally become a woman.

She Then Went on to Win Eurovision

Céline performed at the 1988 version of the Eurovision song content, which was held that year in Dublin, Ireland. She represented Switzerland there, and sang the song Ne partez pas sans moi. Céline actually won the contest, though she only beat the second-place winner by a single point! It’s fascinating to think that she represented Switzerland- Canada, her homeland, does not compete in Eurovision, but you have to wonder why she represented Switzerland instead of France!

Her Relationship with René Also Changed Dramatically

After Céline returned from the Eurovision song contest, she and René, her manager, began a romantic relationship together. At the time, Céline was 20, and René was 46. René was especially concerned about what the public would think of the age difference and nature of their relationship, and the couple kept their relationship mostly secret for five years, only revealing that they were together to friends and family.

Things Were Seriously Tough for Céline and René’s Relationship for a While

After René’s second marriage ended, he took some time off from managing her and spent this time in Las Vegas, while she toured and worked on her singing and dancing. Dion has said that, when he first returned to managing her, René avoided being alone with her in the same room for too long, fearful of the feelings they shared for one another. At this time, Céline kept a photo of him under her pillow, and was constantly fearful that her mother would find it, as they shared a room at the time.

Initially, Céline’s Mom Refused to Support Their Relationship

Céline’s mother, Thérèse, did not approve of her daughter’s feelings for René, with Céline stating that she was skeptical of him as a much older man who had previously been married. Céline insisted, however, that she had the right to love whomever she wanted in a free country, and was frustrated with the situation, with her mother questioning the relationship and René himself being wary of becoming involved with the younger singer.

But Love Prevails!

Despite the challenges they faced, René and Céline ended up embarking on a romantic relationship together, which they only disclosed to family and friends until they became engaged in 1993, which Céline announced in the liner notes of her English-language album, The Colour of My Love. Céline has said that she wasn’t worried about the reception to her announcement, because when you’re in love, you don’t care what anybody else thinks of your relationship.

Céline’s Career Began to Skyrocket

In 1990, Céline released her first English-language album, Unison. With this release, she cracked the American market, with her single Where Does My Heart Beat Now charting at #5. Céline also performed on a variety of talk shows, and that same year, she was awarded a Juno Award for Album of the Year, and another for Female Vocalist of the Year. The Junos are Canada’s most prestigious musical awards, so this was an enormous achievement for the young singer.

Imagine Sitting Next to Céline on an Airplane!

It would surely be exciting to be able to sit next to a celebrity on an airplane ride, or at least make the journey a more interesting one. Flightnetwork.com polled their readers, asking which celebrity they would want to sit next to most on a flight, and Céline was the winner, with 23% of people responding that they would most want to sit next to her on a plane.

Even Oprah is Fascinated by Céline

In 2011, Oprah Winfrey’s network, OWN Network, released a documentary about the life and success of Céline so far. An intimate portrait of the artist, it featured insights into her personal life, experience with the pregnancy of her twins, and the incredible effort involved in making her Las Vegas residency possible. Unsurprisingly, like everything Céline is involved in, it was a very successful venture, becoming the second-most popular show ever on the Canadian branch of TV OWN!

She Hasn’t Always Had an Easy Ride From the Critics

One of her most personal and intimate albums, A New Day Has Come, is concerned with her experiences of motherhood for the very first time. This album went on to be a massive commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 Chart in the USA. However, the critical reception to her latest work at the time was not so warm, with it being described as having ‘forgettable’ lyrics which were ‘lifeless.’

Céline is Known for Being Personable

A massive part of the success of Céline, despite her obvious talent, is the down-to-earth and selfless way she interacts with her fans. Céline made sure that her husband’s funeral was televized, so that fans who were invested in the couple’s relationship or her wellbeing would be able to watch, and maybe even grieve along with the singer and her family. It was also made possible for fans to personally send their condolences to Céline, if they wished to do so.

René and Céline’s Relationship Continued to Flourish

René and Céline married in 1994, in the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal. The wedding was lavish, and also broadcast live! Céline wore an enormous crystal headdress, which reportedly weighed 7 pounds. Her dress cost $25,000 and had a 20-foot train trailing off it. The couple also conducted a press conference together immediately after the ceremony. It has been rumored that Céline was something of a bridezilla, but the photos of the couple seem to show that they were nothing but happy on their wedding day.

But There Have Been Many Challenges along the Way

Céline and René have also faced their fair share of challenges as a couple. In 2002, René was accused of sexual assault by a woman named Yun Kyeong Sung Kwon. She claimed that he assaulted her in Las Vegas, at the Imperial Palace Hotel. René denied the allegations, which were found to be faked. It must be difficult to be in a relationship where people try to take advantage of your situation, but René and Céline have stayed together and supported each other through thick and thin.

Their Relationship Survived Against the Odds

In 1999, René was diagnosed with throat cancer, and Céline opted to take time away from performing in order to be his caretaker while he went through cancer treatment. She still had some obligations she needed to fulfil, however, and there were concerts that Céline performed that René could not be present at. Nonetheless, he was able to recover, and was at Céline’s concert on the 31^st of December, 1999.

Celine Has Had to Punish Tabloids for Spreading Rumors about Her

 While René was battling cancer, a tabloid called The National Enquirer released an article, claiming that Céline was actually pregnant with twins. She opted to sue the tabloid for defamation and won $20 million in the case. The National Enquirer apologized for the article, and went on to donate money to the American Cancer Society out of respect for René’s struggle at the time and to make amends with the couple.

They Wanted Badly to Start a Family

René and Céline wanted to have a family together, but had trouble conceiving. Céline eventually had to undergo surgery twice at a clinic in New York, so that she could improve her chances of having a child. This was after trying IVF several times, which was unfortunately unsuccessful for the couple. Eventually, however, René and Céline were able to welcome a son, René-Charles Angélil, into the world- he was born on the 25^th of January, 2001.

Celine Helped Her Children Prepare for Their Dad’s Passing

Because of René’s illness, Céline had to help her children to understand that René was going to pass away. Céline was asked about how she feels about helping their children through it, and she said she is “proud of the way [she] prepared [her] 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.”

‘Canine Dion’?

While Céline was growing up in the spotlight, she was the victim of some nasty treatment by the tabloids. Even though she was only a child when she first became successful, she was still given a hard time for her appearance, especially her teeth. Some of the tabloids called her ‘Canine Dion,’ and this was part of the reason she chose to have dental surgery during her time off at the beginning of her stardom.

Her Heart Almost Did Not Go On!

While it is her best-known song, and perhaps one of the most famous songs of all time, Céline initially did not like My Heart Will Go On at all, and even thought there was a chance that the song could ruin her career altogether. She never sang the song again after recording it the first time, because she hated it so much. It was only thanks to René that the song was even released, and has obviously become a truly beloved piece of music over time.

She Is Insightful About Religion

Like many people of French-Canadian heritage, Céline Dion was raised as a Roman Catholic. However, her stance on religion is thought-provoking and forward-thinking, with her stating that it is important to see the value in oneself. She says that believing in yourself is the same as believing in God, and that ‘…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.’

The TV Loves Her!

When you watch Céline on TV or in interview, it’s clear that she has a positive outlook on life, and a great and fun attitude that makes her easy and fun to interview. When Céline was a guest on the Ellen Show, Ellen told Céline that her jewelry was nice. Spontaneously, Céline started singing the song She Worked Hard for the Money. It’s not hard to see how she has won herself so many fans around the world with such a great personality.

Céline’s Son, René, is a Heartbreaker!

Céline was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Billboard Music Awards. Her son, René-Charles, was the one who presented the award to her. This was a sweet moment between father and son, and René caused a bit of an uproar on social media as a result of his looks and demeanor. He earned himself quite the social media following, thanks to his presence at the Awards.

A New Day Dawns

Can you imagine doing the same thing, over 700 times? René’s idea for the Las Vegas show was very well-received, and it ended up coming into form as a spectacular show, complete with Cirque du Soleil acrobats and athletes, which Céline eventually performed over 700 times over several years. She must have incredible patience and stamina to pull off such a feat, while making it an incredible performance every single time for her fans.

Céline Lost Her Brother and Her Husband in the Same Week

Even though Céline has had an enormously successful career, she has also had to deal with and overcome a lot of tragedy in her personal life. While it would be hard enough that her husband René passed away as a result of her cancer, only in the same week, her brother also passed away. It’s seriously difficult to imagine what a traumatic week that must have been for Céline.

Showing Off Her Passion for Fashion

Renowned for being one of the world’s most fashioned and best-dressed celebrities, Céline decided to release her own line of clothing and handbags. The line, according to Céline, was mostly inspired by her twin boys and her mother, and the line features over 200 unique items, which are made from a variety of different styles and materials. It’s truly great that family could be the driving factor behind a venture as impressive as Céline’s fashion line.

Céline Then Welcomed Twins into the World

In 2010, Céline once again took a break from music; this time, because she was pregnant with twins. Eddy and Nelson were born in October, 2010. Eddy is named after Eddy Marnay, Céline’s favorite French-language songwriter and the man who produced her first five albums, and Nelson is named after Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. Céline and her twin sons appeared on the cover of the Canadian edition of the tabloid Hello!

Her Family is Her Rock

Céline has talked openly about grieving for her husband, and mentioned that a huge help for her is her children, especially her twins. She has stated that she needs to keep herself busy so that she doesn’t feel her loneliness or grief for her husband so deeply, and that one of the most helpful things for her to do is to get into bed with her twin boys and sleep with them.

He Definitely Made the Right Decision

One of Céline’s better known songs is the moving It’s All Coming Back to Me Now. Funnily enough, if things were only a little different, she never would have recorded it at all, as it was actually written to be sung by Meatloaf! While he is a great singer in his own right, the songwriter fortunately decided that the song should be performed by a female vocalist instead, which meant that Céline ended up recording it.

René’s Health Became Poor Again

Tragically, at the end of such a successful year for Céline, René received the news that his cancer had returned. In 2014, Céline postponed most of her engagements, and returned home so she could once again take care of her husband during his illness. Céline resumed her Las Vegas residency at René’s request, because he loved to see her sing so much, and he eventually passed away in January, 2016.

Céline Still Carries René’s Flame

René’s funeral was held at the same venue as his and Céline’s wedding decades earlier- the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal. He had a national funeral, and Céline received well-wishes and condolences from fans all around the world. Céline wanted to carry on representing him through her art, and so she returned to her residency in Las Vegas at the Colosseum. She was also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 Billboard Awards by their son, René-Charles.

Céline Is a Prolific Collaborator

Not only has she had an incredibly successful solo career, both recording original and cover material, but Céline has also recorded a number of duets with some other incredible vocalists throughout her albums. She has truly worked with a veritable who’s-who of singers, with massive artists like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Barbara Streisand, to name a few, being among some of those who have recorded with Céline at some point.

She Has a 700-Million Dollar Voice

While she is a really talented and versatile human being, Céline is ultimately a singer at heart. Her incredible talent and work ethic has allowed her to achieve the heights that she has, and create a wonderful life for herself and her family. It has also brought her considerable wealth, with her net worth having been estimated at $700 million, making her one of the most successful female entertainers of all time!

  …And a Winner of Many Accolades

Céline has received an incredible number of prizes in recognition of her talent and success. She has a star on both the Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame. In 2007, Forbes estimated that she was the 5^th richest woman in entertainment, not including those who were retired, with a net worth of $250 million. She has also received an honorary doctorate in music from Université Laval in Québec, which she was awarded in 2008.