Céline Marie Claudette Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada, as the youngest of 14 children in a musical family. From a young age, she performed with her siblings in their parents' piano bar. At the age of 12, she co-wrote her first song, "Ce n'était qu'un rêve," and a demo tape was sent to music manager René Angélil. Deeply impressed by her voice, Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her debut album, "La Voix du bon Dieu" (1981), and became her manager.
Early Career and Francophone Success
Throughout the 1980s, Dion released a series of French-language albums, quickly gaining stardom in Quebec. By the age of 18, she had recorded nine French albums and won numerous Félix and Juno awards. In 1982, she won the gold medal at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. A significant milestone came in 1983 when she became the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France. Her international recognition grew when she won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest representing Switzerland with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi."
International Breakthrough
Dion's first English-language album, "Unison," was released in 1990 and featured the top 5 single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now." Her major international breakthrough occurred in 1991 when she recorded a duet with Peabo Bryson for the Disney animated film "Beauty and the Beast." The song won both an Academy Award and a Grammy Award, establishing her in the English-speaking market. Her self-titled 1992 album included the hit "If You Asked Me To" and sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
Reign as a Global Superstar
The 1990s cemented Dion's status as a global icon. Her 1993 album, "The Colour of My Love," featured her first U.S. number-one single, "The Power of Love." This was followed by the critically and commercially successful album "Falling Into You" (1996), which won two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and sold over 30 million copies. She also performed "The Power of the Dream" at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games opening ceremony. In 1997, she released "Let's Talk About Love," which included the iconic theme from the movie "Titanic," "My Heart Will Go On." The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and became her signature hit, with the soundtrack selling over 30 million copies globally.
Las Vegas Residencies
In 2003, Dion began her first Las Vegas residency, "A New Day...", at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The show was a massive success, running for over four years. She returned to the same venue in 2011 for her second residency, "Celine." Her groundbreaking residencies concluded in 2019 after 16 years of performances.
Personal Life
In 1994, Céline Dion married her manager, René Angélil, who was 26 years her senior. Their professional relationship had turned romantic when she was around 19 years old. The couple has three sons: René-Charles and twins Eddy and Nelson. Angélil passed away from throat cancer in 2016. In December 2022, Dion announced she had been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, which led her to step back from performing.