Celine Dion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Céline Dion CC OQ
Dion in 2012
Born	Céline Marie Claudette Dion (1968-03-30) 30 March 1968 (age 57) Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Singer actress entrepreneur philanthropist
Years active	1980–present
Works	Albums singles songs videography performances
Spouse(s)	René Angélil ​ ​ (m. 1994; died 2016)​
Children	3
Parents	Adhémar Dion (father) Thérèse Tanguay Dion (mother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Pop chanson soft rock
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	CBS Epic Columbia 550 Legacy
Associated acts	David Foster Barbra Streisand Peabo Bryson Andrea Bocelli Bee Gees Il Divo

Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a famous Canadian singer. People often call her the "Queen of Power Ballads" because of her strong and skilled singing. Her music has made a big impact on pop music around the world. She mostly sings in English and French, but she has also sung in Japanese, Italian, German, Mandarin, Spanish, and Neapolitan.

Céline grew up in a large family in Charlemagne, Quebec. Her future manager and husband, René Angélil, discovered her. She became a teen star in Canada with her French albums in the 1980s. She became known worldwide after winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. She represented Switzerland with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi".

Céline has released many successful English albums, like The Colour of My Love (1993), Falling into You (1996), and Let's Talk About Love (1997). These are some of the best-selling albums ever. Her popular songs include "Beauty and the Beast", "The Power of Love", "Because You Loved Me", and "My Heart Will Go On". The last one was the theme song for the 1997 movie Titanic.

She also kept releasing French albums. D'eux (1995) became the best-selling French album of all time. In the 2000s, she became famous for her live shows, especially "A New Day..." in Las Vegas Strip. This show was the highest-earning concert residency ever. Her "Taking Chances World Tour" (2008–09) was also one of the highest-earning tours of that decade. In 2022, Céline had to cancel her tour because she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.

Céline Dion has sold over 200 million records worldwide. This makes her the best-selling Canadian artist and the best-selling French-language artist. She is also one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has received many awards and honors for her amazing career.

Céline Dion: A Music Star

Early Life and Big Dreams

Dion in 1986

Céline Dion was born on 30 March 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, a town near Montreal. She was the youngest of 14 children. Her mother, Thérèse, was a homemaker, and her father, Adhémar, was a butcher. They were a poor but happy family. Céline often wore hand-me-down clothes and shared a bed with her sisters. As a baby, she even slept in a drawer to save money! She was sometimes teased at school for her teeth and being skinny.

Music was always a big part of the Dion family. Céline was named after a song by French singer Hugues Aufray. She first sang in public at her brother Michel's wedding when she was just five years old. She continued to perform with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar, called Le Vieux Baril (The Old Barrel).

From a young age, Céline dreamed of being a singer. She once said, "I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer." When she was 12, she wrote her first song, "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"), with her mother and brother Jacques. Her brother Michel sent the song to music manager René Angélil. René was so impressed by her voice that he decided to help her become a star. In 1981, he even mortgaged his home to pay for her first record, La voix du bon Dieu. This album became a number one hit in Quebec and made her an instant star there.

Gaining International Fame

Céline's popularity grew when she won awards at the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. By 1983, she was the first Canadian artist to get a gold record in France. She also won several Félix Awards in Canada.

A big moment came when she represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. She won the contest with her song "Ne partez pas sans moi". When she was 18, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Céline told René she wanted to be a global star like Jackson. René knew her image needed to change for worldwide success. She took a break to improve her appearance and learn English. In 1989, she hurt her voice during a concert and had to rest it completely for three weeks, followed by vocal training.

Breaking into the English Market

Two years after learning English, Céline released her first English album, Unison (1990). This album was influenced by 1980s soft rock and was well-received by critics. Songs like "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" became her first top-ten hit in the U.S.

Her international breakthrough happened when she sang a duet with Peabo Bryson for the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast (1991). This song became a top-ten hit in both the UK and the US. It also won an Academy Award for Best Song and a Grammy Award for Céline. This song was the first single from her 1992 album, Celine Dion. This album was even more successful and included another hit, "If You Asked Me To".

During this time, she also released the French album Dion chante Plamondon. It featured new songs and covers, and "Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy)" became a huge hit in France. By 1992, Céline was a superstar in North America. She had achieved her goal of becoming famous in the English-speaking world. However, some French fans felt she was forgetting them. At the 1991 Félix Awards, she famously turned down the "English Artist of the Year" award, saying she would always be a French artist.

Love, Marriage, and More Success

In 1993, Céline shared her feelings for her manager, René Angélil, in the dedication of her third English album, The Colour of My Love. Fans loved the couple, and they got married in a grand ceremony on 17 December 1994, which was shown live on Canadian TV.

The Colour of My Love became her most successful album yet, selling millions of copies. It included her first US, Canadian, and Australian number one hit, "The Power of Love". The album also did very well in Europe, especially in the UK, where "Think Twice" was number one for seven weeks.

Céline always stayed true to her French roots. In 1995, she released D'eux (also known as The French Album), which became the best-selling French-language album ever. It featured popular songs like "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "Je sais pas". By the mid-1990s, Céline was one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Global Hits and Awards

Falling into You (1996), Céline's fourth English album, showed her at the peak of her popularity. The album mixed different sounds, like orchestral music and African chanting. It included hits like "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and "Because You Loved Me". Critics praised the album, and it became Céline's most successful, topping charts worldwide and becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. It won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album and Album of the Year. In March 1996, she started the Falling into You Tour. In July 1996, she sang "The Power of the Dream" at the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

Dion during the promotion of Let's Talk About Love, 1998

She followed up with Let's Talk About Love (1997), which featured special guests like Barbra Streisand and the Bee Gees. This album was another huge success, reaching number one around the world. The most famous song from this album was "My Heart Will Go On". This song was the love theme for the movie Titanic. It became Céline's signature song and topped charts everywhere. It also won an Academy Award and two Grammy Awards for Céline.

Céline finished the 1990s with more successful albums: a Christmas album These Are Special Times (1998), the French album S'il suffisait d'aimer, and a greatest hits album All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). All the Way... became one of the best-selling compilation albums ever. By the end of the 1990s, Céline had sold over 130 million records and won many awards. She was recognized as one of music's biggest pop stars.

Taking a Break and Returning to Music

Dion in November 1998

After releasing many albums in the 1990s, Céline decided to take a break from music to focus on her family. Her husband, René, was diagnosed with cancer, which also influenced her decision. During her break, she gave birth to her first son, René-Charles, on 25 January 2001.

After the 11 September attacks, Céline returned to music to sing "God Bless America" at a benefit concert. In December 2001, she released her autobiography, My Story, My Dream.

Céline ended her three-year break with the album A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002. This album was very personal, with songs about motherhood. It debuted at number one in over 17 countries. The first single, "A New Day Has Come", spent 21 weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary charts, breaking a record.

In 2003, she released One Heart, which had more pop and dance music. She also released Miracle (2004), a project with photographer Anne Geddes about babies and motherhood. Her French album 1 fille & 4 types (2003) was also very successful and showed her moving away from her "diva" image. By 2004, Céline had sold over 175 million albums worldwide and received a special award for selling over 100 million albums.

Las Vegas Residency: A New Day...

In 2002, Céline announced a big plan: a three-year, 600-show concert residency called A New Day... at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This was a new idea for a major artist. The show premiered on 25 March 2003, in a special arena built just for her. It was a mix of dance, music, and visual effects.

The show was a huge success and sold out regularly until it ended in late 2007. It earned over US$385 million and attracted nearly three million people to 717 shows. It became the most successful concert residency of all time.

New Albums and World Tours

In 2007, Céline released the French album D'elles, which quickly became number one in Canada, France, and Belgium. Later that year, she released her English album Taking Chances, which featured pop, R&B, and rock music. She then started her year-long Taking Chances World Tour in 2008, performing in 132 shows across five continents.

Dion on stage performing "Eyes on Me" during her Taking Chances Tour in Montreal in August 2008

The Taking Chances Tour was very successful, selling out concerts in the U.S. and Canada. In August 2008, Céline performed a free outdoor concert in Quebec City for its 400th anniversary, drawing nearly half a million people. In 2009, she was named the top-earning artist of the decade by the Los Angeles Times, earning over $747 million from album sales and concerts.

In 2010, a documentary film about her Taking Chances Tour, called Celine: Through the Eyes of the World, was released. In a 2010 poll, Céline was named the most popular musician in the United States.

Returning to Las Vegas and New Music

In 2011, Céline announced she would return to Caesars Palace for a new residency called Celine. This show featured her greatest hits and songs from classic Hollywood films. It became the second most successful residency of all time.

She continued to record new music. In 2012, she released the French album Sans attendre, which was a huge hit in French-speaking countries. In 2013, she released the English album Loved Me Back to Life, which included duets with Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder. She also went on the Sans attendre Tour in Europe.

Family Challenges and Continued Success

In 2014, Céline announced she was postponing her shows and tours because her husband, René, was battling cancer. She returned to Las Vegas in August 2015. Sadly, René Angélil passed away on 14 January 2016, at age 73. Two days later, her brother Daniel also died from cancer. Céline bravely returned to her residency in February 2016.

In May 2016, she released a new French song, "Encore un soir", and a cover of Queen's "The Show Must Go On". She performed this song at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards and received the Billboard Icon Award.

Dion performing in Birmingham in 2017

Her new French album, Encore un soir, was released in August 2016 and topped charts in several countries. In 2016 and 2017, she toured Europe and Canada with sold-out concerts. She also recorded "How Does a Moment Last Forever" for the 2017 Beauty and the Beast movie soundtrack.

In 2018, she released "Ashes" from the film Deadpool 2. She also toured the Asia-Pacific region. In September 2018, she announced her Las Vegas residency would end in June 2019. She then began working on a new English album.

In April 2019, Céline announced her Courage World Tour and a new English album called Courage, released in November 2019. Courage became her first US number-one album in 17 years. The tour was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she announced a limited return to Las Vegas.

Health Challenges and Recent Performances

On 15 January 2022, Céline canceled her North American tour dates due to severe muscle spasms. On 8 December, she announced she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disease. This condition affects her muscles and vocal cords, making it difficult to walk and sing. All her tour dates were canceled.

Dion performing at the 1000 Seasons of Elie Saab fashion show on November 13, 2024

In 2023, Céline starred as herself in Love Again, her first movie role. She also recorded five new songs for the film's soundtrack. In June 2024, a documentary about her life with stiff-person syndrome, I Am: Celine Dion, was released.

On 26 July 2024, Céline sang "Hymne à l’amour" from the Eiffel Tower to close the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. This was her first public performance in four years, and it was widely celebrated. On 13 November 2024, she walked the runway at a fashion show in Saudi Arabia and performed "I'm Alive" and "The Power of Love."

Céline's Artistic Style

Musical Influences

Michael Jackson in 1988. He is cited as the main inspiration for Dion to learn English.

Céline has been inspired by many artists, including Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, and Whitney Houston. She even got to work with many of them! Michael Jackson especially motivated her to learn English. Her music includes pop, rock, gospel, R&B, and soul. Her songs often talk about love and romance, and after her first child was born, she sang more about a mother's love.

Her Unique Voice

Céline is known for her amazing vocal skills. Critics have described her voice as having a "silky vibrato" and being able to hit high notes perfectly. She can sing with great power and grace. One music expert said her voice "glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes."

In her French songs, Céline adds even more emotion and detail. A French songwriter who worked with her said she uses three different singing styles: Québécois, French, and American. When her 1992 album Celine Dion was released, the slogan was "Remember the name because you'll never forget the voice."

Dion performing at Taking Chances World Tour in 2008

Céline's Impact and Achievements

Dion's stars on Canada's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Céline Dion is famous for bringing French music to many countries that don't speak French. She also changed the entertainment scene in Las Vegas with her hugely successful shows. People often call her the "Queen of Las Vegas" because of her impact there. Céline is also known for her fashion style, with Vogue calling her one of music's most exciting dressers. Many artists around the world say Céline has influenced them.

Céline has received hundreds of awards throughout her career. She has won seven American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, fifty Felix Awards, five Grammy Awards, and twenty Juno Awards. She holds the Guinness World Record for the most Juno Awards won for Album Of The Year. She has also received honorary doctorates in music. In 2013, she was made a Companion of the Order of Canada for her contributions to music.

She is the best-selling Canadian artist and the best-selling French-language artist ever, with over 200 million records sold worldwide. Seven of her albums have sold over 10 million copies each. Her song "My Heart Will Go On" is one of the best-selling female singles in history, selling more than 18 million copies.

In the United States, Céline is one of the highest-certified female artists. Billboard magazine ranked her as the eighth greatest female solo artist of all time. She was the first artist in the UK since The Beatles to have the number-one album and song at the same time for five weeks. She is also the only woman in British chart history to have two singles sell over one million copies each.

Céline has earned over US$1.35 billion from her concert tours and residencies, making her one of the highest-earning live music artists. Her Las Vegas residencies are the highest-earning in history. Forbes magazine has named her the top-earning female musician four times.

Other Activities

Business Ventures

Céline Dion is also a successful businesswoman. She owns Les Productions Feeling Inc., an artist management company. She also founded the Nickels Restaurant food chain, though she no longer owns it. She and her husband also owned Le Mirage Golf Club and Schwartz's Restaurant. She launched her own line of bags and accessories called "Céline Dion Collection," which has been very successful.

In 2003, Céline partnered with Coty to release her own perfumes, Celine Dion Parfums, which have earned over $850 million in sales. In 2004, she was part of Air Canada's advertising campaign, singing their theme song "You and I".

Helping Others

Céline is very active in charity work. She has supported the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982. Her niece, Karine, passed away from the disease, which made this cause very personal to her. In 2003, she joined other celebrities to support "World Children's Day," a global fundraising effort for orphanages and children's health.

She has also supported the T. J. Martell Foundation and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. After Hurricane Katrina, she donated $1 million to the victims. She also held a fundraiser for the victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami, raising over $1 million. In 2008, she donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers' Fund after an earthquake. In 2018, she launched a gender-neutral clothing line for kids called Celinununu.

Personal Life

Family Life

Céline first met René Angélil, who would become her husband and manager, in 1980 when she was 12 and he was 38. Her brother sent him a recording of a song she had written. René believed in her talent and helped her become a star.

Their professional relationship turned romantic after her Eurovision win in 1988, when she was 20. They kept their relationship a secret for five years. They got engaged on Céline's 25th birthday in 1993 and made their relationship public. They married on 17 December 1994, in Montreal. They renewed their vows in Las Vegas in 2000.

Their first son, René-Charles Angélil, was born on 25 January 2001. In 2010, Céline announced she was pregnant with twins. On 23 October 2010, she gave birth to twin boys, Eddy and Nelson. Eddy was named after her favorite French songwriter, Eddy Marnay, and Nelson after Nelson Mandela.

Dion and husband René Angélil in 2012

On 14 January 2016, René Angélil passed away at age 73 from throat cancer. His funeral was held in the same church where they married. Céline's eldest son, René-Charles, gave a speech at the funeral. Just two days after René's death, Céline's brother Daniel also passed away from cancer. After René's death, Céline became the sole owner of her management and production companies.

Health and Well-being

Céline has faced some health challenges. In 2018, she had surgery for a hearing problem. For many years, there were rumors about her having an eating disorder, but she has always denied them. She says her work requires her to be in great physical shape. She has also spoken about being bullied as a child and lacking confidence early in her career.

In December 2022, Céline shared that she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare condition that affects her muscles and makes it hard to walk and sing. In June 2024, she revealed she had been dealing with mysterious symptoms for 17 years before her diagnosis. With the help of doctors, she is working to rebuild her voice and hopes to return to the stage.

Her Wealth

The Henderson neighborhood on the south shore of Lake Las Vegas where Dion reportedly resides (site obscured by landscaping)

In 2024, Forbes reported that Céline Dion has a net worth of US$550 million, making her one of America's richest self-made women. She has owned several homes, including one on a private island in Montreal and a home in Florida. As of 2024, she lives in a house in Henderson, Nevada.

Discography

Concert Tours and Residencies

Tours

Residencies

• A New Day... (2003–2007)
• Celine (2011–2019)

Filmography

• Touched by an Angel
• The Nanny
• All My Children
• La fureur de Céline
• Des fleurs sur la neige
• Quest for Camelot as Juliana (singing voice)
• Behind the Music
• Céline sur les Plaines
• Celine: Through the Eyes of the World
• Sur la piste du Marsupilami
• Hell's Kitchen
• Muppets Most Wanted
• Love Again

See also

In Spanish: Céline Dion para niños

• List of music artists by net worth