All You Never Knew About Celine Dion and Her Amazing Life Story

Celine Dion is a very accomplished music artist. Her voice is amazing, and most people agree that she is beautiful inside and out. However, her life wasn’t always perfect. She was humbled from an early age because she was born into a large, poor family. Likewise, she faced various obstacles on her path to stardom.

It’s true that Celine is now a successful music industry figure, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, the public won’t leave her alone, and her health problems and love life were put on display for everyone. Still, she put on a smile and dealt with it. Let’s learn more about Celine Dion!

Her Husband’s Diagnosis

Celine Dion faced a huge life crisis in 1999 when she heard about her husband’s diagnosis of throat cancer. Doctors said Rene would lose the ability to care for himself, and she stepped up to the plate to ensure he had a good life up until the end.

Conceiving Issues

Once Celine had 13 albums under her belt, she announced a well-deserved break. In fact, she and Rene had been trying to conceive for six years and hadn’t been able to. Therefore, she went through fertility operations and finally welcomed their son in January 2001.

Hated Her Signature Song

Everyone knows “My Heart Will Go On;” it’s iconic because it was the main song in Titanic. However, Celine didn’t think it would do well and even admitted that she didn’t like the song at first. It went on to become her greatest hit ever.

She’s a Traitor

Celine’s “Beauty and the Beast” became a huge hit, winning her a Grammy award in 1991. She ended up breaking into the international market, but her fan base was mostly French-Canadian. They called her a traitor, and she had to tell the world she was French.

Restaurant Chains

Therese Tanguay Dion, Celine’s mom, was a great cook and became famous because of it. In fact, Celine likely inherited her mom’s skills because she opened a restaurant called Nickels, and it was a big success. Now, it’s a large chain.

All Lies

Celine had been releasing many successful albums and dealt with the cancer diagnosis of her husband. It took a toll, and she chose to take a break and be with her family. Then, The National Enquirer put out a fake news story, and she sued it and won $20 million!

Weirdest Discovery

When Celine was little, her brother and mother wrote a song for her. Though in French, it was translated to “It Was Only a Dream.” She loved it, and they sent a recording of her singing it to Rene Angelil, who scooped it up. They ended up marrying, and the rest is history!

Interfering Mom

Celine’s mom sent the demo tape to the music manager, and she added a note claiming that the 12-year-old had a fantastic voice. Rene didn’t do as asked initially. Her brother had to persuade him, and that took time. Still, he was impressed and asked for an audition.

Burst into Tears

Whenever Celine first auditioned for Rene, he started crying because of her beautiful singing. She knew she’d done well, and Rene asked her to sign with his record label, becoming her manager. Even then, he had a vision for her career.

The Gambler

Rene believed in Celine and her talent so much that he mortgaged his house to make sure she got enough funding for the album. That gamble paid off because the first record was a hit, topping the Canadian music charts almost immediately.

Loved By the Pope

Celine’s voice impressed Pope John II, as well. She sang the French anthem for him in 1984 at the Montreal Olympic Stadium. Reports indicate that he enjoyed her performance, and she had a great time, too!

Going Global

When Celine chose to take a break, she came back better than ever. In fact, she sang better in English, and “Incognito” sold about 500,000 copies. “Unison” came out in 1990, and that was her first full English album. Everyone fell in love with her.

Losing Her Voice

The iconic singer almost lost her voice once! She was getting ready to start a concert tour, and the doctors diagnosed her with laryngitis. Dion had to stop singing and rest her vocal cords. Luckily, she healed with no long-term issues.

Feared Public Controversy

Rene and Celine hid their relationship from the world for about five years. She was 19 when they got romantically involved, but there was a 26-year age gap between them. This caused controversy, but they endured, got married, and started a family.

Royal Bride

Celine wore a gorgeous wedding dress, which was fit for royalty. Mirella and Steve Gentile created it, and it took about 1,000 hours of work. Likewise, it came with a 20-pound tiara and a train 20 feet long! Everyone talked about it for weeks after the ceremony.

Her Everything

The “Let’s Talk About Love” tour was a huge success, but Celine received bad news in the middle of it. During a show, they stopped her performance to let her know of Rene’s cancer diagnosis. She went on, dedicating a song to him. Though he lived through the tour, he died in 2016.

Changing the World

Celine, also called the Queen of Pop, loves doing charity work. She raised about $1 million for those who suffered in the Asian tsunami. One year later, she donated $1 million for Hurricane Katrina victims. Likewise, she talked to Larry King about the government’s slow response for aid.

Preparing the Kids

When Rene died, it was hard for Celine to tell the kids. However, she’d already prepared them, saying that no one knew what would happen in life. Therefore, it’s best to do things today instead of waiting for tomorrow. Say “I love you” all the time.

Young Son

Rene-Charles Dion Angelil made a public appearance in 2016 at the Billboard Music Awards. Her first-born son gave her the Billboard Icon Award, and everyone marveled at his good looks and youthful style.

Doesn’t Miss a Beat

Hollywood loves Celine, and she’s easy to interview. Once, she talked with Ellen DeGeneres, receiving compliments on her jewelry. Her only response was to bust out a few notes from “She Worked Hard for the Money” by Donna Summers.

Fashion Sense

Celine has done many things, and one of them was releasing a fashion collection. Many called her the best-dressed celebrity in the world, so that made total sense. Her line had more than 200 accessories and bags.

Worth Millions

Celine’s story epitomizes the traditional “rags to riches” story. In fact, her hard work, passion, and extraordinary voice helped her become a household name. Reports indicate that she’s worth about $700 million!

All in the Family

What do Shania Twain, Madonna, Celine Dion, and Beyonce all have in common? They’re all related to Zacharie Cloutier, a French-Canadian man who left France for a better life. Who would have guessed that his descendants would be famous singers and entertainers?

Rolling in Dough

Celine is one of the top-grossing musicians of the 2000s. One Las Vegas concert earned her a whopping $465 million. Plus, her concert tours are sold out within days. To top it off, she has a restaurant chain and fashion line and also loves to invest in real estate!

Hit or Miss

Dion definitely has tons of chart-topping hits compared to other music artists. Everyone is familiar with the classic “My Heart Will Go On.” However, they haven’t always been hits. “Dream to Dream” didn’t do well, which was for a movie as well.

Loves Golf

Rene and Celine owned a golf club called Le Mirage. In fact, the couple renovated it in 2008, donating millions of dollars to the Quebecois club and helping with promotions. The website boasts of it being an adventure at the Mirage.

Going to the Oscars

Celine has been to the Oscars many times, and that’s likely because of her movie soundtracks. She performs every year to honor the film industry. In fact, 2011 brought her sixth performance, where she sang “Smile” to honor celebrities who had passed away.

Fashion No-No

The tuxedo tux Celine wore once got criticized by many. However, she told People magazine that she didn’t regret wearing it. In fact, she believed she was fashion-forward, and most people respected her for taking the risk.

Meat Loaf’s Song

Everyone had likely heard “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” This was one of her most famous songs, but you might be surprised to learn that it had been written for Meat Loaf. The composer thought a female voice would sound better, and we’re glad!

Countless Duets

Though Celine is amazing in her own right, she also collaborates with other artists, joining forces with some of the best performers in the world. She’s performed duets with Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti, and Barbara Streisand.

Certified Diamond

The RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) began offering “diamond status” when a musician sold over 10 million copies. It’s hard to attain that goal, but Celine has defied all the odds because two of hers get that title!

Catholic Star

Dion was raised Roman Catholic, and she says that people must have something they can believe in. She also goes on to say that God is life for her, and she believes in him, though she doesn’t have to attend church to know he’s there.

Image Upgrade

Celine became increasingly popular, so her team thought it was time for a makeover. She’d been criticized because of her teeth, and most of the tabloids used “Canine Dion” instead of her name. Therefore, she had many dental procedures in the 80s to correct them.

Very Accessible

Dion is known for her down-to-earth personality and always treats fans with consideration. Shockingly, she met with fans to accept condolences from them after her husband passed away and allowed the eight-hour funeral to be broadcast live.

King of Pop Meets the Queen of Pop

Michael Jackson shaped Celine’s musical style. When she began her career, she said she wanted to follow in the man’s footsteps. As the King of Pop, he sold millions of albums, and she did the same as the Queen of Pop.

Switzerland

Dion’s international fame started when she joined the international competitions in the 1980s. She won the Eurovision Song Contest (1988) and the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival (1982) as Switzerland’s representative.

Caesar’s Palace

Celine took a break to be with her husband in 1999 because she felt she needed to be with him after the diagnosis. She then made a comeback in 2002, agreeing to a deal that she would perform at Caesar’s Palace each night.

Concert Residency

Celine has earned the top-grossing residency for Caesar’s Palace and gives a five-star theatrical show. It made her about $385 million! Then, in 2011, she renewed that contract and performed there until 2019.

Documentary Success

Celine’s personal life was shown as a documentary by OWN Network. It featured her pregnancy struggles, everyday life, and Las Vegas shows. In fact, it’s the second-highest rated on the network to this day.

Perfume Line

Dion has many side projects, but her perfume line seems to be the most successful of them all. She actually released the 14th perfume in her collection and called it “Signature.” We guess it fits!