Celine Dion

Born Celine Marie Claudette Dion, the Canadian singer is renowned as one of the most famous female vocalists of all time. Over the span of her career, she has been regarded as one of the best-selling artists of all time, with an estimated record of more than 200 million sales globally. In her home country, she is touted as the best-selling recording artist, as of this writing.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On at Lyrics.org.

Early Life, Career Journey

She was born to French-Canadian butcher, Adhemar Dion and Therese, who also loved music and owned a piano bar named Le Vieux Baril. She grew up with thirteen older siblings. Her first public performance was at her brother’s wedding in 1973 at age five. Her dreams to become a performer grew stronger and at age 12, she together with her brother Jacques and her mother, wrote her first song titled, Ce n’etait qu’un reve (It Was Only a Dream). The recording of that song was sent by her brother Michel to music manager Rene Angelil.

Angelil, who was touched by young Celine’s voice, vowed to transform her into a star. He mortgaged his own home in 1981 to fund her first recording, La voix du bon Dieu. The song earned her immense popularity in Quebec, and other parts of the world when she participated and won the Top Performer and Best Song awards in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival.

Celine Dion’s admiration for Michael Jackson was so strong that she told her manager, Angelil that she wanted to be a big star just like him. Thus Angelil ensured that she receded her career for a few months to improve her image. During this time, Celine underwent dental surgery and attended the Ecole Berlitz to improve on her English.

Achievements of Celine Dion

The singer released her debut English album, Unison in 1990, spawning hit singles such as Where Does My Heart Beat Now. This song became the first of hers to reach the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, at number four.

She broke through internationally with the title track to Disney’s 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast. This was the track that earned her a first Grammy Award and an Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Her third English language album, The Colour of My Love sold over six million copies in the United States, more than two million copies in Canada, and topped the charts in several countries.

By 1996, she had won the World Music Award for World’s Best-Selling Female Recording Artist of the Year three times.

Her 1996 album, Falling Into You ushered her into even greater international success, as it reached number one in the United States and earned 11x Platinum certifications. It received the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album and Album of the Year as well.

Let’s Talk About Love (1997) debuted at number one in several countries in the world. The album earned 10x Platinum Certification in the United States and sold a record 230,212 copies in Canada during the first week of its release. It’s most successful single was My Heart Will Go On, which would become Celine’s signature song after it featured as the theme song for the film, Titanic. The song earned her two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

In 1998, she was honored as an Officer of the Order of Canada for her Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music. She later earned a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and an induction into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Her 2002 album, A New Day Has Come debuted at number one in over 17 countries.

In 2016, she became the recipient of the Billboard Icon Award.

She was honored in 2003 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for selling more than 50 million albums in Europe.

Trivia/Interesting Facts about Celine Dion

Her parents named her after Hugues Aufray’s song titled Celine. The song was recorded two years prior to her birth.

During her teenage years, she was bullied in school and often tagged “Vampire” due to her skinny appearance and teeth.

After receiving criticism from her French fans, she openly rejected an award for “English Artist of the Year” during the 1991 Felix Awards show, stating that she would always be a French artist.

In 1993, when Celine was 25 and her manager Angelil was 51, she declared her love for him by dedicating a portion of her album, The Colour of My Love to him. They got married on December 17, 1994.

She birthed her first child, Rene-Charles Angelil in 2001, and twin boys, Eddy and Nelson in 2010 from her marriage to Renee. Renee Angelil died in 2016 after a long battle with throat cancer.

She sued the National Enquirer in 2000 for over $20 million after they published a false story about her.

The singer has admitted being a huge fan of Michael Jackson. She has cited her greatest musical influences as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, the Bee Gees, Anne Murray and Charles Aznavour. She eventually collaborated with all of them.

Top Celine Dion Songs

Below is a list containing some of Celine Dion’s biggest hits:

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