The Incredible Life Of Celine Dion
She signed her first recording contract at 12 and won her first Grammy at 21. Her song "My Heart Will Go On" is the second best-selling single by a female artist in history. But Celion Dion's successful Titanic hit is just the tip of the iceberg (sorry, we had to). With more than 220 million records sold internationally and a voice you can recognize anywhere, Dion is a force to be reckoned with. While you may be familiar with her musical endeavors, there's a lot more to this songstress than meets the eye! Join us as we take a look at Dion's incredible life.
She’s The Youngest Of 14 Kids
Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec. Her father, Adhémar, was a butcher, and her mother, Thérèse was a homemaker — which was a good thing since the Dion clan was big. Really big. In fact, Dion was the youngest of 14 children!
Dion was very close with her parents and siblings growing up. Although the family was poor and struggled with money, she has said that she grew up in a very happy home. Her close relationships with her brothers and sisters also sparked her creativity. She made her first public performance singing at her brother Michael’s wedding when she was just five years old.
She Signed Her First Recording Contract When She Was Only 12 Years Old
Celine Dion’s talent is undeniable, but she may have never achieved such success if it weren’t for her big brother, Jacques. When Dion was just 12 years old, she and her mother and Jacques wrote and composed a song called "Ce n'était qu'un rêve." Jacques ended up sending the recording to René Angélil, a music producer, whose name he found on the back of a record he had.
Angélil was so moved by Dion’s voice that he knew he needed to make her a star. Just like that, Dion signed her first recording contract at just 12.
Her Manager Mortgaged His Home To Fund Her First Record
René Angélil (second from left) recognized the rare talent in Celine Dion (center) and knew he had to do whatever it would take to make her a star around the world. Angélil even took out a mortgage on his home in order to fund her first record, La voix du bon Dieu. It was a good thing he did.
La voix du bon Dieu quickly became the local No. 1 hit, making Dion a star in Quebec. Before long, Dion was competing in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, winning the award for “Top Performer.” The next year brought a slew of awards as she became the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France and won multiple Felix Awards. And she wasn’t even 18 yet!
She Performed For The Pope When She Was 16
Celine Dion accomplished more than most artists before she was even an adult. But arguably one of her biggest accomplishments was performing for the Pope when she was just 16 years old. In September 1984, Dion took the stage in front of a crowd of a cool 65,000 at the Olympic Stadium. Also in attendance? Pope John Paul II.
This wasn’t Dion’s first time performing at the Big O since she was a regular when it came to singing the National Anthem at Expos games. This event, however, was slightly more prestigious.
Celine Dion Stepped Away From The Spotlight to Change Her Image
When Celine Dion was 18 years old, she was moved by a Michael Jackson performance and decided she wanted to be a star like him. Although René Angélil knew Dion had the necessary talent to become an international sensation, he also knew that her image wasn’t marketable.
With the hopes of taking her career to the next level, Dion stepped back from the spotlight for a few months, forgoing any live appearances or performances. During this time she had extensive dental work done and even enrolled in a speech program to polish her English.
She Declared Her Love For Her Manager In The Liner Notes of Her Album The Colour of My Love
Following the international success of “Beauty and the Beast,” and her Grammy win, Celine Dion released her next album, The Colour of My Love. Pouring her heart and soul into her work, she included detailed liner notes where she publicly declared her love for her manager, René Angélil.
Although Angélil was 26 years older than Dion, the two had already been dating for five years. When the album and liner notes were released, the happy couple was overjoyed that fans voiced their support.
Celine Dion and René Angélil’s Wedding Was a National TV Event
A year after Celine Dion released her album “The Colour of My Love,” she and René Angélil were married on December 17, 1994. Their lavish wedding rivaled the royal couple’s and took place in Montreal’s gorgeous Notre Dame Basilica.
The couple’s vows were broadcast on live television in Canada. Following their nuptials, the couple remained partners in business and in life. And as time would prove, they stayed together in sickness and in health — and sadly, René passed away from cancer in 2016.
Celine Makes An Emotional Announcement
Around the one-year anniversary of her late husband's death, Celine Dion sat down for an interview with Bizarre magazine. In the interview, Dion reflects on her 22 years of marriage, and what it was like being deeply in love with someone, and also losing them.
She revealed that she wasn't ready to move on and find love again. "Now it is definitely too soon for me," she said. "I am definitely in love with him, married to him…He’s the love of my life. It’s very difficult for me to see myself with another person."
Celine Dion Is Spotted With Backup Dancer Pepe Munoz After Her Husband's Death
Celine Dion and René Angélil were together for almost her entire life. After all, she met Angélil when she was just 12 years old and the pair started dating when she was 19. In 2016, Angélil passed away.
A few months later, rumors began to swirl about her backup dancer, Pepe Munoz. The two were first spotted a year after her late husband's death when Munoz accompanied her to the Giambattista Valli fashion show. Although Dion's rep denied the pair were dating, they were spotted on numerous other occasions. It also didn't help the duo shared a sensual dance on-stage at one of her shows.
Celine's New Relationship Heats Up... Or Does It?
Months after Celine Dion and backup dancer Pepe Muñoz were spotted out and about, Muñoz opened up to Closer Weekly about their relationship. After Dion performed a concert in Australia, Muñoz said, "I can count on her when I need to talk, and I am ready to listen to her, too. She is exactly what you see: nice, tender, generous, always ready to offer the best of herself.”
But confusingly, he continued to downplay their rumored romance: “These rumors really amuse us, and we laugh about them,” he said.
The Reason Celine Has Lost So Much Weight
When fans saw Celine Dion step out looking noticeably thinner, they feared for the icon's health.Thankfully, that's not the reason why she lost weight. Celine revealed that her recent weight loss is due to her passion for practicing ballet.
"I do this four times a week" she said in an interview with ABC News at a ballet studio. She went on, "People say, 'She's a lot thinner,' but I'm working hard. I like to move and [weight loss] comes with it." She says that practice ballet has helped her feel "stronger, more beautiful, more grounded."
Celine Dion Opened Up About Losing Her Husband to Cancer
René Angélil was diagnosed with an aggressive throat cancer and battle the disease for three years. He passed away from a heart attack brought on by his cancer on January 14, 2016, at 73 years old.
Follow his death, Dion opened up in a heartbreaking interview with The Sun. "He’s the love of my life. It’s very difficult for me to see myself with another person," she said. “I think I will probably grieve for the rest of my life."
Sadly, Dion lost another member of her family very shortly after René's passing.
She Has Three Kids, Including a Set Of Twins
Before René Angélil passed away, he and Celine Dion had three children together. Dion wanted to have a large family, but she had trouble getting pregnant. They finally welcomed a son, René-Charles, in 2001.
Dion wanted to grow their family, but her fertility problems required she undergo in-vitro fertilization, which failed six times. Sadly, Dion suffered one miscarriage along the way, but then the couple got great news — twins! The couple’s fraternal twin sons, Nelson and Eddy, were born in October 2010.
Celine also has stepchildren!
Celine Has A Stepson Who Is Older Than She Is
Rene Angélil was married twice before he met Celine Dion, the love of his life. First he wed Denyse Duquette in 1966, and after they divorced he met and married a singer named Anne Renée in 1974. Angélil and Duquette had one child, Patrick Angélil. He was born in 1968, just three months before Celine was born! Angélil and Anne Renée had two children together: Jean-Pierre and Anne-Marie Angélil.
This photo was taken on February 3, 2016, at Rene's memorial service in Las Vegas. Pictured are Rene-Charles, Celine, Patrick, Andre Angélil (René’s brother), Jean-Pierre, and Anne-Marie.
Next: the special ways Dion and her children remember René.
She And The Children Have Touching Rituals To Remember And Honor René
Celine has admitted that raising her twins Eddy and Nelson has not always been easy since René’s passing. But she wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything, especially since she gets to “see [René] through her children everyday.”
On Good Morning America, Dion revealed the nighttime ritual the twins share. “Every night, we kiss him good night. Eddy starts. And he said, 'I love you Papa, so much. Happy Easter. Happy Halloween. Happy Christmas. Happy 'up,' Papa. I love you so much. I miss you,’” she said. "So Nelson goes, and he repeats almost the same thing, but he adds more stuff. And then I do the thing, too, and I [say], 'Good night, my love.'"
That's "Dr. Dion" To The Likes Of You
As if she didn't have enough accomplishments and accolades, Celine Dion also has the honor of being called "Doctor." In 2008, Université Laval in Quebec City awarded the singer with an honorary doctorate degree. They chose to honor her for all her personal and professional achievements. The university’s rector called Dion a "model" of professionalism, determination and humanity.”
Dion never finished high school so the award was very meaningful for her. At the ceremony, she told the audience that the doctorate was "a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne… If there is something that has guided my life, it's my wish to excel and go farther, to the maximum of my abilities, to the top of my goals, my hopes and my dreams."
Read on to learn about the devastating loss Celine suffered after René's death.
Celine Lost A Brother To Cancer
This seems too unbearable for most people to burden, but one of Céline’s 13 siblings succumbed to cancer just two days after René passed away. Daniel Dion was only 59 years old. He had cancer of the brain, throat, and tongue. The two siblings were close to each other.
When Daniel died, “Céline [was] still in Vegas with her kids making plans for [her husband’s] funeral,” according to a People magazine source. “It’s a typical grieving process. There’s moments of shed tears, moments of memories and laughter.” Daniel's memorial service took place on January 23, 2016. Celine attended the viewing but was too grief-stricken to go to the funeral.
She Loves The Muppets And Was Called "Piggy Fairy Godmother" By Miss Piggy
Celine Dion made a special cameo appearance in 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted. In the film’s climax, a romantic black-and-white scene, Dion sings "Something So Right” with the diva-like Muppet Miss Piggy.
While she was promoting the film, Dion used her trademark sense of humor when she deadpanned, I've had the opportunity to sing with some of the greatest voices of all time," Dion says, "but none of them could compare to Miss Piggy." She was also asked to describe the blonde Muppet’s voice, to which Dion replied, "Very sensual."
René-Charles (RC) Is An Aspiring Rapper With Some NSFW Lyrics
Celine Dion and René Angélil’s oldest son RC wants to pursue a rapping career. By the time he was 17 he had dropped an original and two cover songs (both by The Weeknd). He goes by the name “Big Tip.” His songs hit the R&B & Soul New & Hot chart on SoundCloud in May 2018, which the aspiring rapper posted about on Instagram. “I woke up like dis…. #ChartTopper.”
The original number Big Tip he penned is called “The Apple,” and it has some pretty explicit lyrics. He also references his famous parents: “The apple don’t fall far from the tree, so this is god sent, ima break it down for em ima make it real easy, dropped two chart toppers and said it was cheesy…”
Celine Dion Holds The Record For "The Most Successful Concert Residency Of All Time"
The woman is unstoppable! Celine Dion holds the record for her Las Vegas concert residency called "A New Day..." It's now the most successful residency of all time. The show grossed a whopping $385 million during its four-year run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
In fact, the show was such a huge hit that Dion is credited with bringing the concept of a concert residency back into fashion. In the years prior to "A New Day..." many had started to see a Vegas residency as something performers did when they were past their prime. Not so for Celine!
Celine Dion released nine French albums before she was even an adult. But in order to reach a wider audience, she learned English and released her first English album Unison in 1990. The album featured the single “Where Does My Heart Beat Now,” which made it to the No. 5 spot on the Billboard charts and earned gold status.
Unison, however, was less successful in Canada, only earning the star two Juno awards, for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Still, Dion didn’t let this get her down. The next year would prove her most successful yet.
“Beauty And The Beast” Changed Her Career
In 1992, Disney released Beauty and the Beast, which would go on to be one of the most successful animated movies of all time. Beauty and the Beast also became known for its iconic theme song of the same name, which was sang by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.
The duet was Dion’s true international breakthrough with the hit topping the charts for weeks. It became the star’s first top-ten track in both the United States and the United Kingdom and earned Dion her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. She was now truly a star.
She Helped Found A Restaurant Chain
Canadians might recognize the name “Nickels Grill & Bar” as a chain of casual dining restaurants. But they might not know that Celine Dion was one of the founders of the eateries. Dion, along with some friends, opened the first Nickels in 1990. One of the restaurant’s specialties is Montreal-style smoked meat.
After the first location was opened, the restaurant became franchised and now includes a version called Nickels Delicatessen. Although Dion is no longer active in managing Nickels, the restaurants’ parent company said they have an ongoing business relationship.
