Céline Dion Fan Thread

[*Chris]

 

Quote

 

1968 - 1980

At the age of 12, she wrote her first song, with the help of her mother and her brother Jacques: "Ce n’était qu’un rêve." But it certainly was not just a dream! And thanks to her mother, that dream would start to become a reality. Thérèse sent a cassette of the song to impresario René Angélil. She chose him because he had managed the career of the family’s idol, Québécois singer Ginette Reno. [...] [René] was about to realign his career when he heard the cassette that would change his destiny, and the destiny of a young girl from Charlemagne. 

 

He invited her to an appointment in his office, handed her a pencil and said, “Here’s your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sold-out audience.” Céline sang. On the spot, René became her biggest fan. It was the beginning of the most wonderful artist-manager relationship in the history of show business.

 

1981 - 1985

On June 19, 1981, Céline Dion sang on TV for the first time. The Québécois audience immediately adopted her. Everyone was convinced that she would go far, but no one could have imagined what was to come. René Angélil believed so completely in his young protégée that he mortgaged his house to finance her first album. It was the finest bet the great gambler ever made. Lyricist Eddy Marnay [...] agreed to write songs for Céline. The first time Marnay heard Céline sing, he exclaimed: “It’s the voice of the Good Lord!” La voix du bon Dieu would become their first hit.

 

In 1982, Céline won the gold medal at the 13th Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. She sang "Tellement j’ai d’amour pour toi" [...] for an audience of 115 million TV viewers. She was just 14.

Next, she made her first appearance on TV in France [...]. To this day, the entire country recalls the moment when the host announced to his audience: “Remember her name: Céline Dion!” In 1983, she became the first Canadian to be awarded a gold album in France. It would not be her last! That same year, at the ADISQ gala recognizing the finest in Québécois music, she won her first 4 Félix Awards. She has won a record 45 to date.

 

On September 11, 1984, in Olympic Stadium in Montréal, an audience of 60,000 watched Céline sing "Une colombe" in front of Pope John Paul II. A moment of grace. Two months later, she performed in the Olympia in Paris [...]. In 1985, she launched a major tour of Québec. From show to show, the young singer was evolving into a true performer.

 

1986 - 1992

And then, she and her manager decided the time was right to take a break. An artist on the rise, Celine withdrew from live performance for 18 months. It was another daring gamble. Would she be forgotten like so many child stars before her, never able to recapture the success of their debut? In fact, the opposite was true. When she returned, her audience met a Céline transformed, more solid than ever, having perfectly mastered English, topping the charts with the album marking her metamorphosis: Incognito. The title track was written by Luc Plamondon. Céline was no longer a child singer – she was the voice of her time. Incognito sold over half a million copies. It was the first album produced with her new record label, CBS, which would become Sony Music; the same label as Michael Jackson. Céline was in the major leagues!

 

In 1988, she won the prestigious Eurovision contest before an audience of 600 million TV viewers. That moment was the beginning of her global conquest!

 

In 1990, she successfully entered the American market with her first album in English, Unison. Certified gold in the U.S., the single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" reached #5 on the charts. She was welcomed to The Tonight Show by host Jay Leno, who predicted she would go on to an extraordinary career. At Canada’s Juno Awards, recognizing the finest in Canadian music, she won the Juno for Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

 

With her career unfolding like a fairytale, the singer made her own American dream come true thanks to the theme song for a Walt Disney film. "Beauty and the Beast", performed as a duet by Celine and Peabo Bryson, hit #1 on charts worldwide, winning a Grammy Award and an Academy Award. On her birthday, Céline sang with Peabo during the Oscars broadcast. The day after the Oscars, Céline launched her second English-language album on The Tonight Show. The Wall Street Journal proclaimed Céline as a “once-in-a-generation voice.”

 

1993 - 2000

As 1993 began, Céline sang “The Power of Love” [...] at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the power of love was what drove the Dion-Angélil duo. In November, upon the release of the album The Colour of My Love, Céline revealed to her audience that she was in love with René. The single “The Power of Love” remained at #1 on the Billboard charts for 4 weeks. In England, both the single “Think Twice” and the album held the #1 spot on the hit parade for 5 weeks, equaling a record held by The Beatles. The Colour of My Love was certified as a diamond album in Canada for racking up sales of over one million copies.

 

In 1995, Céline Dion teamed up with singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman to create one of the great masterpieces of francophone music: the album D’eux. It would go on to become the biggest-selling French album in history, selling 10 million copies around the world, with a series of classics forever etched in our memories: “Pour que tu m’aimes encore“, “Je sais pas“, “Les derniers seront les premiers“… D’eux also included the moving song “Vole“, dedicated to the memory of Céline’s niece, who died at the age of 16 after a long struggle with Cystic Fibrosis.

 

In February 1996, Céline triumphed at the Victoires de la Musique, the French version of the Grammy Awards, winning the Victoires awards for Song of the Year (Pour que tu m’aimes encore) and Female Vocalist of the Year. In March of the same year, Céline launched the album Falling Into You. It would go on to become the biggest-selling album of 1996 worldwide. Hitting #1 in 11 countries, the album went on to win two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Falling Into You has sold over 30 million copies.

 

On July 19, 1996, for a TV audience of 3.5 billion viewers, Céline Dion sang “The Power of the Dream“ during the Opening Ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympic Games. It was the ultimate triumph: she was now the most famous singer on the planet! 

 

In March 1997, Céline Dion became the first artist to perform two songs during the Oscars. She sang her own hit “Because You Loved Me“,  and replaced an ailing Natalie Cole, performing “I Finally Found Someone“.  In November 1997, Céline released her 18th album, Let’s Talk About Love, featuring collaborations with Luciano Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Carole King and Sir George Martin. What a constellation of stars! Let’s Talk About Love also included the momentous single “My Heart Will Go On“, theme song from the mega-production Titanic. The song would become the jewel of Célines repertoire! She performed it majestically during the 70th Academy Awards. “My Heart Will Go On“ won the Oscar for Best Original Song. The original soundtrack to Titanic became the best-selling soundtrack in history, selling 30 million copies, equaling the sales of the album Let’s Talk About Love, which also included the hymn to Jack and Rose's love affair. 

 

In February 1998, Céline launched the album “S’il suffisait d’aimer“, created with her close collaborator Jean-Jacques Goldman. The title song became an instant classic in the francophone repertoire. Just before the end of the year festivities, she offered her fans a gift: the album These Are Special Times. 

 

2001-2009

On January 25, 2001, Celine achieved the most important role of her life: become mother to René-Charles Angélil! 

 

Just over a year later, Celine launched the album A New Day Has Come. It landed at #1 on the charts in 17 countries. 

 

And then René, the visionary, made another gamble, one only Celine could win. He created a new show in Las Vegas in a 4000-seat theater specially conceived just for her in Caesars Palace, presenting it as a residency, five nights a week, for a minimum of three years. A spectacle including dancers and special effects directed by Franco Dragone, the renowned creator behind 10 Cirque du Soleil productions. The show, A New Day…, is a revolution. It forever changed the face of the entertainment capital. The premiere was held on March 25, 2003, the farewell almost 5 years later, on December 15, 2007. Over 700 sold-out performances for 3 million spectators! Once again, the gamble paid off. The DVD Celine Dion Live in Las Vegas became the only triple-platinum certified music DVD in Canada.

 

With her Las Vegas farewell barely over, Celine embarked anew on global conquest. Her tour opened on February 14, 2008 in South Africa, then rolled through Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada and the U.S.; 5 continents, 23 countries, 93 cities, 3 million spectators! The 2nd most profitable North American tour of 2008. The film, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World, immortalized the world tour, presenting it as a family trip. The DVD landed at #1 on the charts in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

 

On August 22, 2008, Celine triumphed in front of 250,000 fans assembled on the Plains of Abraham for a unique concert unique as part of the festivities surrounding the 400th anniversary of Québec City. She performed many duets with each and every one of her special guests but above all, she finally got to sing with one of her all-time favourite idols.

 

2010-2015

The biggest-selling female singer in music history took a break for her second pregnancy. And since she never does anything by half measures, on October 23, 2010, she gave birth to twins: Nelson and Eddy! 

 

Celine returned to the theatre to present a brand-new show directed Ken Ehrlich, the producer of the Grammy Awards. Las Vegas got its diva back! The entire city walked just a little taller. Her second residency in the Colosseum broke all box office records. The show landed at the top of the rankings in the Billboard Boxscore, the North American concert bible.

 

In November 2012, Celine presented her new album Sans attendre, singing duets with the icons of francophone song: Johnny Hallyday, Jean-Pierre Ferland and the late Henri Salvador. The album, certified diamond in France, was the biggest-selling album of the year in Québec.

 

In 2013, Celine launched the album Loved Me Back To Life, eagerly awaited by her fans all over the world. It held the #1 spot on the iTunes charts in 44 countries and reached #2 on the Billboard Top 200. In July 2013, Celine returned home, presenting the concert-event Celine une seule fois on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City. And then at the end of 2013, shocking news: René had began to battle cancer again.

 

Several months later, in 2014, Celine announced that she was postponing all her engagements to stay close to her husband, who was bravely fighting cancer. Celine went home to take care of her man and her family. After spending a few months by René’s bedside, her sweetheart asked her for a favour: he wanted to see her onstage again. He wanted to hear her sing again. And so Celine re-started her residency at Caesars Palace. Diva by night; mother, wife and caregiver by day.

 

2016-Present

On January 14, 2016, René Angélil, the most famous impresario in the world, passed away. Millions and millions of fans were in mourning. Never before had a man in the shadows held such an important place in the hearts of the people. Fate would hand Celine a double blow, as two days later, her brother Daniel died. On January 22, Angélil was buried after a national funeral in Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal, the very same place where, 22 years earlier, Celine and René had been united, for better or for worse, until death do us part. The evening before, during the lying in state, Celine had received condolences from thousands of fans. Every decision René had made regarding Celine’s career was guided by his concern and desire to please her audience. Respect for the audience is the greatest legacy this distinguished man has bequeathed to the artistic community. And Celine burns with that same flame.

 

And that is why, on February 23, 2016, several weeks after the death of her husband, Celine took to the stage of Colosseum again. She knows that her fans count on her to illuminate their lives, and she counts on them to illuminate hers. The opening of the concert, relayed on the Internet, captured the heart of the online world.

 

On May 22, at the Billboard Music Awards, Celine sang “The Show Must Go On“ and was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Icon Award by her son, René-Charles. Rarely has there been an award presentation so moving, so full of tender and sincere emotion. On May 24, she launched the first single from her new French-language album. Written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, it is a tribute to René, entitled "Encore un soir". The song rocketed to #1 on every chart in the French-speaking world.

 

That summer Celine embarked on a two-month tour of the Asia-Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand – the first time in 20 years! Celine returned to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in September 2018 and announced that more than 15 years after the premiere of her first critically-acclaimed Las Vegas residency, her second production Celine at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace would end on June 8, 2019.

 

2019 promises to be the beginning of a new era. Celine, named L'Oréal's newest global spokesperson, will begin her Courage World Tour in the fall after ending her legendary Las Vegas residency. During her last show in Las Vegas Celine debuted “Flying On My Own” a new upbeat, empowering track from her forthcoming album. The much anticipated Courage World Tour kicked-off three months later on September 18, in Celine’s home province of Quebec and continues through to the fall of 2020 hitting nearly 100 cities around the world.

 

On November 15th, Celine releases her first English album in 6 years, “Courage”, an eclectic album representing Celine’s new artistic direction. The album includes the hits “Imperfections”, “Lying Down” and “Courage” all released on the same day that her massive world tour was launched.
 

After over 35 years as a performing and recording artist, Celine Dion has become a legend of popular music, one of the most powerful and moving voices ever heard. An honest woman who sings from the heart. It’s as simple and true as that – as simple and true as Celine. (source)

 

 

 

 

 

[*Chris]

 

Quote

 

Queen Céline has sold 250 million albums worldwide and is recognized as one of the world's best-selling music artists. In 2004, she received the Chopard Diamond Award at the World Music Awards recognizing her status as the best-selling female artist of all time. In 2007, Céline was honored with the Legend Award at the World Music Awards in recognition of her global success and outstanding contribution to the music industry. She is the best-selling Canadian artist in history, the best-selling artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era in Canada and the second best-selling female artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era in the United States, with album sales of 53.2 million copies. She's also the first and only female singer to have tallied three eight-million sellers in the US since 1991. Five of her albums are among the top 100 certified albums according to the RIAA. And four of her albums are among top ten of the best-selling Canadian albums in the SoundScan era in Canada. 

 

And most recently, she made history with the release of "Courage" - she topped the Billboard album charts for the first time in 17 years, edging out Whitney Houston as the woman with the longest period between number one albums. She ended the decade by joining Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Barbra Streisand as the only four women to score number one albums in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

 

ENGLISH

Unison (1990) - 7x Platinum (CAN), Platinum (US)

Celine Dion (1992) - Diamond (CAN),  2x Platinum (US)

The Colour of My Love (1993)  - Diamond (CAN), 6x Platinum (US)

Falling Into You (1996) - Diamond (CAN), 11x Platinum (US)

Let's Talk About Love (1997) - Diamond (CAN), 10x Platinum (US)

These Are Special Times (1998) - Diamond (CAN), 5x Platinum (US)

-------------------------------
A New Day Has Come  (2002) - 6x Platinum (CAN), 3x Platinum (US)

One Heart (2003) - 3x Platinum (CAN), 2x Platinum (US)

Miracle (2004) - Platinum (US), Gold (FRA)

Taking Chances (2007) - 4x Platinum (CAN), Platinum (US)  

-------------------------------

Loved Me Back to Life (2013) - 4x Platinum (CAN), 2x Platinum (FRA)

Courage (2019) - Gold (FRA), Silver (UK)

 

FRENCH

La voix du bon Dieu (1981) 

Céline Dion chante Noël (1981)

Tellement j'ai d'amour... (1982) - Platinum (CAN)

Les chemins de ma maison (1983) - Gold (CAN)

Chants et contes de Noël (1983)

Mélanie (1984) - Gold (CAN)

C'est pour toi (1985)

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Incognito (1987) - 2x Platinum (CAN)

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Dion chante Plamondon (1991) - 2x Platinum (CAN), 2x Platinum (FRA)

D'eux (1995) - 7x Platinum (CAN), Diamond (FRA)

S'il suffisait d'aimer (1998) - 4x Platinum (CAN), Diamond (FRA)

-------------------------------

1 fille & 4 types (2003) - 2x Platinum (FRA), Platinum (BEL)

D'elles (2007) - 2x Platinum (CAN), Platinum (FRA)

-------------------------------

Sans attendre (2012) - 3x Platinum (CAN), Diamond (FRA)

Encore un soir (2016) - 2x Platinum (CAN), Diamond (FRA)

 

COMPILATION

Du soleil au cœur (1983) 

Les premières années (1994) - Gold (FRA)

The Collection 1982–1988 (1997)

All The Way... A Decade of Song (1999) - Diamond (CAN), 7x Platinum (US)

The Collector's Series, Volume One (2000) - Gold (FRA), Gold (US)

On ne change pas (2005) - 3x Platinum (CAN), 3x Platinum (FRA)

My Love: Essential Collection (2008) - 2x Platinum (CAN), 3x Platinum (UK)

 

LIVE 

A l'Olympia (1994) - Platinum (CAN), Platinum (FRA) 

Live à Paris (1996) - 2x Platinum (CAN), 2x Platinum (FRA)  

Au cœur du stade (1999) - Gold (CAN), 2x Platinum (FRA)

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A New Day... Live in Las Vegas (2004) - Gold (US), Silver (UK) 

Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert (2010) - Diamond (CAN), 4x Platinum (CAN), Platinum (US)

Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 (2014) - Gold (FRA)

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by *Chris

[~Tom~]

What a queen.  Unlike the Overbearing Diva's "comeback", Courage proves she's still got it. 

[*Chris]

Updated the discography section - each album is linked to the album on Spotify or Youtube! 

[*Chris]

Céline's mom, Thérèse Dion also known as Maman Dion, passed away on January 17th at the age of 92. As Céline is currently on tour, she ensured the show went on, just like she did when father passed away. Here's a song she dedicated to her mom in Miami on January 17th;

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by *Chris

[*Chris]

Here's a short film regarding her latest album, "Courage":

 

 

[*Chris]

Here I am just giving her promotion by myself!

Anyway, as tomorrow is Valentine's Day, here's a link to a playlist of her love songs; 

 

[*Chris]

She recently released a cover of "Wicked Game" featuring Chris Isaak, himself - you can find it on Spotify if you're interested! 

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by *Chris

[*Chris]

 

HAPPY 52ND BIRTHDAY TO THIS QUEEN!

Edited March 31, 2020 by *Chris

[Zoey]

She’s incredible. One of my favourite artists ever 

[*Chris]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:38 PM, Zoey0069 said:

She’s incredible. One of my favourite artists ever 

Agreed! Seeing her live in November was a dream come true - easily the best concert ever. 

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of her first english album, Unsion. 

And this past Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the release of "D'eux" - the best selling French album of all time! 

[QueenMae16]

LOVE THIS QUEEN!

Best singer on the planet I-

Saw her in concert this January and she was LEGENDARY.

[*Chris]

1 hour ago, QueenMae16 said:

LOVE THIS QUEEN!

Best singer on the planet I-

Saw her in concert this January and she was LEGENDARY.

Agree with this statement! 

[*Chris]

32 years ago, Céline Dion won Eurovision for Switzerland which helped her become an household name in Europe!

 

 

 

[QueenMae16]

Can I just go off here?!

Literally the best song of 2019 tbh, and going into 2020. I'm hoping we all have the courage in these times to push through the hardships and overcome it.... stronger and with more positive energy continuing on in the future! This is the anthem right here for overcoming all obstacles no matter how difficult, and to become a better version of each one's self for a better life. This song has many meanings because it can apply to everyone, we hear Celine's story through her vocals, but it applies to each one of our stories. Weather its the situation we as humans are in now(Coronavirus) relationships, loss of loved ones, mental hardships, physical hardships, etc. We are all in it together and can come out stronger, we just have to commit cause the obstacles for sure are committed to stopping us at all costs. Let's not let them stop us and get through this stronger! Sorry I just had to go off a minute lol. 

[~Tom~]

Ok so since I follow Enya on Instagram it suggested I also follow Celine, ugh its algorithms mind

[*Chris]

 
 

Happy 25th Anniversary to "Falling Into You"!

 

One of the best-selling album in history.

 

More than 32,000,000 copies sold worldwide.

 

Certified Diamond in Canada & France. 

Certified 11x Platinum in the US.

Certified 9x Platinum in Europe.

Featuring the following hit songs:

"All By Myself"

"Because You Loved Me"

"River Deep, Mountain High"

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"

 

[*Chris]

Falling Into You was released on this day in 1996! 

To commemorate this milestone, I will be showcasing some of my favourite performances of her biggest hit of the era:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[taylorkat]

Does anyone love her "Celine Chante Plamondon" album? It's one of my favorites.

[*Chris]

8 hours ago, taylorkat said:

Does anyone love her "Celine Chante Plamondon" album? It's one of my favorites.

Of course! Plamondon is one of the best songwriter in the Francophonie, imo, and the Queen does his songs justice!

 

 

[*Chris]

Some of my favourite from 'Dion Chante Plamondon':

 

(A French song that transcend generations)

 

(Positioning herself as an ally with this song, before it was cool & expected to do so)

 

(One of my favourite french ballad by Céline)

 

 

[*Chris]

12 DAYS OF CÉLINE 

To mark Céline's birthday on March 30th, I will be highlight an album per day!

- Released on April 2nd 1990.

- Céline's first album in English

- More than 3 million copies sold 

- Certified 7x Platinum in Canada

- In the US, it was certified Platinum

 

 

 

 

[*Chris]

12 DAYS OF CÉLINE - DAY 2

To mark Céline's birthday on March 30th, I will be highlight an album per day! 

 

 

- Released on April 2nd 1987

- Her 8th album in French, and first to be released with CBS records.

- Re-released in 1988 in France

- Sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide

- Certified 2x Platinum in Canada

 

The album features some of her biggest French hits such as:

 

 

 

 

[*Chris]

12 DAYS OF CÉLINE - DAY 3

To mark Céline's birthday on March 30th, I will be highlight an album per day! 

 

 

- Her 11th studio album which was released on her birthday in 1992

- Sold over 5 million copies worldwide

- Certified Diamond in Canada while certified 2x Platinum in the US

 

The album features many hit songs including one of the biggest hit in her career :

 

 

 

 

 

[*Chris]

12 DAYS OF CÉLINE - DAY 4

To mark Céline's birthday on March 30th, I will be highlight an album per day! 

 

 

- Released on her birthday in 1995

- Best selling French-language album of all time

- Sold over 10 million copies, worldwide.

- Received many certifications around the world including 7x Platinum in Canada, Diamond in France, 6x Platinum in Belgium, and 8x Platinum in Europe.
 

Personally, one of my favourite French album of all-time, it includes some of my favourite songs by Céline: