Celine Dion pushed aside a devastating illness to stun Paris. Vegas looks next
As she took to the stage in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, power ballad queen Celine Dion stood in the shadows of two years of turbulent headlines: a career that could be over, and a degenerative neurological disease threatening to defeat her.
And then, singing Édith Piaf’s iconic Hymne à l’Amour, Dion brought the world to a standstill and showed the 11,040 athletes just how and why singing could be very well be the 33rd sport of the Paris Olympics.
Celine Dion performs on the Eiffel Tower for the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony.Credit: Getty
Following her performance, the story of Celine Dion has gone from one of illness and defeat to one of transformation and rebirth, as speculation mounts that she will soon sign a deal for a return season “residency” in Las Vegas.
Dion said she was “so full of joy” after her Paris performance. “Most of all, I’m so happy to be celebrating these amazing athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance,” the 56-year-old Canada-born superstar said.
“All of you have been so focused on your dream. Whether or not you take home a medal, I hope that being here means that it has come true for you.”
Indeed, it may soon come true for Dion herself. Dion had been scheduled to launch a residency in Las Vegas in 2021, but had to cancel because the effects of stiff-person syndrome, a neurological disorder which affects her muscles.
Celine Dion’s performance was the final act in a dazzling opening ceremony.Credit: Getty Images
Dion was replaced initially by Katy Perry, and later by Carrie Underwood, whose Vegas season finishes this coming November. Sounds like perfect timing, right?
The US celebrity news website TMZ is reporting Dion’s management is in the “final stages” of negotiation a deal that would see her return to fulfil the promise of that 2021 deal. “It’s basically a done deal,” the website reported, quoting a source.
Celine Dion in 2022, when she announced her rare condition.Credit: Instagram
Dion took her diagnosis public in 2022, revealing that she was suffering from a rare and not commonly understood condition, which affects just one in a million people.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” Dion said. “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
Stiff-person syndrome described as “a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord.” Among its symptoms: muscle rigidity, painful spasms and impaired mobility.
Resplendent in a beaded cream gown, and standing on the first level of the Eiffel Tower, Dion’s performance of Piaf’s masterpiece was flawless, but all you had to do was look into her eyes, and you could see the incredible endurance needed to get through the song.
It was also confirmation that the slow rebuilding of her voice has produced an extraordinary result, and that the woman whose career spans the Eurovision-winning song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, and the Titanic soundtrack hit My Heart Will Go On, has lost none of her magic.
Italian singer Laura Pausini seemed to speak for everyone when she said: “My hands were shaking and my eyes were crying as I listened and saw my beloved Celine Dion.”
Dion’s Olympic performance was almost a call to arms for her fans. American singer Kelly Clarkson, who is in Paris and working for the American broadcaster NBC as a host, broke down in tears when asked for a comment.
“If you know anything about what she’s going through right now ... I’m so sorry, I’m trying to hold it together ... but that she got through that, that was incredible,” Clarkson said. Cameras also caught Canadian high diver Molly Carlson crying.
Fans offered flowers to Dion as she exited the Eiffel Tower after the performance and later, outside her hotel, the crowd chanted “Celine!”
Dion has been working with neurologist Dr Amanda Piquet at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. The campus takes its name from American billionaire Philip Anschutz and his wife Nancy, who have made substantial donations to the university.
Anschutz is also the owner of AEG, or Anschutz Entertainment Group, the American concert production company which would, according to TMZ, likely produce Dion’s return residency in Las Vegas.
“My voice will be rebuilt,” Dion told the BBC in an interview last month. “It started a while ago already, my voice is being rebuilt as we speak, right now.”
“We have been working so hard to put this show together, because I’m back.”
And speaking to Hoda Kotb, one of the co-hosts of the American Today program, Dion said: “I’m going to go back onstage even if I have to crawl. Even if I have to talk with my hands, I will.”