|
|
|
 |
|
CELINE DION
BIOGRAPHY
|
Born in Charlemagne (a
small town 30 miles east of Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Céline is
the youngest of 14 children of a highly musical family. Her parents,
both musicians, operated a small club, and on weekends, the entire
family performed and entertained the local population. From the
tender age of 5, Céline sang with her siblings and quickly acquired
the ability to perform live.
At the age of twelve, together with her mother and one of her
brothers, Céline composed a French song which would forever alter
the course of her life.
The demo tape containing the song was brought to the attention of
René Angélil, a well respected personal manager. In January 1981,
René was so taken by the voice of the young Céline, that he became
determined to make her an internationally known talent - he even
mortgaged his house to finance the recording of Céline's debut
album!
Céline began to receive recognition for her talent in 1982, winning
the Gold Medal at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo, along
with the coveted Musician's Award for Top Performer. In 1983, she
became the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold Record in France.
By 1988, Céline had established a strong name for herself in her
native
province of Quebec, where she was enjoying superstar status,
receiving numerous Felix Awards and racking up platinum albums. That
same year, Céline won the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest in
Dublin Ireland, where she performed live before a television
audience of 600 million viewers throughout Europe, the USSR, the
Middle-East, Japan, and Australia.
Céline's international breakthrough came when she recorded the
title track for the soundtrack to the animated Disney hit movie
'Beauty and the Beast.' The song went to number one and garnered an
Academy Award and a Grammy Award. "Beauty and the Beast"
formed the cornerstone for Céline's second English language album,
called simply 'Céline Dion.' That album produced four more hit
singles including "Love Can Move Mountains," "Water
From The Moon," "If You Asked Me To" and "Did
You Give Enough Love." In Canada, the album went six times
platinum and set the stage for an incredible streak of Juno Awards.
At this time, the Céline juggernaut started rolling at a momentous
pace in the UK. British fans took extremely well to "Think
Twice," a ballad on 'The Colour Of My Love.' For five
consecutive weeks, the song and album stood on top of the respective
British charts, an achievement not replicated since 1965 and the
heyday of The Beatles. "Think Twice" remained at number
one for two more weeks, surpassing the magic million mark to become
only the fourth million-selling single ever in the UK by a female
artist.
With 'D'eux,' Céline achieved what everyone thought was impossible
- introduced French music to the upper reaches of the British
charts. The world had truly discovered Céline Dion.
Released in March 1996, 'Falling Into You' became the best-selling
album
released that year; topped the charts in 11 countries, and was voted
Album of the Year and Best Pop Album at the 39th annual Grammy
Awards ceremony. The album has sold more than 25 million copies
worldwide.
'Let's Talk About Love' is the follow-up to Céline's double Grammy
Award-winning album. Recorded in London, New York and Los Angeles,
'Let's Talk About Love' features a host of special guests including
some of popular music's greatest vocalists, songwriters, and
producers.
'Let's Talk About Love' was released on the same day as the
soundtrack of the motion picture 'Titanic'. Both albums featured the
much-loved Titanic movie's theme song, "My Heart Will Go
On," written by James Horner and produced by James Horner and
Walter Afanasieff. "My Heart Will Go On" quickly became
the wedding song of choice for Céline's fans.
In a stunning back-to-back achievement, 'Let's Talk About Love' went
on to match the 27 million worldwide sales of its predecessor;
'Titanic' also sold over 27 million copies worldwide. It is the
all-time best-selling orchestral soundtrack in recording history. Céline
sang "My Heart Will Go On" on the worldwide telecast of
the 70th Annual Academy Awards, live from the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion in Los Angeles. The song won the Academy Award for Best
Original Song -- the second Oscar for a song sung by Céline Dion,
following "Beauty And The Beast."
A new French album, 'S'il suffisait d'aimer,' recorded in February
1998, was officially released worldwide on September 8. The first
featured single, "Zola sourit" received rave responses on
the radio all over the world. Céline first introduced her fans to
the album's title track during her Let's Talk About Love World Tour.
Céline's next album, 'These Are Special Times,' featured sixteen
songs for the holiday season, including the Christmas pop classics
"Blue Christmas" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts
Roasting On An Open Fire)"; and such traditional religious
favorites as "O Holy Night" and "Adeste Fidelis (O
Come All Ye Faithful)." In addition, 'These Are Special Times'
produced the No. 1 single "I'm Your Angel," Céline's duet
with R. Kelly, who wrote and produced the song; the Diane
Warren-penned title track, "These Are Special Times"; and
"The Prayer," a duet with Andrea Bocelli.
Also, in 1998, Dundurn Press released the much anticipated
biography: Cé
line...The Authorized Biography. After travelling with Céline and
her entourage for over a year and spending hours in one-on-one
conversions with the star, Georges-Hébert Germain recounts the
story of one of the world's best loved vocal artists. Céline and
Georges-Hébert Germain later collaborated once again on Céline
Dion...My Story, My Dream. Released in 2000, Céline recounts her
story in her own words and straight from her heart. The
autobiography is an exquisitely detailed portrait of Céline
backstage, on the road, and in the recording studio.
'All The Way...A Decade Of Song' is a collection of Céline's
greatest hits, including her chart-topping hit singles "The
Power Of Love," "Because You Loved Me," "I'm
Your Angel," and the Grammy and Academy Award-winning classic
"My Heart Will Go On." Also included are "Beauty And
The Beast," "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"; and
"If You Asked Me To."
Seven brand-new songs, were recorded specifically for this
collection, including the title song "All The Way," a
respectful and loving tribute to one of Céline's all-time favourite
singers, the late Frank Sinatra.
On New Year's Eve 1999, in Montreal, Céline Dion gave her last
public performance before beginning a temporary hiatus from show
business to enjoy her private life... and improve her golf game!
The most recent album from our beloved singer was 'The Collector's
Series...Volume One.' Released in October 2000, it features Céline's
Greatest hits and best-loved recordings.
But the greatest joy for Céline and René came with the birth of
their son
René-Charles Angélil, born January 25, 2001 at 1:00 AM, weighing 6
lbs, 8 oz. He was baptized six months later on July 25, 2001, in
Montreal's grand Notre-Dame Basilica.
Céline's future plans include the release of a new album in March
2002 and the preparation of her one-of-a-kind theatrical musical
spectacular production at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas created by
Franco Dragone. This unique production is set to begin in March
2003, and will run for a minimum of 3 years in a brand-new 4,000
seat theatre designed to resemble the Coliseum in Rome.
|
|
