Celine Dion
Celine Dion |
---|
Céline Marie Claudette Dion Angélil, OC, OQ (born March 30 1968) is a Canadian Grammy and Juno award winning pop singer and occasional songwriter.[1] Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion became a young star in francophone Canada after her manager and future husband, René Angélil, mortgaged his home to finance her first record. She later gained recognition in parts of Europe and Asia after she won both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.
In 1990 Dion made her English language debut with the anglophone album Unison, published by Epic Records. During the 1990's, under the guidance of her husband, she achieved worldwide fame and success with several English and French records, and ended the decade as one of the most successful artists in pop music. After releasing over twenty-five albums during the 1980s and 1990s, Dion announced in 1999 that she was taking a break from entertainment in order to start a family and to focus on her husband/manager, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer. She returned to the music scene in 2002 with a more mature, exclusively adult contemporary, sound, but her album sales suffered a decline, and she signed a lucrative four-year contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
Dion's music has been influenced by various genres, which range from pop and rock to gospel and classical, and while her releases have often been given mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals.[2][3] In 2004, after accumulating record sales in excess of 175 million, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the Best-selling Female Artist in the World.[4][5]
Life and music career
Childhood and early beginnings
The youngest of fourteen children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, Celine Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken— but happy— home in Charlemagne, a small town about 30 miles northeast of Montreal. Music had always been a part of the family, as she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called 'Le Vieux Baril.' From an early age, Dion had dreamed of being a performer. In a 1994 interview with People magazine, she recalled, "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer." [6]
At age twelve Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, "Ce N'Était Qu'un Rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream"). Her brother Michel sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album. Angélil was brought to tears by Dion's voice and decided to make her a star. He mortgaged his home to fund her first record, "La Voix du Bon Dieu" (a play on words "The Voice of God/The Road to God," 1981), which became a local number-one record and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with "Tellement J'Ai d'Amour Pour Toi" ("I Have So Much Love for You"). By 1983 in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single "D'Amour Ou d'Amitié" ("Of Love or of Friendship"), Dion had also won several Félix awards, including "Best Female performer" and "Discovery of the year." Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" ("Don't Go Without Me") and won the contest in Dublin, Ireland. However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a francophone artist.
At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson.[7] Though confident in her talent, Angelil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide. Dion withdrew from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent a physical makeover. Finally, Dion was sent to the École Berlitz School in 1989 to polish her English and interviewing skills. This marked the start of her anglophone career.
1990–1992: Career breakthrough
A year after she had learned English, Dion made her debut into the anglophone market with Unison (1990). She incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster. The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that was suited for the adult contemporary radio format. Unison hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Dion's vocals were "tastefully unadorned," and that she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her."[8] Stephen Erlewine of All Music Guide declared it as "a fine, sophisticated American debut."[9] Singles from the album included "(If There Was) Any Other Way," "The Last to Know," "Unison," and "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which featured an electric guitar. The latter became her first single to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia. In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in "Voices That Care," a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm.
Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end
Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired with Peabo Bryson to record the title track to Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classically influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial hit, the song became her second U.S. top ten single, and won the Academy Award for Best Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "Beauty and the Beast" was featured on Dion's 1992 eponymous album, which, like her debut, had a strong rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaboration with Foster and Diane Warren, the album was as well received as Unison. Other singles that achieved moderate success included "If You Asked Me To" (a cover of Patti LaBelle's song from the 1989 movie Licence to Kill) which peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the gospel-tinged "Love Can Move Mountains," and "Nothing Broken but My Heart." As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.
By 1992 Unison, Céline Dion and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and achieving fame. However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. She tried to reconnect with her French fans at the Felix Awards show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year," she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was — and would always be— a French, not an English, artist.[10][11] Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transited from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.
1993–1995: Popularity established
Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end
In 1993, Dion publicly indicated her feelings for her manager by declaring him "The colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third anglophone album The Colour of My Love. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple. Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994.
As it was dedicated to her manager, the album's motif focused on love and romance. It became her most successful record up to that point, selling over six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first U.S., Canadian and Australian number-one single "The Power of Love" (a remake of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s. Subsequent singles, such as "When I Fall in Love," a duet with Clive Griffin, and "Misled" failed to reach the upper tier of the pop charts in the U.S., but were moderately successful in Canada. The Colour of My Love also became Dion's first bona fide hit in Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. "Think Twice," which remained at number one for seven weeks, went on to become the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the U.K.,[12] while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.
Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many francophone recordings between each English record: Dion Chante Plamondon (1991); À l'Olympia (1994), a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Olympia Theatre in Paris; and D'eux (1995 — also known as The French Album in the United States), which would go on to become the best-selling French album of all time. As these albums were in French, the worldwide commercial success was limited. However, Dion's francophone fans embraced each release, and generally, they achieved more credibility than her anglophone works.
The mid-1990s was a transitional period for Dion's musical style, as she slowly moved away from strong rock influences and transitioned into a more pop and soul style (though the electric guitar remained a central part of her music). Her songs began with more delicate melodies that used softer instrumentations, and built up to strong climaxes, over which her vocals could be displayed.[13] This new sound received mixed reviews from critics, with Arion Berger of Entertainment Weekly accusing her of preferring vocal acrobatics over dynamics and embarking on a trend of uninspiring, "crowd-pleasing ballads."[14] Resultantly, she earned frequent comparisons to artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.[15] There were also signs that her work was becoming more clichéd: critically, The Colour of My Love was not consistent with earlier works.[16] However, while critical praise declined, Dion's releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for "World’s Best-selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year" — a title she had earned twice before. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world, among female performers such as Carey and Houston.
1996–1999: Worldwide commercial success
Template:Sound sample box align left Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end
Falling into You (1996), Dion's fourth anglophone album, presented the singer at the height of her popularity, and showed a further progression of her music. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements such as ornate orchestral frills and African chanting, and instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, and saxophone created a new sound.[17] The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track and "River Deep, Mountain High" (a Tina Turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (a remake of Jim Steinman's song) and a remake of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself" kept their soft-rock atmosphere, but were combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the number-one single "Because You Loved Me," which was written by Diane Warren, was a maudlin ballad that served as the theme to the 1996 film Up Close & Personal. Falling into You was met with generally favorable reviews. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work,[18] and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was formulaic,[19][20]other critics such as Chuck Eddy, Erlewine and Daniel Durchholz lavished the album as "compelling," "passionate," "stylish," "elegant," and "remarkably well-crafted."[21][17] Falling Into You became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time.[22] It also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year. Dion's status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. In March 1996 Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.
Dion followed Falling into You with Let's Talk About Love (1997), which was publicized as its sequel.[13] The recording process took place in London, New York City, and Los Angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as Barbra Streisand on "Tell Him"; the Bee Gees on "Immortality"; and world-renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti on "I Hate You Then I Love You." Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady." As the name suggests, the album had the same theme as Dion's preceding albums—"love." However, emphasis was also placed on "brotherly love" with "Where Is the Love" and "Let's Talk About Love." The most successful single from the album became the classically influenced ballad "My Heart Will Go On," which was composed by James Horner, and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff. Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, the song topped the charts in many countries across the world, and has become Dion's signature song. In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999, which received mixed reviews.
Dion ended the 1990s with two more successful albums— the Christmas album, These Are Special Times (1998), and the compilation album All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). On These Are Special Times, Dion had a hand in writing some of the material. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track.[23] "I'm Your Angel," a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion's fourth and final U.S. number one single, and another hit single across the world. All the Way... A Decade of Song drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the leadoff single "That's the Way It Is," a cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and "All the Way," a duet with Frank Sinatra.
By the end of the 1990s Celine Dion had sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards. Her status as one of the biggest divas of contemporary music was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1's Divas Live special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, and Mariah Carey. That year she also received two of the highest honors from her home country: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music" and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec." A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.[24] She also won the Grammy awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and the most coveted "Record of the Year" for "My Heart Will Go On" (the song won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters).
Compared to her debut, both the quality and sound of Dion's music had also changed significantly. The soft-rock influences on her earlier releases were no longer prominent; they were replaced by more soul/adult contemporary styles. However, the theme of "love" remained in all her releases, and this led to many critics dismissing her work as banal. [25] In a scathing review of Let's Talk About Love, Rob O'Connor wrote:
What never ceases to amaze me is how the trite-est, most cliché-ridden music often takes an assembly-line of lauded music industry professionals to perfect... Sinking ships are what I imagine as this tune ["My Heart Will Go On"] plows onward of four-plus minutes, and this album feels as if were never to end. Is it no wonder why I have such fears of going to the dentist? [26]
Dion was also criticized for some of her remakes and duets. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "All the Way" were described as disastrous and "creepy" by Allison Stewart of The Chicago Tribune and Erlwine of All Music Guide.[27] Even though she was still praised for her vocal abilities (Elysa Gardner of L.A Times called her voice a "technical marvel,")[2] the much favored vocal restraint heard on her early releases had also waned, and Steve Dollar, in reviewing These Are Special Times wrote that Dion was a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough."[28]
2000–2002: Career break
After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion felt that she needed to settle down, and announced on her final album, All the Way... A Decade of Song, that she had experienced many things and needed to take a step back and enjoy life.[29] Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her retire temporarily.[30] While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Céline — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'"[31] Dion later sued the magazine for over twenty million dollars.[32] The editors of the Enquirer printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001.[33]
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Dion returned to the music scene and in a televised performance sang "God Bless America" at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote that "the performance... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope."[34]
2002–2003: Return to music
Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end
Dion's aptly titled A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002, ended her two-year break from the music industry. The theme of the album was "new beginnings," and even though it did not incorporate many genres, a few dance-pop tunes ("I'm Alive" and "Sorry for Love") could be found among a throng of adult contemporary tracks. Shania Twain and Chantal Kreviazuk also appeared on the album and sang backing vocals. The album established a more mature side of Dion with the songs "A New Day Has Come," "Nature Boy" and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)." This change was as a result of her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up."[29] A New Day Has Come restarted her commercial success as it topped the charts in most countries. The album featured the title track, "A New Day Has Come," and a cover of Etta James's "At Last." A CBS television concert helped to promote the album, during which Dion performed with Destiny's Child and Brian McKnight. While the album achieved success, critical comments suggested that it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless." Both Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine, and Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, stated that Dion's music had not matured during her break, and classed her music as trite and mediocre.[35][36] Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter."[37]
Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released One Heart (2003), an album that encapsulated her appreciation for the joys of life.[38] The album largely consisted of dance music — a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had once been given mixed reception. Although it achieved moderate success, One Heart hinted at Dions' inability to overcome the creative wall that she had hit, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews.[39][40] A cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night," released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler, incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll and was called reminiscent of Cher's 1980s work. However, it was dismissed as Dion trying to please her sponsors.[41]
By the mid 2000s Dion's music had changed to the point where her releases possessed maternal overtones. Miracle (2004), a multimedia project conceived by Dion and photographer Anne Geddes, had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was saturated with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, the two most popular being covers of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy." The reviews for Miracle were generally weak: while Charles Taylor of Billboard magazine wrote that the single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist,"[42] Chuck Arnold of People Magazine labeled the album as excessively sentimental,[43] while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism."[44]
The Francophone album 1 Fille & 4 Types (1 Girl & 4 Guys, 2003), fared better than her first two comebacks, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on S'il Suffisait d'Aimer and D'eux to help. The album's musical theme was fun and relaxation, and Dion herself has referred to it as "the album of pleasure." The cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, a contrast to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved relative critical success: reviewer Stephen Erlwine of "All Music Guide" wrote that Dion was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while."[45]
Though her albums were relatively successful, signs of a decline began to appear in the poorer critical reception of The Collector's Series Volume One (2000), A New Day Has Come (2002), and One Heart (2003). The mass appeal of Dion's later works had declined due to the nature of the themes. Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey and Houston, and now focused on more up-tempo, R&B/Hip-hop songs.[46] However, by 2005 Dion had accumulated sales of over 175 million records, and received the Chopard Diamond World Music award for becoming the best-selling female artist in the world.[4][5]
2003–present: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
In early 2002 Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day..., at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. This move was seen as "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist" given the relatively poor performance of her current releases.[47] She conceived the idea for the show after seeing O by Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25 2003, in a 4000-seat arena designed for her show. The show, put together by Franco Dragone, is a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It includes Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects.
Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentations and dancers. However, he noted that the show has become more enjoyable, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simpler costumes.[48] The show has also been well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show has sold out almost every night since its 2003 opening. According to Pollstar, Dion had sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows.[49] By the end of 2005, Dion grossed over US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005.[50] A New Day... was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006. [51] Because of the show's success, Dion's contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On January 5, 2007 it was announced that the show would be ending in December 2007, with ticket for the period after October 2007 going on sale from March 1[52]
In 2005, Dion released her first comprehensive greatest hits album in French, On Ne Change Pas, which features three new songs, including a duet with Il Divo called "I Believe in You". In February 2007, Dion made her latest contribution to a tribute album, the song "I Knew I Loved You" (based on a theme from Once Upon a Time in America), the centerpiece track on the CD We All Love Ennio Morricone. She went on to perform this song at the 2007 Academy Awards to honor Ennio Morricone.
Dion's next French language album D'Elles is scheduled to be released on May 21 2007 in Europe and Brazil. It will be released in Canada the following day. The first single "Et S'il N'en Restait Qu'une (Je Serais Celle-là)" debuted at number-one on the French singles chart. Dion is also working on a new English album to be released in October 2007. [53]
Band
- Élise Duguay - backing vocals
- Julie LeBlanc - backing vocals
- Barnev Valsaint - backing vocals
- Terry Bradford - backing vocals
- Claude "Mégo" Lemay - piano, music director
- André Coutu - guitar
- Paul Picard - percussion
- Yves Frulla - keyboards
- Dominique Messier - drums
- Marc Langis - bass
Image
Dion is one of pop music's most respected singers, and her vocal talents and expansive, coloratura soprano vocal range[54] has influenced the singing styles of others such as Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. In MTV's "22 Greatest Voices in Music" countdown, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in Cove Magazine's list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists."[3] In MuchMoreMusic's "Top 20 Divine Divas" program Dion ranked at number three, behind Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. They also described her voice as "one of the most powerful vocal workouts ever to be recorded."[55]
While industry officials note her for her vocal talents, Dion was often the subject of media ridicule, and was frequently impersonated on shows like MADtv, Saturday Night Live and South Park for her Quebecois accent, as well as her conservative nature and on-stage movements. She is also heavily mocked in her home country of Canada on popular shows Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. However, Dion seems unabashed by media ridicule: "I'm flattered when they take the time to impersonate you," she says. "I think it's a good sign."[29] She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances.
Dion is rarely the center of media controversies. However, in 2005, following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, she appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized U.S. President George W. Bush regarding the Iraq War and his slow response in aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina: "How come it's so easy to send planes in another country, to kill everyone in a second, to destroy lives? We need to be there right now to rescue the rest of the people."[56] She later claimed, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."[57]
Other activities
Dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant "Nickels" in 1990. She has since divested her interests in the chain and was no longer affiliated with Nickels as of 1997. She also has a range of eyewear and a line of perfume, manufactured by Coty, Inc.. In October 2004, Canada's national air carrier Air Canada hired Dion as part of the new promotional campaign as the airline unveiled new in-flight service products and new aircraft livery. "You and I," the theme song sung by Dion, was written by an advertising executive working for Air Canada.
Dion has actively supported many charity organizations worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982 and became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993. She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes and politicians including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's. The effort raised money from over 100 countries and benefited many orphanages and children's health organizations. Dion has also been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess Of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and education campaigns.
Dion has donated proceeds from selected performances of her Las Vegas show to various charitable causes.
Selected discography
The following is a selective list of Dion's most successful anglophone and francophone releases. To view an exhaustive list of her discography, see Celine Dion albums discography and Celine Dion singles discography.
Anglophone studio albums
|
Francophone studio albums
|
Singles
Tours
Year | Title | Format |
---|---|---|
1983-1984 | Les Chemins de Ma Maison Tour | none |
1985 | C'Est Pour Toi Tour | Vinyl Céline Dion en Concert |
1988 | Incognito Tour | none |
1990-1991 | Unison Tour | VHS Unison |
1992-1993 | Celine Dion Tour | none |
1994-1995 | The Colour of My Love Tour | DVD, VHS The Colour of My Love Concert; CD À l'Olympia |
1995 | D'eux Tour | DVD, VHS Live à Paris; CD Live à Paris |
1996-1997 | Falling into You Tour | VHS Live in Memphis |
1998-1999 | Let's Talk About Love Tour | DVD, VHS Au Cœur Du Stade; CD Au Cœur Du Stade |
2003-2007 | A New Day... | CD A New Day... Live in Las Vegas |
Filmography
- Touched by an Angel
- The Nanny
- La Fureur de Celine
- Des fleurs sur la neige
See also
- Celine Dion awards and accomplishments
- Celine Dion videography
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of artists who debuted at number-one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of artists by total number of U.S. number-one singles
Bibliography
References
- Beaunoyer, Jean; Beaulne; (2004). Don Wilson (ed.). Rene Angelil: The Making of Céline Dion: The Unauthorized Biography. Dundurn Group. ISBN 1-55002-489-2.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Bogdanvo, Vladimir;Woodstra;Erlewine (2001). All Music Guide:The Definitive Guide to Popular Music. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-627-0.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Céline Dion. Artist direct. Retrieved on December 18, 2005.
- Céline Dion Rock on the Net. Retrieved November 20, 2005.
- Céline Dion The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 2, 2006
- Céline Dion provided by VH1.com Retrieved August 16,2005.
- Dion extends long Las Vegas stint bbc news. com. Retrieved November 5, 2005.
- Durchholz, Daniel. Review: One Heart. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Mo.: April 24, 2003. pg. F.3)
- Germain, Georges-Herbert (1998). Céline: The Authorized Biography. Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55002-318-7.
- Glatzer, Jenna (2005). Céline Dion for keeps. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-5559-5.
- The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalist covemagazine.com Retrieved November 1, 2005.
- The Journey so far celinedion.com. Retrieved August 16, 2005.
- World Music Awards Diamond Award Retrieved November 1, 2005,
- Céline Dion's biography Biography Retrieved April 7, 2006.
- Céline DTV Series TV Series Retrieved April 15, 2006.
Notes
- ^ Britannica.com. Céline Dion. Retrieved January 13, 2006.
- ^ a b Gardner, Elysa. Review: Falling Into You. Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, Calif.: November 16, 1997. pg. 68)
- ^ a b "Cove Magazine". The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists. Retrieved August 29.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Chart Attack.com "Céline Dion Named Queen of the World." Monday September 13, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2006
- ^ a b "World Music Award Show." American Broadcasting Company. New York. September, 2004.
- ^ "Rock on the Net". Céline Dion. Retrieved November 30.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Céline Dion provided by VH1.com Retrieved August 16,2005
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly". Review--Céline Dion Unison. Retrieved November 18.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "All Music Guide". Review--Céline Dion Unison. Retrieved November 18.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Céline Dion". Céline Dion Biography. Retrieved April 26.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "The Canadian Encyclopedia". Céline Dion Biography. Retrieved July 14.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Celinedion.com". The Journey so Far. Retrieved August 16.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b All Music Guide. "Review- Let's Talk About Love." November 1998. Retrieved May 15, 2007
- ^ "Entertainment weekly". Céline Dion--Review. Retrieved July 18.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Entertainment weekly". The Colour of My Love--Review. Retrieved July 13.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ All Music Guide. "Review- The Colour of My Love." Retrieved May 15, 2007.
- ^ a b "Entertainment Weekly". Review --Falling into You. Retrieved July 14.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Yahoo Music". Review --Falling into You. Retrieved November 1.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Stephen, Holden. Review: Falling into you. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: April 14, 1996. pg. 2.30, 2 pgs)
- ^ Nichols, Natalie. Pop music review: The Grammy Winner is Charming At the Universal Amphitheatre But Her Singing Still Lacks Emotional Connection. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: March 27, 1997. pg. 47)
- ^ "All Music Guide". Review --Falling into You. Retrieved November 1.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Angelfire.com". Céline Dion Discography. Retrieved November 1.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Lewis, Randy. "Album Review / Pop; Celine Dion Aims to Be the Christmas Star; These Are Special Times. Los Angeles Times. 30 Oct 1998. F-28.
- ^ "canadaswalkoffame.com". Canada's Walk of Fame. Retrieved October 30.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "findarticles.com". The unsinkable Céline Dion - French-Canadian singer - Interview. Retrieved December 05.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Yahoo Music". Let's Talk About Love:Review. Retrieved November 30.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Stewart, Allison. Review:All the Way...A decade of Song. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: December 12, 1999. pg. 10)
- ^ Dollar, Steve. Review: These Are Special Times. The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Ga.: November 3, 1998. pg. C.01)
- ^ a b c "VH1". Céline Dion: Let's Talk About Success: The Singer Explains Her Career High-Points. Retrieved December 19.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ King, Larry. Larry King Live. Personal Interview Interview With Celine Dion. CNN 26 March 2002.
- ^ BBC News. "Celine sues US tabloid for $20m." February 29, 2000. Retrieved May 15, 2007
- ^ Court TV Online. " Celine Dion Sues National Enquirer Over Twin Pregnancy Story." February 29, 2000. Retrieved May 15, 2007
- ^ CNN. "Celine Dion Gives Birth to Baby Boy." January 25, 2001. Retrieved May 15, 2007
- ^ Taylor, Chuck. Céline Dion: God Bless America. Billboard magazine. New York: October 6, 2001. Vol.113, Iss. 40; pg. 22, 1 pgs.
- ^ "Rolling Stone". Review--A New Day has come. Retrieved November 1.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Entertainment Weekly. "Album Review: A New Day Has Come." March 22, 2002. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
- ^ "Slant Magazine". Review--A New Day Has Come. Retrieved July 18.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Flick, Larry. One Heart. Billboard magazine. New York: March 29, 2003. Vol.115, Iss. 13; pg. 30, 1 pgs
- ^ "All Music Guide". Review--One Heart. Retrieved July 17.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Durchholz, Daniel. One Heart:Céline's a Diva Who Still Goes On and On. St.Louis Post - Dispatch. St. Louis, Mo.: Apr 24, 2003. pg. F.3
- ^ Murray, Sonia. Céline Dion's latest takes easy, well-worn route. The Atlanta Journal–Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia: March 25, 2003. pg. C.1.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck. Céline Dion: "Beautiful Boy". Billboard. New York: Oct 16, 2004.Vol.116, Iss. 42; pg. 33, 1 pgs
- ^ Arnold, Chuck. "Review: Celine Dion, Miracle." People Magazine. November 22, 2004. pg, 48.
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly". Review: Miracle. Retrieved November 30.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "All Music Guide". Review--1 Fille & 4 Types. Retrieved November 20.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Gardner, Elysa. Mariah Carey, 'standing again'. USA Today. November 28, 2002. Retrieved August 19, 2005.
- ^ Di Nunzio, Miriam. 'A New Day': Vegas gamble pays off for Céline Dion". Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 20, 2005.
- ^ Weatherford, Mike (2004). "Show review: As Dion feels more comfortable, her show improves". Reviewjournal.com.
- ^ "Dion extends long Las Vegas stint". BBC. Sunday, 19 September 2004.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Billboard.com". U2 Tops Billboard's Money Makers Chart. Retrieved January 25.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "You Tube". Céline Dion. Retrieved October 20.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "BBC". Céline Dion is leaving Las Vegas. Retrieved January 5.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ "What's Goin' On". D'elles Release Dates. Retrieved February 10.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Martin, Bill (2002). Pro Secrets Of Heavy Rock Singing. Sanctuary Publishing. pp. Page 9. ISBN 1-86074-437-0.
{{cite book}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|coauthors=
and|month=
(help) - ^ "Top 20 Divine Divas" MuchMoreMusic. 2006. Accessed June 15, 2006.
- ^ "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation". Céline Dion takes swipe at Iraq war; donates $1m to Katrina victims. Retrieved July 14.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=
ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - ^ Glatzer, Jenna (2005). Céline Dion: For Keeps. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-5559-5.
Further reading
- Dion, Céline (2001). Céline Dion: My Story, My Dream. Avon. ISBN 0-380-81905-8.
- Germain, George-Hébert (1998). Céline: The Authorized Biography. Dundurn Press. ISBN 1-55002-318-7.
- Glatzer, Jenna (2005). Céline Dion: For Keeps. Becker & Mayer Ltd. ISBN 0-7407-5559-5.
External links
- CelineDion.com — official website, managed by Sony BMG Music Canada.
- Céline Dion at WikiMusicGuide
- CelineDionUSA.com — official U.S. website.
- AEG Live - A New Day — Official AEG site for A New Day...
- Céline Dion at Billboard.com
- Céline Dion at Rock on the Net.
- Celine Dion at IMDb
- Celine Dion
- Canadian-born entertainers in the United States
- Canadian pop singers
- Canadian dance musicians
- Canadian female singers
- Eurovision winners
- Eurovision contestants
- Grammy Award winners
- Juno Award winners
- Recipients of the Ella award
- Ivor Novello Award winners
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Canada's Walk of Fame
- Officers of the National Order of Quebec
- Officers of the Order of Canada
- People from Montreal
- Quebec musicians
- French Quebecers
- 1968 births
- Living people