Celine Dion

Celine Dion Bibliographical Information: March 30th, 1968 seemed to be just like any other ordinary day. The weather outside was typical for the season and children were playing outside as the snow was falling ever so delicately from the sky. Nobody every imagined that on that day one of the most famous and talented singers of all time would be born. Therese Dion was rushed to the hospital just as she was about to have her fourteenth child ~ Celine Dion. ~ Celine was born at 12:30 AM on a cold winter day in Charlemagne, Quebec. She weighed eight pounds and eight ounces at birth. Celine was named after a song her mother often used to sing to Celine while she was pregnant with her. Celine grew up in a poor working class family. Despite this, Celine's family was always thankful for what they had. In her family, two things were extremely important: children and music.

Celine Dion performing "Taking Chances" at Celine ...

English: The two stars Celine Dion have on Walks o...

Celine Dion performing "Taking Chances" at Celine ...

A few years after Celine's birth, her parents opened up a piano bar called "Le Vieux Baril." That was where, Celine's phenomenal singing talent was discovered. She used to often entertain the customers with her angelic voice. Her family began to encourage her singing ability at home by teaching her new songs. Her mother claimed that she instantly knew that Celine could pursue a future career in the music industry because she was always very happy and expressive when she sang. By the time Celine was five, she became a regular singer at her parents restaurant.

Celine continued singing and wrote her first song Ce n'etait qu'un reve by the age of 12. By this time, Celine had already made her first demo tape and had sang it for her soon to be manager, Rene Angelil. The first time Rene heard Celine, he was so worked up with emotion that he began to cry. Rene explained: "Tears actually filled my eyes at the sound of her singing." (Halperin, Page 36) Aside from Celine's parents, Rene became the biggest influence on Celine's career and ultimately her life. He introduced Celine to the most significant people associated with the music scene in Quebec. Rene, who was already on his second marriage, soon began talking to Celine without his wife's awareness. It was evident that their marriage was headed nowhere. Rene kept a close eye on Celine until she was about eighteen. This is when he decided to make his move. As a teenager, Celine was very insecure about her looks. She was often put down about the way she looked. She decided to take comfort in Renee's open arms. This is where their unique love story began. Celine and Rene decided to keep their relationship limited to "strictly business" while they were out in the public. Eventually, it was evident that everybody had caught on. 1994 was the magical year where Celine and Rene decided to publicize their love for one another. They announced that they were getting married and that they would have the biggest wedding to ever hit Canada. Their only problem was that they were worried about the outbreak that would occur once people found out that Rene and Celine were twenty-seven years apart. Sony Music stated: " I don't know how we're going to tell the media and the Sony people in the US about this about Celine marrying her manager! He's twenty-seven years older than her." (Page 75) However, this did not stop them, they wed on December 17th, 1994. Their wedding was considered to be a royal wedding.

Once Celine and Rene wed, they realized that they had to overcome many problems that they had with one another before being able to really say that they were leading a happy marriage. Celine and Rene frequently thought about having children, but decided it would be better to let Celine continue on with her fame for a little longer.

In 1999, it was publicized that Rene was diagnosed with skin cancer. Luckily he overcame this disease and was able to continue on with his life. Early in the year 2000, Celine announced that she was taking time off from her career in order to focus on her family. She and Rene felt that they were left with no choice but to use invitro fertilization to conceive the child that they so dearly desired. Celine underwent two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York so that her chances of becoming pregnant would improve.

On January 25, 2001, Celine gave birth to a baby boy names Rene-Charles. Celine has said that she may take another four years off before returning to recording and performing.

Critical Commentary: Celine Dion is an incredible singer who has become famous all over the world. She started her career at the age of five singing in a local piano bar that her family used to own. She had always been told that she had enough talent to make it "big" in the musical industry yet she never let it get to her head.

Thanks to her manager, Rene, Celine's singing debut on national television was on a famous Quebec talk show that was held on June 19, 1981. By 1982, Celine had already recorded her third French album. This was also the year where she was first internationally recognized when she won the gold medal at the Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. In 1983, her fame reached France. She was the first Canadian to ever have a gold record in France.

At this time, Rene felt that Celine had accomplished everything she possibly could in the French market. He felt that she needed to expand herself by creating an English album. For the next year, Celine was strictly concentrating on learning how to speak English while at the same time projecting a sexy image. With the help of Sony music and Rene, Celine launched her first English album, Unison on April 2nd, 1990.

From that point on, the rest of Celine's career had been made for her. In 1992, she received her big break when she sang the world famous Disney song Beauty and the Beast with Peabo Bryson. Celine and Peabo both received a Grammy and an Academy award for their accomplishment. This song was featured on Celine's second English album "Celine Dion" It became her first gold record in the U.S and sold over twelve million copies internationally.

Celine's international prominence was truly set by her performance of The Power of the Dream at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of all was when Celine was asked to sing My Heart Will Go On for the release of the hit blockbuster film Titanic. The film won eleven Oscars including best song. At this point, Celine's fame was at its peak. The same year she released her album "Let's Talk About Love" which featured duets with Barbra Streisand, Luciano Pavarotti, The Bee Gees and Bryan Adams.

In 1998, Celine appeared on the Concert Divas live on VH-1 along side with some of the biggest singers of all time. All her hard work was well rewarded at the Billboard Music Awards at the end of the year where she received six awards.

Celine has musically accomplished more than any other Canadian has within ten years. Her soft, flowing music has touched the hearts of many and has made life more pleasant and enjoyable. Her commitment to the music field is phenomenal. Even though she has been recognized world wide, she still refers back to her Canadian roots and often thanks everyone who has supported her in her career. In 1999 she was awarded a Star on Canada's Walk Of Fame. This is a rather important award to win. It is parallel to Universal Studios where each artist receives a star in honour of his/her dedication to the industry.

Celine altered the typical stereotype of French Canadian music and changed into something that the majority of people worldwide listen to. She has raised the popularity level in Canada and has demonstrated that not everyone must be in Hollywood to make it big.

Celine started singing French soft rock at a very young age. She transformed her harmonies with the same mellow beat into English. Her music is gentle to the ear and is a perfect example of what soft rock should be. Celine's songs are ideal to listen to when one needs strength or empowerment. Her lyrics are written with such passion and enthusiasm. The way she projects her voice is incredible, she makes her listeners feel as if they are a part of the song. After listening one feels recharged and ready to go on with the rest of the day.

Connection Paragraph: Celine Dion grew up in a poor family. She and her thirteen brothers and sisters lived in a very small house in Charlemagne, Quebec. One could only imagine how confined and restricted their living arrangements were. The family must have had their fair share of fights, but this type of residence also made the family a lot closer. The Dion family has always had a very strong family bond has that held them together. It seems as if nothing could break them apart. Growing up in this environment was essential to Celine's success today. The values and morals that Celine has learned from her family have truly made her rise to the top. Celine's childhood experiences show that she has not always lived in a prosperous and successful family. She has surely understood that there are many people who work hard to make a living. She takes this into consideration and realizes that nothing should be taken for granted.

Celine grew up in a family where music was extremely important. The family would often use music to cheer themselves up when they were upset. As Celine was becoming older, it was anticipated that she would always include this as a big part in her life. Without this major inspiration in her life, it is possible that she may have never even thought of becoming a singer.

Living in a family such as the Dions, it is clear to see that they had a significantly low income. As expected, the family always dreamed of enhancing their living arrangements. Being the youngest, Celine felt that this was her responsibility. As she was the one who possessed the most singing talent, she felt that she owed it to her family to push herself to the limits. This could very possibly be one of the most important reasons in which she chose to conquer her dreams as a singer.

When Celine's friends and family discovered that she wanted to be a vocalist, they supported her in her decision. Each night they would devote some time out of their busy schedule's to work with her by teaching her new songs and helping her write lyrics. Without the love and encouragement that Celine was showered with, she may have never been so successful.

Celine is a very expressive and lively singer. When she sings her emotions are written right across her face. For such a young lady, she has definitely lived her life up to its fullest potential. With this in mind, it is apparent to see that each album has its own underlying theme. The focus of these ideas is based on the emotions and feelings that Celine possesses at the time the album is written. It is clear to see that she feels that the best way to convey her thoughts is by writing them out in her lyrics.

Rene, Celine's manager and husband, has greatly influenced Celine's career. Without him, she may have never reached such a level of fame. Rene was the one who felt that Celine has the talent make an English album. He had to work hard to convince Celine, but he still ultimately made the final decision. Without this big step in her career, perhaps Celine would have only remained a star in the eyes of French Canadians.

Celine Dion's music and life story is true inspiration to many people all over the world. Her passion and grace in capturing her dreams should be used as motivation for anyone who would like to pursue a career in this field. With all the personal and occupational challenges that Celine Dion has overcome, it would be too little to call her just a singer; she is truly a Canadian Diva.

Ce n'était qu'un rêve

La cantante Céline Dion presentandose en conciert...

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