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CELINE DION BIOGRAPHY |
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From humble beginnings in a rural French Canadian home town,
Céline Dion has risen to international superstardom like a
shooting star. Céline has been called the premier contemporary
pop vocalist of the Nineties. She has earned music industry
accolades from around the world: Grammy Awards in the US, Juno
and Felix Awards in Canada, and World Music Awards in Europe.
The entire world has seen Céline Dion literally transform
herself from a gifted pre-adolescent into an international
superstar.
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.
The streak of recognition had only just begun.
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.
Blessed with one of popular music's great voices, she has
crossed all barriers - even that of language - with her
electrifying series of international hits. With her breakneck
pace of recording, video shoots, touring and appearing on TV
shows and awards specials, it seems like Céline has time for
little else. Not the case when it comes to an important cause.
Céline has used her talents to further the cause of the Canadian
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In fact, one of Céline's most
emotional songs (''Vole,'' from the 'D'eux' album, later
translated into English as the song ''Fly,'' which appears on
the 'Falling Into You' album) is a touching memorial to her
niece, Karine, who was taken from her by this disease.
A new peak in Céline's spectacular career was reached when she
released her new album 'A New Day Has Come' in March 2002, which
ended her two-year hiatus. The album entered number one in more
than 17 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland,
France, Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States
within two weeks of its debut. It features new tracks that range
from pure 21st century pop, ''A New Day Has Come'' to dramatic
ballads ''Have You Ever Been In Love'' and ''I Surrender,'' from
breathtaking dance music ''Sorry For Love'' to a pair of pre-rock
classics ''At Last;'' and ''Nature Boy.'' Other highlights
include ''I'm Alive,'' ''Goodbye's (The Saddest Word),'' and ''Rain,
Tax (It's Inevitable).''
The release of the album was accompanied by a blitz of TV
specials, appearances on talk shows and magazine interviews all
over the world.
In March 2003, Céline begins a three-year commitment to appear
five nights a week at Caesars Palace Coliseum in Las Vegas, a
three-tier, 4000-seat arena designed and currently being built
for her show. The 90-minute spectacle will introduce a new form
of entertainment, a fusion of song, performance art, theatrical
innovation and state-of-the-art technology that will inspire its
own creative genre. The show is created by Dragone Productions,
a team led by Franco Dragone, the creative spirit behind ten of
the critically acclaimed productions by Cirque du Soleil.
With each new release, Céline has managed to top her previous
successes and, along the way, has become one of the brightest
stars in the world of popular music. Who would have imagined
that Quebec's best kept secret could have conquered the world
the way she has?
Looking back now, we should have known it all along. |
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