Céline Marie Claudette Dion OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a
Canadian singer and occasional songwriter and actress.[1][2][3] Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Québec, Dion became a teen star in the French-speaking
world after her manager and would-be husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record.[4] In 1990 she released the anglophone album Unison,
establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English speaking
areas of the world.[5]
Dion first gained international recognition in the 1980s after she won both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision
Song Contest.[6][7] After a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to
Sony Records in 1986. Under the guidance of her husband, she achieved worldwide success
with several English and French albums, ending the decade as one of the most-successful artists in pop music.[8][9] After releasing over twenty-five albums over two decades, Dion announced a temporary retraction
from entertainment in 1999 in order to start a family and spend time with her husband.[10][9] She returned to the music scene in 2002, and a year later, she signed a four-year contract to
perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.[11][12]
Dion's music has been influenced by various genres, which range from pop, soul and rock to gospel and
classical, and while her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is
renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals.[13][14][15] 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."[16][17] In April
2007 Sony BMG announced that Celine Dion had sold over 200 million albums worldwide.[18]
Life and music career
Childhood and early beginnings
The youngest of fourteen children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay, Céline Dion
was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken, but, by her own account, happy,
home in Charlemagne.[19][9] 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;[13] 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."[20]
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").[19] Her brother Michel sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno
album.[4] Angélil was moved to tears by Dion's voice,
and decided to make her a star.[19] 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").[4] 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."[11][4] 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.[21]
At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she
wanted to be a star like Jackson.[22] Though confident in
her talent, Angelil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide.[19] Dion receded from the spotlight for a number of
months, during which she underwent a physical makeover, and was sent to the École Berlitz School in 1989 to polish her English
language.[5] This marked the start of her Anglophone
music career. According to an episode of VH-1's Behind The Music, she learned English in just three
months.
1990–1992: Career breakthrough
A year after she had learned English, Dion made her debut into the Anglophone market with Unison (1990).[4] She
incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster.[13] The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft
rock music that quickly found a niche within 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."[23]
Stephen Erlewine of All Music Guide declared it as, "a fine, sophisticated
American debut."[24] 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 made prominent use of the 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.
Dion's real international breakthrough came when she duetted with Peabo Bryson on the
title track to Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991).[6] 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.[13] "Beauty and the Beast" was featured on Dion's 1992 self-titled 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.[21] However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her
French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them.[25][13] She would
later regain her fan base 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.[26][5]
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.[27]
1993–1995: Popularity established
In 1993 Dion announced 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.[13] Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994, which
was broadcast live on Canadian television.
As it was dedicated to her manager, the album's motif focused on love and romance.[28] 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.[21] 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, eventually became the fourth single by a female
artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the U.K.,[29] 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.[30] These included 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.[30] As these albums were in French, the worldwide commercial success was
limited. However, Dion's Francophone fans embraced each release,[31] and generally, they achieved more credibility than her Anglophone works.[25]
The mid-1990s was a transitional period for Dion's musical style, as she slowly diverged 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.[32] 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."[33] Resultantly, she earned frequent comparisons to artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.[34] There were also signs that her work was becoming more clichéd: critically,
The Colour of My Love was not consistent with earlier works.[35][28] 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" for the third time. 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.[36]
1996–1999: Worldwide commercial success
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.[27] In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as ornate
orchestral frills, African chanting, and outlandish musical
effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish
guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, and
saxophone created a new sound.[37] The singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. The title track "Falling into You" 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.[36] Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While
Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work,[38] and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and
Natalie Nichols of Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was
formulaic,[39][40] other critics such as Chuck Eddy of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen
Thomas Erlewine of AMG, and Daniel Durchholz lavished the album as "compelling," "passionate," "stylish," "elegant," and
"remarkably well-crafted."[41][37] 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.[42] It also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the
academy's highest honor Album of the Year.[43] 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.[44] 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.[32] 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."[27][45] Other musicians included Carole
King, Sir George Martin, and Jamaican singer
Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady."[46] 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."[45] 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.[43] Serving as the love
theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, the song topped the charts in
many countries across the world, and became Dion's signature song.[47] 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).[8] On These Are Special Times, Dion became more involved in the
writing process. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every
track.[48] "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 lead off 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.[8]
By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry
awards.[8] 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."[30] 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.[49]
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).[50]
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.[51] 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?[52] |
” |
Dion was also criticized for some of her remakes and duets. "The First
Time Ever I Saw Your F
