Céline Dion
Dion singing "God Bless America" in 2003. " God Bless America " is an American Patriotic song
Background information
Birth name	Céline Marie Claudette Dion
Born	March 30, 1968 (1968-03-30) (age 40) Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
Origin	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre(s)	Pop, Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1981 – present
Label(s)	550 Music/Epic/SME Records (1986–2004) Epic/SBMG Records (2004–2007) SBMG Records/Columbia (2007-present)
Website	www.celinedion.com

Céline Marie Claudette Dion (/seɪlɪn dɪɒn/ (help·info)), OC, OQ (born March 30, 1968 in Charlemagne, Quebec) is a Canadian singer, and occasional songwriter and actress. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charlemagne Quebec is an off-island suburb of Montreal, located on the north shore of the Rivière des Prairies, northeast of its downtown Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music 550 Music is a defunct Imprint of Epic Records, a Subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charlemagne Quebec is an off-island suburb of Montreal, located on the north shore of the Rivière des Prairies, northeast of its downtown Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works ^[1][2][3] Born to a large, impoverished family, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. René Angélil (born January 16, 1942 in Montreal, Québec, Canada) is a Canadian of Syrian ref>http//www ^[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. An Anglophone (or anglophone) is someone who speaks the English language. Unison is the English-language debut Album of Canadian singer Céline Dion, released in 1990 in North America and the next year in the rest of the ^[5]

Dion had first gained international recognition in the 1980s after she won the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. The Yamaha Music Festival, officially known as World Popular Song Festival and unofficially as the "Oriental Eurovision", used to be the world's biggest The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on April 30, 1988 in Dublin. ^[6][7] Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to Sony Records in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide success with several English and French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music. ^[8][9] However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a temporary retirement from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer. ^[10][9] She returned to the music scene in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Caesars Palace, sometimes referred to colloquially as simply Caesars, is a luxury Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally ^[11][12]

Dion's music has been influenced by genres ranging 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. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music ^[13][14][15] In 2004, after amassing 175 million in album sales, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the "Best-selling Female Artist in the World". The Chopard Diamond award (or simply the Diamond award) is given by the World Music Awards to artists who have sold over 100 million albums during their career The World Music Awards (founded in 1989 is an international awards show that annually honors Recording artists based on their worldwide sales figures which are provided by the Céline Dion has received numerous awards and accolades in recognition of her worldwide success in the music industry 5 Grammy Awards 11 World Music Awards, 7 ^[16][17] In April 2007 Sony BMG announced that Celine Dion had sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group ^[18]

Life and music career

Childhood and early beginnings

The youngest of fourteen children born to Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay both of French-Canadian descent, Céline Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. Thérèse Tanguay Dion, popularly known as Maman Dion, is a Québécois television personality and the mother of pop singer Céline Dion. ^[19][9] Music had always been a part of the family (Dion was named after the song "Céline", recorded by French singer Hugues Aufray two years before her birth^[20]), as she grew up singing with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called 'Le Vieux Baril. ---- Hugues Aufray (born Hugues Jean Marie Auffray on August 18, 1929 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a French singer of Spanish ' 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. People (full name People Weekly) is a weekly American Magazine of Celebrity and human interest stories, published I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer. "^[21]

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"). " Ce n'était qu'un rêve " (meaning "It was Just a Dream" is a debut single by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on June 19 1981 ^[19] Her brother Michel sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album. René Angélil (born January 16, 1942 in Montreal, Québec, Canada) is a Canadian of Syrian ref>http//www ^[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 Way of God", 1981), which became a local number-one record and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. La voix du bon Dieu (meaning Good God's Voice) is a French debut Studio album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released in Quebec Canada 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"). The Yamaha Music Festival, officially known as World Popular Song Festival and unofficially as the "Oriental Eurovision", used to be the world's biggest officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. " Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi " (meaning "I Have So Much Love for You" is the first single from Céline Dion 's album Tellement j'ai d'amour ^[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". " D'amour ou d'amitié " (meaning "Love or Friendship" is the second single from Céline Dion 's album Tellement j'ai d'amour The European Film Awards were originally called the "Felix Awards" ^[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 by a close margin in Dublin, Ireland. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on April 30, 1988 in Dublin. "Ne partez pas sans moi" (meaning "Don't Leave Without Me" is the Swiss winning entry in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Céline Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. ^[22] However, American success was yet to come, partly because she was exclusively a Francophone artist. ^[23]

At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman ^[24] Though confident in her talent, Angélil 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 cosmetic and dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the École Berlitz School in 1989 to polish her English. ^[5] This marked the start of her English-language music career.

1990–1992: Career breakthrough

A year after she had learned English, Dion made her debut into the Anglophone market with Unison (1990). Unison is the English-language debut Album of Canadian singer Céline Dion, released in 1990 in North America and the next year in the rest of the ^[4] She incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing David Walter Foster, OC, OBC, LLD (born November 1, 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ^[13] The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of Music which uses the techniques of Rock and roll to compose a softer Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreviated AC, refers to styles of popular music that ranges from "lush Sixties pop often vocal -based and rooted in 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". Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc ^[25] Stephen Erlewine of All Music Guide declared it as, "a fine, sophisticated American debut. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. "^[26] 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 Last to Know " is a song from the Unison album by Céline Dion. " Unison " is a song written by Andy Goldmark and Bruce Roberts and first recorded by R&B/dance artist Junior in 1983 for the Tom Cruise movie All the Right " Where Does My Heart Beat Now " is a hit song from Céline Dion 's English debut album called Unison. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder 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. Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European In 1991, Dion was also a soloist in "Voices That Care", a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm. " Voices That Care " is a 1991 song written by David Foster, Linda Thompson and Peter Cetera and recorded by a supergroup of popular

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). Peabo Bryson (born Robert Peabo Bryson on April 13, 1951) is a two-time Grammy Award -winning American R&B and BATB redirects here If you were looking for Back at the Barnyard which is abbreviated as BATB see here. ^[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. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966 ^[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. Celine Dion is an eponymous Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 31 1992. 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. Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956 in Van Nuys California) is an American Songwriter. 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. " If You Asked Me To " is the title of a song originally written and released as the lead off single for Patti LaBelle 's seventh solo studio album entitled In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24 1944) best known as her stage name Patti Labelle, is an American R&B and soul Licence to Kill (1989 directed by John Glen is the 16th James Bond Spy film, and the second and last featuring Timothy Dalton. S. Billboard Hot 100, the gospel-tinged "Love Can Move Mountains", and "Nothing Broken But My Heart". " Love Can Move Mountains " is a song from Céline Dion 's 1992 album called simply Celine Dion. " Nothing Broken But My Heart " is a song from Céline Dion 's eponymous album. As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.

Also during this time, Dion released the Francophone album Dion chante Plamondon (1991). Dion chante Plamondon (meaning Dion sings Plamondon) is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 4 The album consisted mostly of covers, but included 4 new songs, which included "Des mots qui sonnent," "Je danse dans ma tête," "Quelqu'un que j'aime, quelqu'un qui m'aime" and "L'amour existe encore". " Des mots qui sonnent " (meaning "Words That Sound" is a song from the Dion chante Plamondon album by Céline Dion. " Je danse dans ma tête " (meaning "I Dance in My Head" is a song from the Dion chante Plamondon album by Céline Dion. " Quelqu'un que j'aime quelqu'un qui m'aime " (meaning "Someone I Love Someone Who Loves Me" is the fourth radio single from Céline Dion 's album called " L'amour existe encore " (meaning "Love Still Exists" is a song from Céline Dion 's album called Dion chante Plamondon. It was originally released in Canada and France during the 1991-1992 period, but then got an international release in 1994, the first Celine Dion album to do so. To date, it has sold 1. 5 million records worldwide.

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. ^[23] However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U. S. , her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. ^[27][13] She would later regain her fan base at the Félix Award show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year", she openly refused to accept the award. The European Film Awards were originally called the "Felix Awards" She asserted that she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist. ^[28][5] Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate. ^[29]

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. The Colour of My Love is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 9 1993. 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. ^[30] It became her most successful record up to that point, selling more than 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. " The Power of Love " is a famous Power ballad co-written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush. Jennifer Rush is a New York, American based Pop/Rock, R&B, and Adult Contemporary Singer, best known for the A signature song is the one Song (or in some cases one of a few songs that a popular and well-established ^[23] 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. " When I Fall in Love " is a popular song written by Victor Young (music and Edward Heyman (lyrics A duet is a Musical composition or piece for two Performers In Classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers Clive Griffin is a British pop vocalist, best known for his hit duet " When I Fall in Love " ( U " Misled " is the third single from Céline Dion 's album The Colour of My Love. 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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. " Think Twice " is the fourth hit single from The Colour of My Love album by Céline Dion. "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. ,^[31] 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. ^[32] Generally, they achieved more credibility than her Anglophone works. ^[27] She released À L'Olympia, a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, in 1994. Paris Olympia is a Music hall at 28 Blvd des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement Paris, France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city It had one promotional single, a live version of "Calling You", which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. " Calling You " is an Academy Award nominated song from the Bagdad Café movie D'eux (also known as The French Album in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best-selling French album of all time. D'eux (meaning "of them" or "about them" a play on deux, "two" is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion ^[32] The album was mostly written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "Je sais pas". Jean-Jacques Goldman (born on October 11, 1951) is a French Singer and Songwriter. " Pour que tu m'aimes encore " (meaning "So That You'll Love Me Again" is the first hit single from D'eux album by Céline Dion. " Je sais pas " (meaning "I Don't Know" is the second and last commercial single from D'eux album by Céline Dion. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached the Top ten in the UK, a rare accomplishment for a French song, and "Je sais pas" reached number one on the French Singles Chart. These songs would later become "If That's What It Takes" and "I Don't Know" on Dion's next English album, Falling into You. Falling into You is Céline Dion 's fourth English Album and twenty-first in total released on March 11, 1996.

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. ^[33] 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". ^[34] Resultantly, she earned frequent comparisons to artists such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former ^[35] There were also signs that her work was becoming more clichéd: critically, The Colour of My Love was not consistent with earlier works. ^[36][30] 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. The World Music Awards (founded in 1989 is an international awards show that annually honors Recording artists based on their worldwide sales figures which are provided by the 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. When adding to this page please ensure that your claims are sourced ^[37]

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. Falling into You is Céline Dion 's fourth English Album and twenty-first in total released on March 11, 1996. ^[29] In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as ornate orchestral frills, African chanting, and outlandish musical effects. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Chant (from Old French chanter) is the Rhythmic speaking or Singing of Words or Sounds often primarily on one or two Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, and saxophone created a new sound. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s The cavaquinho ( pron /kava'kiɲu/ in Portuguese) is a small string instrument of the European Guitar family with four wire or gut strings The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind ^[38] 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. " Falling into You " is the title track from Céline Dion 's 1996 hit album Falling into You, released as the first single in Europe " River Deep - Mountain High " is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an eight time Grammy Award -winning American " It's All Coming Back to Me Now " is a Power ballad, written by Jim Steinman. James Richard "Jim" Steinman (born November 1 1947 in New York City New York is an American record producer Composer, and lyricist responsible for several hit songs Eric Howard Carmen (born August 11 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, U " All by Myself " is a Power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975 The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers " Because You Loved Me " is a smash hit from Céline Dion 's Falling into You album released as the first single on February 19 Up Close & Personal is a 1996 American Motion picture drama/romance that was inspired by the story of Jessica Savitch who in the ^[37] Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work,^[39] and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was formulaic,^[40][41] 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". The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed ^[42][38] 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. ^[43] It also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album was awarded in 1968 and since 1995 The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys ^[44] 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. " The Power of the Dream " is a single by Céline Dion, released on August 20 1996 in Japan. The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International ^[45] 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. The Falling Into You Tour is the seventh world concert tour by Canadian pop singer Céline Dion.

Dion followed Falling into You with Let's Talk About Love (1997), which was publicized as its sequel. Let's Talk About Love is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 14 1997 ^[33] 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". London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress " Tell Him " is a duet between Barbra Streisand and Céline Dion. The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. " Immortality " is a single from Céline Dion 's Let's Talk About Love album The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes. Thank you--> Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 12, " I Hate You Then I Love You " is a duet between Céline Dion and Luciano Pavarotti from Dion's Let's Talk About Love ^[29][46] Other musicians included Carole King, Sir George Martin, and Jamaican singer Diana King, who added a reggae tinge to "Treat Her Like a Lady". Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. Sir George Henry Martin CBE (3 January 1926 is a British record producer arranger and Composer. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Diana King (born November 8 1970 in Spanish Town) is a Jamaican R&B, pop, Reggae, and Dancehall Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s " Treat Her Like a Lady " is the last single from Céline Dion 's Let's Talk About Love hit album ^[47] 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". ^[46] 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. " My Heart Will Go On " is the Theme song of the 1997 blockbuster Film Titanic. James Roy Horner (born August 14 1953) is an American Composer of orchestral and film music Walter "Wally" Afanasieff (born February 10, 1958) is a Grammy-award -winning Record producer and Songwriter who started ^[44] Serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, the song topped the charts across the world, and became Dion's signature song. Titanic is a 1997 Disaster film directed written co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron about the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' A signature song is the one Song (or in some cases one of a few songs that a popular and well-established ^[48] The singles "My Heart Will Go On" and "Think Twice" made her the only female artist in the UK to have two singles to sell more than a million copies. ^[49] In support of her album, Dion embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999, which received mixed reviews. Let's Talk About Love Tour is the eighth concert tour by Canadian pop singer Céline Dion.

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). These Are Special Times is a Christmas album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on October 30 1998. All the Way… A Decade of Song is a first English Greatest hits album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 12 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. ^[50] "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly, became Dion's fourth and final U. "I'm Your Angel" is a duet by Céline Dion and R Kelly from Dion's These Are Special Times and Kelly's R A duet is a Musical composition or piece for two Performers In Classical music the term is most often used for a composition for two singers Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) better known by his Stage name R 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. " That's the Way It Is " is a hit single from Céline Dion 's All the Way… A Decade of Song album released on November 1 Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who is notable in the areas of Jazz " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face " is a 1957 Folk song written by Ewan MacColl for his wife Peggy Seeger. "All the Way" is a 1950s pop Song which has since been covered by other artists Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor ^[8]

By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold more than 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. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter Shania Twain ʃəˈnaɪə 'tweɪn OC (born Eilleen Regina Edwards, August 28 1965 is a Canadian Singer and Songwriter in the 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". The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin ^[32] 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. The Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, started in 1982, recognizes Canadians in broadcasting or entertainment related industries who have "achieved outstanding success in Canada's Walk of Fame, Toronto, Ontario is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians ^[51] 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). The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category the first of which was The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually " My Heart Will Go On " is the Theme song of the 1997 blockbuster Film Titanic. ^[52]

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. ^[53] In a scathing review of Let's Talk About Love, Rob O'Connor wrote:

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 both Allison Stewart of The Chicago Tribune and Erlwine of All Music Guide. " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face " is a 1957 Folk song written by Ewan MacColl for his wife Peggy Seeger. "All the Way" is a 1950s pop Song which has since been covered by other artists The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company ^[55] Even though she was still praised for her vocal abilities (Elysa Gardner of L. A Times called her voice a "technical marvel"),^[14] 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. "^[56]

2000–2002: Career break

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album All the Way… A Decade of Song, that she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life. All the Way… A Decade of Song is a first English Greatest hits album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 12 1999 ^[9][57] Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her to hiatus. Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the Esophagus. There are various subtypes ^[58] While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about the singer. The National Enquirer (also commonly known as the Enquirer) is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Celine — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'"^[59] Dion later sued the magazine for more than twenty million dollars. ^[60] 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. The American Cancer Society ( ACS) is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on January 25, 2001 in Florida. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ^[61][62]

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. " God Bless America " is an American Patriotic song America A Tribute to Heroes was a Benefit concert organized by actor George Clooney and broadcast Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, "the performance. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry . . 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. "^[63]

2002–2003: Return to music

Dion's aptly titled A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002, ended her three-year break from the music industry. A New Day Has Come is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, which marked her return after two-year hiatus to have a child The album was Dion's most personal yet, and established a more mature side of Dion with the songs "A New Day Has Come", "I'm Alive", and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)", a change that resulted from her new-found maternal responsibilities, because, in her own words, "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up. " A New Day Has Come " is the first hit single from Céline Dion 's comeback album A New Day Has Come, released on March 11 " I'm Alive " is the second hit single from Céline Dion 's album A New Day Has Come, released on August 12 2002. " Goodbye's (The Saddest Word " is the third and last commercial single from Céline Dion 's album A New Day Has Come, released on November "^[57] She stated, "A New Day Has Come, for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with the baby. . . That song ["A New Day Has Come"] represents very well the mood I'm feeling right now. It represents the whole album. "^[10] While the album achieved commercial success, critical comments suggested that it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless". ^[64] 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. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[65][66] Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter. Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies music DVDs and TV shows as well as interviews with actors directors and musicians "^[67]

The upbeat tempo of "One Heart" and the bright colours and "party" style of the music video were a new direction to Céline Dion's work. " One Heart " is a song by Céline Dion, released on June 16 2003 as the second single outside North America from One Heart

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Dion released One Heart (2003), an album that represented her appreciation for life. One Heart is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 24 2003. ^[68] 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. ^[69][70] A cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night", released to launch her new advertising campaign with Chrysler,^[71] incorporated dance-pop and rock and roll and was called reminiscent of Cher's 1980s work. Roy Kelton Orbison ( April 23 1936 &ndash December 6 1988) nicknamed "The Big O" was an influential Grammy Award -winning " I Drove All Night " is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly for Roy Orbison. Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 Cher ( IPA: /ʃɛr/ born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20 1946 However, it was dismissed as Dion trying to please her sponsors. ^[72]

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. Miracle is a Concept album credited to Canadian singer Céline Dion and Australian photographer Anne Geddes, released on October 11 Anne Geddes, MNZM, (b September 1966 is an Australian born Photographer, clothing designer and Businesswoman who now lives and works 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". Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter " What a Wonderful World " is a song by Bob Thiele (using the pseudonym George Douglas and George David Weiss. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born 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",^[73] Chuck Arnold of People Magazine labeled the album as excessively sentimental,^[74] while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism". Charlie and Chuck are common familiar or shortened forms for Charles. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc ^[75]

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. 1 fille & 4 types (meaning 1 Girl & 4 Guys) is a French-language Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on October 13 She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best selling French albums S'il suffisait d'aimer and D'eux. Jean-Jacques Goldman (born on October 11, 1951) is a French Singer and Songwriter. S'il suffisait d'aimer (meaning If Only Love Could Be Enough) is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on September 7 1998 D'eux (meaning "of them" or "about them" a play on deux, "two" is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself, the cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary 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. "^[76]

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 Collector's Series Volume One is a Compilation album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on October 20 2000. 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 was focused on more up-tempo, Urban/Hip-hop songs. Urban contemporary is a music Radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with ^[77] However, by 2005 Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million records, and received the Chopard Diamond World Music award for becoming the best-selling female artist in the world. ^[16][17][78]

2003–2007: A New Day. . . Live in Las Vegas

Dion performing "I'm Alive" during her show A New Day... in Las Vegas. " I'm Alive " is the second hit single from Céline Dion 's album A New Day Has Come, released on August 12 2002. A New Day was a highly successful show performed by Céline Dion at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace 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. A New Day was a highly successful show performed by Céline Dion at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Caesars Palace, sometimes referred to colloquially as simply Caesars, is a luxury Hotel and Casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally ^[12] 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. ^[79] She conceived the idea for the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone early in her break from recording, and began on March 25, 2003, in a 4000-seat arena designed for her show. O (pronounced the same way as eau (French for Water) is a Cirque du Soleil show Franco Dragone is a Belgian film and Theatre director. He is known for his work with Cirque du Soleil. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[12] The show, put together by Dragone, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included 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 had become more enjoyable, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simpler costumes. ^[48] The show was also well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; the show sold out almost every night since its 2003 opening. According to Pollstar, Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43. Pollstar is the world's largest resource for international concert tour information The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows. ^[80] By the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[81] A New Day. . . was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006. ^[82] 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 end on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from March 1. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant ^[83] The Live in Las Vegas - A New Day... DVD was released on December 10, 2007 in Europe and the following day in North America. Live in Las Vegas - A New Day is Céline Dion 's eighth Home video, released on DVD between December 7 and 10, Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[84]

2005 –present: Back to studio

Her latest French language album, D'elles (They), released on May 21, 2007, debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. D'elles (meaning About Them) is the title of Céline Dion 's most recent French-language album Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It marked her tenth number-one album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2x platinum, and within the first week has already shipped half a million units worldwide. ^[85] D'Elles also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)" ("And If There Remained Only One (I Would be That One)" debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. " Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là " (meaning "And If There Were Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One" is the first hit single from Céline

On October 27, 2007 Dion appeared on the fourth series of the British talent contest, The X Factor, as a mentor to the show's contestants. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007 For versions in other countries see The X Factor (TV series. The X Factor is a British Television She also performed "Taking Chances" on the live show which was her first UK performance for five years. " Taking Chances " is a single by songwriter Kara DioGuardi and ex- Eurythmics member Dave Stewart 's band Platinum Weird, taken from ^[86] Dion released her latest English album Taking Chances on November 12 in Europe, and on the 13th in North America. Taking Chances is an English language Studio album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 7 2007 Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days ^[87] Her first English studio album since 2003's One Heart, the album features pop, R&B, and rock inspired music. ^[88] Dion has collaborated with John Shanks, ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. John Matthew Shanks is a famous Modern rock producer and writer Evanescence is an American Ben Robert Moody (born January 22, 1980 in Little Rock Arkansas, U Kristian Lundin (born May 7, 1973) is a Swedish composer music producer and songwriter Anders Bagge and Peer Åström have written and produced together songs for Celine Dion, Madonna, Enrique Iglesias and several others Linda Perry, born April 15 1965 in Springfield Massachusetts, to parents of Portuguese and Brazilian descent is an American rock musician is a American Japanese pop singer-songwriter and actress in Japan Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18 1979 better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B Singer-songwriter ^[89][90] Dion stated, "I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career [. . . ] I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was. "^[91] Dion launched her year-long worldwide Taking Chances Tour on February 14, 2008 in South Africa. Taking Chances Tour is a global concert tour by Canadian pop singer Céline Dion, in support of her 2007 studio albums Taking Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa ^[92]In addition, she will be appearing on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season.

Celine Dion was nominated for 6 Juno Awards in 2008, leading the group of Canadians to receive this honour. The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian Musical Artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music Dion has added to her 53 previous nominations. Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (Taking Chances), Francophone Album of the Year (D'elles) and Album of the Year (for both Taking Chances and D'elles). ^[93]

Artistry and image

Dion grew up listening to the music of Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand, and the Bee Gees, all of whom she would eventually collaborate with. Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. Anne Murray CC ONS (born Morna Anne Murray on June 20 1945 is a Canadian singer Barbra Streisand (ˈstraɪsænd "STRY-sand" born April 24 1942 is an American Singer, Film and Theatre Actress The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. During her younger years, which she spent performing in her parents' piano bar along with her other siblings, she also performed many songs by Ginette Reno and other popular Québécois artists. She has also expressed appreciation for Édith Piaf, Sir Elton John, and opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, as well as many soul singers of the 1960s, 70's, and 80's, including Roberta Flack, Etta James, and Patti Labelle, whose songs she would later rerecord. Édith Piaf (December 19 1915&mdashOctober 10 1963 was a French singer and cultural icon who "is almost universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes. Thank you--> Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 12, Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who is notable in the areas of Jazz Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938) is an American Blues, soul, R&B, Rock & roll Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24 1944) best known as her stage name Patti Labelle, is an American R&B and soul Her English-language material has been influenced by numerous genres, including pop, rock, gospel, R&B, and soul, and her lyrics focus on themes of poverty, world hunger, and spirituality, with an overemphasis on love and romance. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. ^[30][46] After the birth of her child, her work also began to emphasize maternal bond and brotherly love.

Dion has faced considerable criticism from many critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality. ^[5][53][54] According to Keith Harris of Rolling Stone magazine, "[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published . . . [she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha-Whitney-Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true. "^[94] Dion's francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility. ^[95][27]

Dion is often regarded as one of pop music's most influential voices^[96][27][5] and according to some souces, she possesses a five-octave vocal range. ^[95] 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". MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[15][97] Upon her début, many critics had welcomed her restrained vocal inflections, and she was praised for her technical virtuosity and intensity. As Charles Alexander of Time writes, "Her voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and "^[23] As her music progressed, however, Dion's vocal performances came to resemble more closely those of her contemporaries, especially Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey,^[98] and she was heavily criticized for oversinging and for lacking the emotional intensity that once was a part of her earlier work. ^[56][41] One critic noted that the emotion "seems to have been trained right out of her lovely voice", leaving her with "more voice than heart". ^[34]

Many critics have stated that Dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced^[95] and impersonal. ^[27] Additionally, while she came from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she never learned to play any instruments professionally. However, she did help to compose many of her earlier French songs, and had always tried to involve herself with the production and recording of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval of the record, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input. ^[27] By the time she released her second English album Celine Dion, she had assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. Celine Dion is an eponymous Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 31 1992. She stated, "On the second album I said, 'Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100 percent happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album. ' This is my album. "^[27] She would continue to involve herself in the production of subsequent releases, helping to write a few of her songs on Let's Talk About Love (1997) and These Are Special Times (1998). Let's Talk About Love is an Album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 14 1997 These Are Special Times is a Christmas album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on October 30 1998. ^[99]

Despite her success, Dion is often the subject of media ridicule and parody. She is frequently impersonated on shows like MADtv, Saturday Night Live and South Park for her strong accent, as well as her conservative nature and on-stage movements. MADtv, is an American Sketch comedy television series based on the humor magazine Mad. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central She is also heavily mocked in her home country of Canada on popular shows Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The Royal Canadian Air Farce is a comedy troupe best known for their radio and television shows broadcast in Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian Television comedy that airs on CBC Television. However, Dion has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and has even stated that she is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her. ^[57] She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances. Ana Kristina Gasteyer (born May 4, 1967) is an American actress and Comedian.

Dion is rarely the centre of media controversies. However, in 2005, following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, she appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized Louisiana's slow response in aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina: "We need to be there right now to rescue the rest of the people. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States "^[100] She later said, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television/radio host I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician. "^[101]

Other activities

Dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant "Nickels" in 1990. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Franchising refers to the methods of practicing and using another person's Philosophy of business. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. Nickels Grill & Bar is a Canadian Restaurant chain. The restaurant has an extensive menu ranging from complete breakfasts to hamburgers milkshakes pizza chicken She has since divested her interests in the chain and is no longer affiliated with Nickels as of 1997. She also has a range of eyewear and a line of perfume, manufactured by Coty, Inc.^{[102][103][104]} 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. Coty Inc is a beauty products manufacturer whose core businesses are fragrances color cosmetics and skin care Air Canada () is Canada 's largest Airline and Flag carrier. The airline founded in 1937 has had its corporate headquarters in Montreal "You and I", the theme song sung by Dion, was written by advertising executives working for Air Canada. " You and I " is the first and only radio single from Céline Dion 's A New Day ^[105]

Celine Dion signed a deal with Coty to release Celine Dion Parfums. Dion is preparing to release her fifth fragrance, "Sensational", in the spring. Recently Coty and Celinedion. com released a statement for the premier of the new fragrance which stated "As one of the industry's very first celebrity-endorsed fragrances, Celine Dion has played a major role in establishing the now popular celebrity segment of the fragrance industry" stated by Bernd Beetz, CEO Coty, Inc. " Since its creation in 2002, Celine Dion Fragrances have made over $500 million in retail sales. ^[106]

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. The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF is a Canada -wide health charity with more than 50 Volunteer chapters ^[107] 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. Yolanda Adams (born Yolanda Yvette Adams on) is a American Gospel music Singer and Radio Show host. The effort raised money from more than 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. She also donated $1 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, raising more than $1 million. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of ^[108]

Selected discography

The following is a selective list of Dion's Anglophone and Francophone releases. To view an exhaustive list of her discography, see Celine Dion albums discography and Celine Dion singles discography. This page lists the albums discography of Céline Dion. For Dion's singles discography please see Celine Dion singles discography. This page lists the singles discography of Céline Dion. For Dion's albums discography please see Celine Dion albums discography.

Singles

Tours

Filmography

• Touched by an Angel
• The Nanny
• La fureur de Celine
• Des fleurs sur la neige

See also

• List of Celine Dion awards
• 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

Notes

References

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 (English, French).
• CelineTakingChances.com – Official UK website.
• TeamCeline.com – Official Fan Club.
• Celine Dion YouTube Channel
• [1] - Fan Site, Passion Céline Dion (English, French).
• Celine Dion at Billboard. com
• Céline Dion at the Internet Movie Database