Not long ago, Celine Dion was the most celebrated female singer in the world. But today, the vocalist is struggling in many ways.
Recently, Celine revealed that she’s battling a rare condition called stiff-person syndrome – and now she’s been dealt another blow that has sparked outrage among her legions of loyal fans.
Céline Dion went from a Eurovision Song Contest singer to one of the biggest-selling recording artists of all time in the space of around 20 years.
The Canadian artist has given us many hits throughout the years, and she’s always made sure to take care of her audience, ensuring they get the absolute most out of every show.
In my opinion, her voice is like a taste of heaven, and despite her massive fame, she seems like a down-to-earth human being. That’s why it’s so sad to learn what the legendary singer has been going through over the years. Behind three decades of success, multiple awards, and a Las Vegas residency, Celine Dion has experienced a lot of heartaches.
She had to watch her beloved husband, René Angélil, battle throat cancer. Her manager and beloved husband, who had been by her side for 30 years, lost his life to the disease in early 2016. Then, just two days later, she lost her brother Daniel Dione to a similar cancer on the day of her husband’s birthday.
But through her iconic songs, she managed to overcome much of the heartache and send positive energy to those suffering with hard experiences.
Right now, Celine herself needs our support more than ever.
In the last few years, she’s struggled with health problems. The headlines have often been about her weight – fans have expressed concern that Céline looks too skinny. Many of her followers became very worried in 2019, when the 55-year-old singer appeared “scarily thin” and “seriously underweight” in a series of eye-opening images.
However, the Canadian singer quickly hit back at the critics.
“It pisses people off that I am thin and I don’t make any effort. I have been thin all my life. Nobody in my family is overweight,” she told The Guardian.
Celine Dion health update
Whether her recent diagnosis had something to do with her skinny figure is unknown, but those who have followed the star for a long time know that she has always been quite thin and that she works hard.
But what we do know is that Celine has been fighting against severe and persistent muscle spasms for some years – they even forced her to withdraw from performing and cancel many dates for her Courage World Tour.
The “unforeseen medical symptoms” made she had to take a step back. In an Instagram post, Celine explained that she was “heartbroken” over postponing the concerts.
In January 2022, she canceled more gigs on the North American leg of her world tour. In December 2022, she then announced that she’s suffering from a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). The incurable condition causes muscles to seize up uncontrollably.
Difficulty walking
SPS affects just one in a million people, and the sickness is not yet that well understood. According to National Institute for Neurological Disorders, people with SPS can “be too disabled to walk or move, or they are afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls.”
For Celine, it impacts her daily life to such an extent that she has difficulty walking. Moreover, it doesn’t allow her to use her vocal cords to sing like she used to.
Céline says that she is working with a team of doctors to help her get better, as well as a sports medicine therapist to “build back my strength and my ability to perform again.”
(Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images)
No return?
“All I know is singing is what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most. I miss you so much, I miss seeing all of you being on the stage performing for you,” she said in an Instagram update, thanking all her fans for their support.
As reported by gaming website SlotsUp, the My Heart Will Go On star has lost out on over $70 million of revenue, based on her earnings for the Celine residency show. Celine is now resting at her Las Vegas home with the aim of getting better; her plan is to resume the world tour in 2024.
However, some experts are unsure about the prospect of her returning to the world stage.
Vegas journalist Scott Roeben recently spoke to Page Six, giving an update on how people close to the “Power of Love” singer are talking.
“People had been telling me for some time that Celine would not be returning to live performing — maybe ever at all,” Roeben said.
Celine Dion voice
Technically skilled, ever glamorous, and possessive of a generation-defining voice, Celine has wowed fans the world over. I think it’s safe to say that a voice as beautiful as Celine’s comes along very infrequently. The fact that her live voice is totally identical to her recorded voice is amazing.
Celine Dion is also one of the only singers who can sing the same song in two different languages without losing any originality.
Yet, apparently, not everyone agrees on Celine’s greatness. When Rolling Stone’s list of the 200 greatest singers of all time was published on New Year’s Day, it included many of the most famous artists of all time.
Aretha Franklin was on the list, Kelly Clarkson was there, and Tina Turner, goo – just to name a few.
But no Celine Dion.
The French-Canadian vocalist, honored with numerous accolades throughout her long-standing career, didn’t make the cut. That decision left some fans furious.
“Respectfully, not including Celine Dion, arguably the best vocal technician of all time, in this list is borderline treasonous,” producer, promoter and recording artist Jamie Lambert tweeted.
And Lambert wasn’t the only one critizicing Rolling Stone and the people behind the list. Several fans took to social media to express their outrage and some went as far as calling her absence a ”crime against humanity.”
Rolling Stone listed Aretha Franklin as the best singer of all time, Whitney Houston landed the second place and Sam Cook sits at number three.
The publication also ”warned” people before reading the list. In a try to anticipating the backlash, they and wrote in the introduction:
“Before you start scrolling (and commenting), keep in mind that this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent.”
What do you think about Celine not making it into this list? Of course, these are always a subjective judgment, but it’s a little bit strange that she doesn’t qualify for the top 200. Or?
We send all our love and prayers to Céline Dion!