Céline Dion suffers from an insidious illness. For a long time it was doubtful whether she would ever be able to sing again. Then the Olympic opening ceremony came – and Dion celebrated a magically emotional comeback.
Céline Dion actually comes to the grand finale. At first, this great artist is just a tiny, silver dot high up on the Eiffel Tower. Then she starts singing. And within a few moments, Dion’s voice grows beyond the monumental building, spreads like a warm blanket over rain-soaked Paris, flows into the hearts of the listeners and provides a breathtaking finale to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Many people have tears in their eyes.
What a show – and what a comeback for the global star from Canada. For years, Dion has been battling an insidious neurological disease, the so-called stiff person syndrome. The exceptional artist recently gave an insight into her life in a documentary. There are heartbreaking scenes, such as when the camera focuses on her suffering a severe seizure in a doctor’s office. She shakes violently and cries. The question has been raised again and again as to whether Dion will ever be able to sing again.
Breathtaking homage to Edith Piaf
For days there had been speculation around the Olympics as to whether the Canadian might perform at the opening ceremony. Even Emmanuel Macron had wanted this. The return to the limelight was even more triumphant when Monsieur le President and the French Olympic organizers were able to imagine it.
Wearing a silver-white, glittering dress, Dion stood on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, more than 50 meters high. She sang Édith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour,” the hymn to love, with great fervor. She was accompanied by a pianist next to her, on whose piano countless puddles had formed. “Even the rain, an unwelcome guest all evening, seemed to pause to listen to her moving interpretation of the Edith Piaf classic,” wrote the “Journal de Québec” from Dion’s home country.
“Determination, pain and endurance”
The singer herself was overwhelmed by the moment. Cell phone videos show her being greeted and cheered by fans in front of the hotel after her performance and placing her hand on her heart several times. “I am honored to have performed at the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 tonight,” she wrote afterwards on the X platform, “and I am full of joy to be back in one of my favorite cities.”
“Most of all, I’m so happy to celebrate these incredible athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance,” added Dion. The five-time Grammy winner, who rose to global stardom in the 1990s and set numerous records with the Titanic theme song “My Heart Will Go On,” could have been referring to herself.
Musician colleagues celebrate Dion
The admiration and respect in the music world and in show business was huge. US singer Kelly Clarkson, who commented on the ceremony in the French capital for NBC, said with tears in her eyes that the performance had taken her voice away. Singer Gloria Estefan reported on Instagram that she had shed “tears of joy”.
Actress Elizabeth Banks called the show “epic” and singer Cyndi Lauper wrote on the social network: “See what hard work and faith do. You are an inspiration.”
The artistic director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, explained that they wanted to crown the opening show with the iconic Piaf song and that Dion was the best singer for that. They left it up to her to decide where she wanted to perform. Dion herself then decided on the Eiffel Tower. It couldn’t be bigger or more magnificent.
It was initially unclear to what extent the performance high above Paris was an indication that the singer might play concerts again or even go on tour. Recently there was a report from the – often well-informed – gossip portal TMZ that Dion was working on a deal to perform in Las Vegas in the future. She has already had permanent engagements in the US glitzy metropolis twice in her career, each time for several years.
Muscle cramps in the throat
A performance like the one in Paris or even entire shows seemed out of the question for years. In December 2022, she announced that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. She suffers from muscle cramps and sometimes has problems walking and singing as a result. Dion had to cancel all dates of her “Courage World Tour” in Europe planned for 2023 and 2024.
For the first time since her diagnosis was announced, she spoke about her life with the rare autoimmune disease in a television interview in June. She described the severe cramps in her throat as “feeling like someone is strangling you”.
The disease can lead to muscle cramps anywhere in the body, causing her hands or feet to become stiff. She is fighting the disease with physiotherapy, singing training and medication.
And in this battle, Friday evening high above the rooftops of Paris was a huge victory for Céline Dion.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
