Celine Dion Came From Humble Beginnings But Her Innate Talent Made Her Destined For Greatness

Apr 19, 2022 by apost team

Céline Dion is arguably one of the most talented singers of our generation. The Canadian performer sang herself into our hearts when we first got to see her in the 1980s when she won the Eurovision song contest. Her phenomenal rise to superstardom only continued, and before long she was known to audiences across the world.

According to her biography on her official website, Dion is the 14th child of Thérèse Tanguay and Adhémar Dion. The Dions enjoyed a humble life with a full house, with Dion reportedly being laid to sleep in a drawer due to the lack of space. The family was also passionate about music from the early days, reportedly forming a family group that would perform local concerts around Quebec. 

The singer, who is French-Canadian, first started singing in her native French language. In 1980 at the age of 12, she wrote her first song with the help of her mother and brother Jacques, titled "Ce n'était qu'un rêve." She would go on to record numerous French albums that would become successful in Canada. 

In 1988, Dion, who was just 20 years old, was Switzerland's entry in the Eurovision song contest which took place in Ireland. The Canadian-born singer represented the country with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi", which she performed in front of an audience of 600 million TV viewers. She ultimately won the contest. 

After decades in show business, Dion has enjoyed international success and she's still going strong after she released her latest album "Courage" in 2019. With immense success comes a lot of riches but despite her countless number one hits and award wins, Dion has proven that it takes hard work and dedication to make it to the top of the charts. 

Dion had music instilled in her from a very early age. George-Hebert Germain, Dion's officially authorized biographer, said:

"She was born in a house where everybody was singing or playing music. Guitar, piano, drums, everything. And she was raised in this family where the music was so important." 

By the age of 2, the future star would sing on the dining room table for her family, and by the age of 5, she performed at her brother Michel's wedding after he'd asked her to. She fondly thought back on the experience and described it in an interview with CNN:

"And I remember singing for my brother, at his wedding. I sang a couple songs. When I started to feel the love and the warmth of the audience it got me. I said to myself, 'Really this is what I want to do all my life. I want to be a singer.'"

The '90s saw Dion's star continue to rise, as she released albums in English and French to great acclaim. This included "The Colour of My Love," on which the hit cover song and her first number one, "The Power of Love," was released, as well as the album "Falling Into You." And who can forget her signature song "My Heart Will Go On," which was the love theme from the 1997 film "Titanic." It topped charts all over the world and won her another Academy Award and Grammy.

With rising to success on top of being a newlywed to once manager and husband René Angélil, the 90’s were a busy time for Dion. In early 2001 the star would add another huge award to her legacy, a mother. The couple welcomed their first child, a son, René-Charles. As they raised their son they absolutely wanted to have more kids. 

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Dion opened up on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2010 about suffering a miscarriage while undergoing the treatment. She said, as reported by CTV News, "We tried four times to have a child, we're still trying ... We're on the fifth try and I tell you if five is my lucky number, this fifth try has got to come in."

Despite the adversity she and her husband faced in trying to get pregnant, the couple finally welcomed twins in Oct. 2010. 

From 2003 to 2007 the award-winning singer would begin a Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace which is still one of the top-grossing residencies. Dion would return to Las Vegas in 2011 for her second residency. But tragedy would strike the family when all three of Dion's children lost their father at a young age after he succumbed to a years-long on-and-off battle with cancer in 2016.

"Knowing that now he’s in peace and is resting and is always within me. I see him every day through the eyes of my children. He gave me so much strength,” Dion told Hello at the time. "To be honest, I think I’m at the best of my life right now and I want to enjoy and embrace every moment of it and really enjoy it,” she added during the same interview.

"It’s like I’m having a second wind like I’m having the wind beneath my wings. I’m having a good time,” she said optimistically.  

Despite the sad loss of the family's patriarch a few years ago, Dion has done a wonderful job raising her three sons René-Charles, Nelson, and Eddy since then. As an internationally renowned singing sensation and a wonderful mother to her three boys, Dion is truly an inspiration to women all over the world. 

After hearing Celine’s early childhood— do you think she was meant for stardom? If you love the iconic singer, pass this along to another fan too!