The Olympic Island Festival is an annual rock concert that takes place on Toronto 's Olympic Island . It was started in 2004 by Jay Ferguson of the band Sloan , when only Canadian musicians performed. In subsequent years, the festival has featured bands from other countries.
102-760: August 7, 2004 June 26, 2005 June 24, 2006 June 7, 2008 The 2009 festival was cancelled in early May 2009. The event was cancelled because a strike by Toronto's municipal outside workers closed ferry service to the Toronto Islands. Broken Social Scene played a free show at Harbourfront on July 11, 2009, as an apology for the event's cancellation; this show was documented in Bruce McDonald 's 2010 concert film This Movie Is Broken . June 19, 2010 August 14, 2010 43°37′21″N 79°22′29″W / 43.62242°N 79.37465°W / 43.62242; -79.37465 This Toronto -related article
204-502: A reggae tinge to " Treat Her Like a Lady ". Let's Talk About Love was another major success, reaching No. 1 all over the world, attaining platinum status in twenty-four sales territories, and becoming the fastest selling album of her career. In the United States, the album topped the chart in its seventh week of release, and was later certified 11× Platinum in the U.S. for over 11 million copies shipped. In Canada,
306-560: A "technical marvel". Steve Dollar, in his review of These Are Special Times , opined Dion was a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough". After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album All the Way... A Decade of Song , she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life. Angélil's diagnosis with esophageal cancer also prompted her to hiatus. While on break, she
408-502: A May 2010 Harris Poll , Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2 , Elvis Presley , and The Beatles while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income. Specifically, she was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$ 35k and US$ 74.9k. In September 2010, she released
510-580: A Wonderful World " and John Lennon 's " Beautiful Boy ". The reviews for Miracle were mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three of out five stars, stating, "The worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn't want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and Miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in Dion's audience." Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote
612-599: A cover of Queen 's song " The Show Must Go On ", featuring Lindsey Stirling on violin. She performed "The Show Must Go On" at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on 22 May, and received the Billboard Icon Award (presented to her by her son, René-Charles) in recognition of her career spanning over three decades. Dion's new French album, Encore un soir , was released on 26 August 2016. It features fifteen tracks performed in French and, according to Dion, has
714-715: A dedicated night where they received an award and delivered a talk. In 2004, Harbourfront Centre has hosted the Planet IndigenUS Festival, a multi-day celebration and global exploration of contemporary Indigenous civilizations. Harbourfront Centre runs year-round programming with a combination of indoor and outdoor events. In the winter months more emphasis is put on theatre shows. Main events: Main events: Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion CC OQ ( / s eɪ ˌ l iː n d i ˈ ɒ n / say- LEEN dee- ON , French: [selin maʁi klodɛt djɔ̃] ; born 30 March 1968)
816-478: A female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK 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. Generally, they achieved more credibility than her English-language works. She released À l'Olympia , a live album recorded during one of her concerts at
918-509: A large family in Charlemagne, Quebec , Dion was discovered by her future manager and husband, René Angélil , and emerged as a teen star in her home country with a series of French-language albums during the 1980s. She gained international recognition by winning the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest , where she represented Switzerland with the song " Ne partez pas sans moi ". Her debut English-language album, Unison (1990), established her as
1020-473: A lot older than me. I learned everything I needed to know from them. As far as I was concerned, real life existed around them." Dion's eldest sister was already in her twenties, married, and pregnant with her first child at the time that Dion's mother, Thérèse , was pregnant with Dion. Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poor but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne. Music had always been
1122-454: A major part of the Dion family, and she was named after the song "Céline", which French singer Hugues Aufray had recorded two years before her birth. On 13 August 1973, she performed publicly for the first time at her brother Michel's wedding, singing Christine Charbonneau 's "Du fil, des aiguilles et du coton". She continued to perform with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called Le Vieux Baril , "The Old Barrel". She suffered
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#17327721229581224-413: A noticeable Quebec French accent to this day. Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in her personal life, as Angélil, who was 26 years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared the public would find it inappropriate. In 1993, Dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in
1326-423: A number of accidents as a young child, including an incident at five years old when she was struck by a car as her father and brother Clément looked on. She was hospitalized briefly with a concussion. From an early age, she had dreamed of being a performer. In a 1994 interview with People , 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
1428-603: A personal choice of the songs – more uplifting lyrics were chosen. Encore un soir topped the charts in France, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland, and was certified Diamond in France, 2× Platinum in Canada and Platinum in Belgium and Switzerland. It has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. In 2016 and 2017 , Dion toured Europe and Canada with two sold-out concert tours. On 9 September 2016, she released " Recovering ",
1530-905: A poll asking 780 participants which celebrity they would most like to sit next to on an airplane. Dion was the top favourite, with 23.7% of the vote. Also, in September, she released the 14th perfume from her Celine Dion Parfums Collection, called "Signature". On 15 September, she made an appearance at the free concert of Andrea Bocelli in Central Park. In 2012, she performed at the 16th Jazz and Blues Festival in Jamaica. In October 2012, Sony Music Entertainment released The Best of Celine Dion & David Foster in Asia. She began recording songs for her next English and French albums during April and May 2012. The French-language album, Sans attendre
1632-461: 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." She launched her year-long global Taking Chances Tour on 14 February 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across 5 continents. The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching
1734-463: A prerecorded performance of " Open Arms " from her new Las Vegas show. On 1 October 2011, the OWN Network premiered a documentary on Dion's life, detailing the months before, during and after her pregnancy, to the makings of her new Las Vegas Show, called, "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show". The documentary became the second highest rated show on TV OWN Canada. In October, FlightNetwork.com conducted
1836-547: A rare accomplishment for a French song. "Je sais pas", the second single off the album, reached No. 1 on the French Singles Chart as well and was certified Silver there. During the mid-1990s and onward, Dion's albums were generally constructed on the basis of melodramatic soft rock ballads, with sprinklings of up-tempo pop and rare forays into other genres. She collaborated with writers and producers such as Jim Steinman and David Foster, who helped her to develop
1938-541: A remake of Eric Carmen 's " All by Myself " maintained a soft-rock atmosphere, combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the No. 1 single " Because You Loved Me ", which was written by Diane Warren, was a pop ballad served as the theme to the 1996 film Up Close and Personal . Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote it was not very different from her previous work with Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of
2040-694: A signature sound. While critical reviews fluctuated, her releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996, she won the World Music Award for "World's Best-selling 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 . In the five years since her debut English language album in 1990, Billboard stated she had already sold 40 million albums worldwide. Falling into You (1996), Dion's fourth English-language album, presented Dion at
2142-522: A singer." As a child in Quebec, Dion participated in Girl Guide programs as a member of Girl Guides of Canada . At age 12, she collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to write and compose her first song, " Ce n'était qu'un rêve ", whose title translates as "It Was Only a Dream" or "Nothing But A Dream". Michel sent the recording to music manager René Angélil , whose name he discovered on
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#17327721229582244-514: A smash hit across the world. The album's second single " The Prayer " (a duet with Andrea Bocelli ) served as the soundtrack of the 1998 film Quest for Camelot and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. 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
2346-406: A strong pop rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. Owing to the success of the lead-off single and her collaborations with David Foster and Diane Warren , the album was even more well-received commercially than Unison ; it was certified diamond in Canada and double platinum in the U.S. The album's second single " If You Asked Me To " (a cover of Patti LaBelle 's song from
2448-468: A three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning 15 March 2011. She stated the show will feature, "all the songs from my repertoire people want to hear" and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films. To promote her return to Las Vegas, Dion made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 21 February, during the show's final season, marking her record twenty-seventh appearance. In 2018, Billboard stated her residency Celine
2550-407: A tour due to her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome , a rare neurological disease. With over 200 million records sold worldwide, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, the best-selling French-language artist, and one of the best-selling musical artists of all time . She is the sixth most successful female artist in the history of U.S. Billboard 200 and received recognition from
2652-524: A viable pop artist primarily in North America and several English-speaking markets, while The Colour of My Love (1993) gave her global success. Dion continued her success throughout the 1990s with several of the best-selling albums in history , such as Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997), which were both certified diamond in the U.S. She has accumulated a catalog of numerous high-charting tracks, including " Beauty and
2754-442: A waterfront park, it became a non-profit organization in 1991. Funding comes from corporate sponsors, government grants, individual donors and entrepreneurial activities. Harbourfront Centre has a seating capacity of 2,000. Harbourfront Centre works with over 450 community organizations, and hosts more than 4,000 events a year in many disciplines such as theatre, dance, literature, music, film, visual arts and craft. The development
2856-471: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a Canadian festival is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Harbourfront Centre Harbourfront Centre is a cultural organization on the waterfront of Toronto , Ontario , Canada, situated at 235 Queens Quay West. Established as a crown corporation in 1972 by the Government of Canada to create
2958-492: Is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the " Queen of Power Ballads ", she is noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals. Her music has incorporated genres such as pop, rock, R&B , chanson , and classical music . Her recordings have been mainly in English and French, although she has also sung in several other languages including Japanese , Italian , German , Mandarin , Spanish and Neapolitan . Born into
3060-461: Is governed by a 26-person community based volunteer Board of Directors, and is assisted by approximately 2,000 volunteers who generously contribute their efforts and time. Harbourfront Centre is patrolled by its own in-house security team, which works closely with police to ensure that the property is protected. The Government of Canada faced mounting criticism from the City of Toronto government due to
3162-576: Is the most successful residency of all time, grossing over US$ 385 million ($ 565.73 million in 2023 dollars) and drawing nearly three million people to 717 shows. The Live in Las Vegas: A New Day... DVD was released on 10 December 2007, in Europe and the following day in North America. On 21 May 2007, Dion released the French-language album D'elles (About Them) , which debuted at
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3264-438: Is the second most successful residency of all time. By the end of 2011, Dion has sold 331,000 albums (despite not releasing any studio album since 2007) and 956,000 digital tracks in the United States. For a record sixth time, she performed at the 83rd Academy Awards , where she sang the song "Smile", as part of the ceremony's "In Memoriam" segment. On 4 September, she appeared on the 2011 MDA Labor Telethon Event and presented
3366-482: The Los Angeles Times writing the album was "formulaic", other critics, such as Chuck Eddy of Entertainment Weekly , Stephen Thomas Erlewine, and Daniel Durchholz, lavished the album as "compelling", "passionate", "stylish", "elegant", and "remarkably well-crafted". Falling into You became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album, topping the charts in many countries and becoming one of
3468-537: The 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Ne partez pas sans moi " and won the contest by a close margin in Dublin . At age 18, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil she wanted to be a star like Jackson. Though confident in her talent, Angélil realized her image needed to be changed for her to be marketed worldwide. She withdrew from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and
3570-406: The 400th anniversary of Quebec City . The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people. The concert, called Céline sur les Plaines , was released on DVD on 11 November 2008, in Quebec and was released on 20 May 2009, in France. Late October 2008 saw the worldwide release of a comprehensive English-language greatest hits album, My Love: Essential Collection . In May 2009, Dion was named
3672-617: The Dave Matthews Band . She grossed $ 522.2 million during the decade, a large portion of the sum coming from her five-year residency at Caesars Palace. In January 2010, the Los Angeles Times presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, revealing Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $ 747.9 million in total revenue from 2000 to 2009. The largest haul came from ticket sales, totalling $ 522.2 million. Additionally, she
3774-508: The IFPI for selling over 50 million albums in Europe. Seven of her albums have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide, the second most among women in history . She was ranked as the fourth most outstanding pop vocalist by Cover Magazine and the ninth greatest voice in music by MTV . One of the highest-grossing touring artists in history , she is the second woman to accumulate US$ 1 billion in concert revenue. According to Forbes , Dion
3876-598: The Paris Olympia in 1994. It had one promotional single, a live version of " Calling You ", which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. She also recorded a bilingual version of " Petit Papa Noël " with Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album A Very Merry Chipmunk . D'eux (also known as The French Album in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become
3978-1156: The Toronto Eaton Centre ). The project transformed the industrial space into a mixed-use building that included shops, restaurants, offices, and exclusive residential condos (it once was the home for Premier Mike Harris ). Since its inception, Harbourfront Centre has been introducing Toronto audiences to artists and art forms that would not normally be seen in commercial venues. Artists who have performed at Harbourfront Centre: Celine Dion , Oscar Peterson , Robert Lepage , STOMP , Julio Iglesias , Spalding Gray , Philip Glass , Ann Murray , k.d. lang , Jim Carrey , Feist , Lillian Allen , and Gordon Lightfoot . In 2001, Harbourfront Centre organized "World Leaders: A Festival of Creative Genius," to pay homage to 14 renowned global cultural leaders. The participating artists included Issey Miyake , Guy Laliberté , Philippe Starck , Frank Gehry , Lily Tomlin , Stephen Sondheim , Bernardo Bertolucci , Robert Rauschenberg , Harold Pinter , Joni Mitchell , Robert Lepage , Peter Gabriel , Quincy Jones , and Pina Bausch . Each artist had
4080-536: The title track to Disney 's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). It became her first top-ten hit in the UK and her second top-ten hit in the US. The song earned its songwriters an Academy Award for Best Song and gave Dion her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal . "Beauty and the Beast" served as the lead single from her 1992 self-titled album , which, like her debut, had
4182-493: The 1989 movie Licence to Kill ) became her first number-one single in Canada and peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 . Also during this time, Dion released the Francophone album Dion chante Plamondon . The album consisted mostly of covers, but featured four new songs: " Des mots qui sonnent ", " Je danse dans ma tête ", " Quelqu'un que j'aime, quelqu'un qui m'aime ", and " L'amour existe encore ". It
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4284-611: The 2000s, she built her reputation as a successful live performer with A New Day... on the Las Vegas Strip (2003–07), the highest-grossing concert residency of all time, and the Taking Chances World Tour (2008–09), one of the highest-grossing concert tours of the 2000s . In 2009, she was named by the Los Angeles Times as the top-earning artist of the decade, with combined album sales and concert revenue exceeding $ 747 million. In 2022, Dion canceled
4386-421: The 20th best-selling artist of the decade and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million copies of her albums there since 2000. In June 2009, Forbes reported she earned $ 100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced she was the highest-grossing solo live music act in North America of the decade , second overall behind only
4488-493: The Anglophone market and achieving fame. However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them. She would later rebuff these criticisms at the 1991 Félix Awards show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year", she openly declined the award. She asserted she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist. Indeed, she speaks English with
4590-682: The Anglophone market with Unison (1990), the lead single having originally been recorded by English singer Junior in 1983 and later Laura Branigan . She incorporated the help of producers including Vito Luprano and David Foster . The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music and quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. Unison also hit the right notes with critics: Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly wrote her vocals were "tastefully unadorned", and she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic declared it "a fine, sophisticated American debut". Singles from
4692-588: The Beast ", " The Power of Love ", " Think Twice ", " To Love You More ", " Because You Loved Me ", " It's All Coming Back to Me Now ", " All by Myself ", " I'm Your Angel ", " That's the Way It Is ", " I'm Alive " and " My Heart Will Go On ", the theme for the 1997 film Titanic . Dion continued releasing French-language albums between each English record; D'eux (1995) became the best-selling French-language album of all time, while S'il suffisait d'aimer (1998), Sans attendre (2012), and Encore un soir (2016), were all certified diamond in France . During
4794-628: The Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for her achievements. According to the official World Music Awards website, the award is rare; it is "not presented every year" and an artist can be presented with the award only for selling "over 100 million albums during their career". In early 2002, Dion announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day... , at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace . This move
4896-469: The No. 1 spot on the Billboard Boxscore, having sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, adding to her 53 previous nominations (an all-time record). Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for Taking Chances ), Francophone Album of
4998-583: The RIAA. The francophone album 1 fille & 4 types ( 1 Girl & 4 Guys ), released in October 2003, fared better than her previous two releases and showed her trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. 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 . Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself,
5100-530: The U.S. and Canadian charts and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning one. The Colour of My Love also became Dion's first major hit in Europe, particularly in 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 No. 1 for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by
5202-474: The US, two million in Canada, and peaking at No. 1 in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first US, Canadian, and Australian No. 1 single " The Power of Love " (a remake of Jennifer Rush 's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit in various nations until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s. The single " When I Fall in Love ", a duet with Clive Griffin , achieved moderate success on
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#17327721229585304-402: The Way ", a duet with Frank Sinatra . All the Way became one of the best-selling compilation albums of all time, reaching No. 1 in the United States for three weeks. The album was later certified 7× Platinum in the U.S. for 7 million copies shipped. It also topped the charts in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Her last French-language studio album of the 1990s, S'il suffisait d'aimer ,
5406-519: The Year (for D'elles ) and Album of the Year (for both Taking Chances and D'elles ). The following year, she was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for " Taking Chances "), and Music DVD of the Year (for Live in Las Vegas: A New Day... ) On 22 August 2008, Dion presented a free outdoor concert, mostly in French, on the Plains of Abraham , for
5508-769: The album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer-nutter". The first single off the album, A New Day Has Come peaked at No.22 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, being an airplay-only release. On the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks , however, the song spent 21 consecutive weeks at No. 1, breaking the record for the longest span at the top. The previous record holders were Phil Collins ' You'll Be in My Heart and Dion's own Because You Loved Me , both of which lasted nineteen weeks at No. 1. The album's next single, " I'm Alive ",
5610-437: The album cover showed her in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved widespread commercial success in France, Canada, and Belgium where it reached No. 1. In France, the album debuted at No. 1 and was later certified 2× platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote Dion's vocals were "back at top of their game" and she
5712-585: 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 made prominent use of the electric guitar. The latter became her first top-ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 , peaking at number four. In 1991, Dion was a featured soloist on " Voices That Care ", a tribute to American troops fighting in Operation Desert Storm . Her real international breakthrough came when she duetted with Peabo Bryson on
5814-406: The album sold 230,212 copies in its first week of release, which remains a record. It was eventually certified diamond in Canada for over one million copies shipped. The most successful single from the album was the classically influenced ballad " My Heart Will Go On ", which was written and composed by James Horner and Will Jennings , and produced by Horner and Walter Afanasieff . Serving as
5916-539: The amount of money being spent for Montreal on both Expo 67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics . Hence, the Government of Canada decided that it would build Harbourfront Centre and the Government of Ontario would build nearby Ontario Place in order to revitalize Toronto's industrial harbour and increase tourism to the city. As a result, the Government of Canada committed to buying 100 hectares of land to be appropriated for public use. In 1972 "Harbourfront Corporation"
6018-461: The baby ... The song "A New Day Has Come" represents very well the mood I'm feeling right now. It represents the whole album." A New Day Has Come debuted at No. 1 in more than 17 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 , with first-week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first No. 1 debut on
6120-455: The back of a Ginette Reno album. Angélil was moved to tears by Dion's voice and decided to make her a star. In 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, La voix du bon Dieu , which later became a local No. 1 hit and made her 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 and won
6222-415: The best-selling French-language album of all time. 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 ". "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached No. 1 in France and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. It was later certified Platinum in France. The single reached the top ten in the UK and Ireland,
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#17327721229586324-485: The best-selling albums of all time. In 2013, CBC Music ranked Falling into You 33rd in their list of the 100 greatest Canadian albums ever. In the United States, the album reached No. 1, and was later certified 12× Platinum for over 12 million copies shipped. In Canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped. The IFPI certified Falling into You 9× Platinum, an accolade has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of
6426-556: 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." She performed it again in 2003 during pregame festivities for Super Bowl XXXVII in Qualcomm Stadium . In December 2001, she published her autobiography, My Story, My Dream , which chronicled her rags-to-riches story. Dion ended her three-year sabbatical from
6528-534: The chart, as well as the highest debut sales week of her career in the U.S. It was eventually certified 3× Platinum in the United States, and 6× Platinum in Canada. While the album was commercially successful, critical reviews suggested it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless". Both Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone , and Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly , stated Dion's music had not developed much during her break, and classed her material as trite and mediocre. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called
6630-429: The compilation album All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). On These Are Special Times , she co-wrote the song "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day" along with Ric Wake and Peter Zizzo. The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track. The album featured the single " I'm Your Angel " (a duet with R. Kelly ), which became her fourth US No. 1 single, and
6732-517: The dedication section of her third English-language album The Colour of My Love . However, instead of criticizing their relationship as she had feared, fans embraced the couple. Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony on 17 December 1994, which was broadcast live on Canadian television. As with most of her catalogue, The Colour of My Love had overarching themes of love and romance. It became her most successful record up to point, selling more than six million copies in
6834-492: The first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows. By the end of 2005, she grossed more than US $ 76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005 . Because of the show's success, her contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On 5 January 2007, it was announced the show would end on 15 December 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from 1 March. According to Billboard , A New Day...
6936-684: The height of her popularity and showed a further progression of her music. In an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as complex orchestral sounds, African chanting, and elaborate musical effects. Additionally, instruments like the violin, Spanish guitar , trombone, the cavaquinho , and saxophone created a new sound. 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 " (produced by its writer, Jim Steinman) and
7038-481: The incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, she gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on 25 January 2001, in Florida. Following the 11 September 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 . Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, "the performance ... brings to mind what has made her one of
7140-488: The indefinite postponement of all her show business activities, including her concert residency at Caesars Palace, and the cancellation of her Asia Tour , because of the worsening of her husband's health after he underwent the removal of a cancerous tumor in December 2013. However, on 20 March 2015, she announced she would be returning to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in late August 2015. On 14 January 2016, she cancelled
7242-478: The love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic , the song topped the charts across the world and became Dion's signature song. Horner and Jennings won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song , while Dion herself garnered two Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and the most coveted, Record of the Year , (the song itself won four awards, but two were presented to
7344-472: The music industry with the aptly titled album A New Day Has Come , released in March 2002. The album was her most personal yet, with songs focusing on her motherhood and maturation as a woman such as " A New Day Has Come ", and " Goodbye's (The Saddest Word) ". She stated: "Becoming a mother makes you a grown-up." She also stated: " A New Day Has Come , for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with
7446-456: The musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with " Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi ". 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". Further success came when she represented Switzerland in
7548-475: The opening night including Dick Clark , Alan Thicke , Kathy Griffin , Lance Bass , and Justin Timberlake , who hosted the television special. The show, directed by Dragone and choreographed by Mia Michaels , 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
7650-477: The rest of the January performances due to her husband's and her brother's deaths from cancer. Dion resumed the residency on 23 February to a sold-out crowd and rave reviews. In October 2015, Dion announced on social media she had begun working on a new French album, posting a photo by the side of Algerian singer Zaho . Dion's French single, " Encore un soir ", was released on 24 May 2016. On 20 May, she released
7752-464: The single " Voler ", a duet with French singer Michel Sardou . The song was later included on Sardou's album. In addition, it was announced in October 2010 that Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer Marc Dupré ; this song is entitled "Entre deux mondes". In an interview with People published in February 2010, Dion announced she would be returning to Caesars Palace for Celine ,
7854-490: The single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist", Chuck Arnold of People , however, labelled the album as excessively sentimental, while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism, reborn". Miracle debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 in Canada and was eventually certified platinum by
7956-436: The soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had been known. Although the album achieved moderate success, One Heart was met with mixed criticism, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews. A cover of the 1989 Cyndi Lauper hit " I Drove All Night ", released to launch her advertising campaign with Chrysler, incorporated elements of dance-pop and rock and roll. The advertising deal
8058-544: The songwriters). "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. In support of her album, she embarked on the Let's Talk About Love Tour between 1998 and 1999. Dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums: the Christmas album These Are Special Times (1998), the French-language album, S'il suffisait d'aimer , and
8160-624: The top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth No. 1 album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first month had already shipped half a million units worldwide. 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) " (meaning "And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)") debuted at
8262-565: The top of the French singles chart a month earlier. Later in same year, she released the English album Taking Chances on 12 November in Europe, and 13 November in North America. Her first English studio album since 2003's One Heart , it featured pop, R&B, and rock inspired music. For this album, she collaborated with John Shanks and ex- Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody , as well as Kristian Lundin , Peer Åström , Linda Perry , Japanese singer Yuna Ito , and R&B singer and songwriter Ne-Yo . Dion stated, "I think this album represents
8364-601: The two being Dion's own album, Let's Talk About Love . The album also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album and the academy's highest honour, Album of the Year . In March 1996, she launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, performing concerts around the world for over a year. In July 1996, she performed " The Power of the Dream " at the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony . She followed Falling into You with Let's Talk About Love (1997), which
8466-552: The world with her. The distributor is the Sony Pictures subsidiary, Hot Ticket . The film was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on 4 May 2010, along with the CD/DVD, Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert . At the 52nd Grammy Awards in February 2010, Dion joined Carrie Underwood , Usher , Jennifer Hudson , and Smokey Robinson to perform the song " Earth Song " during the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute. Furthermore, in
8568-561: The youngest of 14 children, Dion grew up wearing hand-me-downs and sharing a bed with several sisters. As a baby, she slept in a drawer instead of a crib to save money. She was bullied at school and called "Vampire" due to her teeth and skinny frame. Local tabloids even dubbed her "Canine Dion" in the teenage years of her career. She often spoke of running home from school to play music in the basement with her brothers and sisters. "I detested school", she would later write in her autobiography. "I had always lived surrounded by adults and children
8670-464: Was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while". Though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. 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. By 2004, Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide and received
8772-509: Was established as a federal Crown Corporation. In 1975, the top portion of the CN Tower was housed at Harbourfront Centre, and schoolchildren were asked to sign it before it was installed. In the following decades, the area saw a number of uses, hosting children's summer day camps in 1978, and hosting the Cirque du Soleil which performed in the area in 1985. The first WOMAD festival in Canada
8874-924: Was featured on the soundtrack for Stuart Little 2 (2002), and was ranked number 2 on the European Hot 100 Singles , and number 6 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks in the United States. During 2002, she performed for many benefit concerts, including her second appearance on VH1 Divas Live, a concert to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, alongside Cher , Anastacia , Dixie Chicks , Mary J. Blige , Whitney Houston , Cyndi Lauper , Shakira , and Stevie Nicks . In conjunction with an endorsement deal with Chrysler , she released One Heart (2003), an album representing her appreciation for life. The album largely consisted of pop and dance music—a deviation from
8976-584: 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 Canadian honours: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music" and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec ". A year later, she
9078-466: Was generally seen as risky, but journalist Miriam Nunzio wrote it was "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist". Dion conceived the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone during her break from recording, and it premiered on 25 March 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena specifically designed for her show and modelled after the Roman Colosseum. Many stars attended
9180-415: Was held at Harbourfront Centre in 1988. Harbourfront Centre was formed on January 1, 1991, as a non-profit charitable organization with a mandate to organize and present public events and to operate a 10-acre (40,000 m ) site encompassing York Quay and John Quay (south of Queens Quay West). In 1982, Queen's Quay Terminal was remodelled by Zeidler Partnership Architects (the same firm that designed
9282-565: Was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame , and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame . Starting from the mid-1990s, the pop rock influence more noticeable in her earlier releases was replaced by a more mature feel. Additionally, the recurring theme of "love" dominated most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal. Other critics, like Elysa Gardner and Jose F. Promis, praised her voice during this period, describing it as
9384-458: Was met with criticism, with some stating Dion was trying to cater to her sponsors. After One Heart , she released her next English-language studio album, Miracle (2004). Miracle was a multimedia project conceived by Dion and Australian photographer Anne Geddes and had a theme centring on babies and motherhood. The album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, including covers of Louis Armstrong 's " What
9486-613: Was named "Artist of the Decade" in Quebec, announced by Le Journal de Québec in December 2009. A public online survey asked responders to vote for whom they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade. On 17 February 2010, Dion released into theatres a documentary film about her Taking Chances Tour , titled, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World . The documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of her both onstage and offstage, along with footage of her with her family as they travelled
9588-494: Was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find her among the excessive stage ornamentation and dancers. However, he noted the show had become more enjoyable over the course of its run, because of her improved stage-presence and simplified costumes. The show was well received by audiences; it routinely sold out until its end in late 2007. Ticket prices averaged US $ 135.33. According to Pollstar , Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US $ 43.9 million in
9690-553: Was originally released in Canada and France during the 1991–1992 period, then later received an international release in 1994, the first French Celine Dion album to do so. " Un garçon pas comme les autres (Ziggy) " became a smash hit in France, reaching No. 2 and being certified gold. In Quebec, the album was certified Gold the day it was released. By 1992, Unison , Celine Dion , and numerous high-profile media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into
9792-516: Was publicized as its sequel. 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 tenor Luciano Pavarotti on " I Hate You Then I Love You ". Other musicians included Carole King , George Martin , Bryan Adams and Jamaican singer Diana King , who added
9894-420: Was released on 2 November 2012, and was a smash success in all French-speaking territories, especially in France where it achieved diamond status. The English-language album was postponed to 1 November 2013. Titled Loved Me Back to Life , it included collaborations with an exceptional team of songwriters and producers, including duets with Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder . The lead single, " Loved Me Back to Life "
9996-530: Was released on 3 September 2013. Dion embarked on the Sans attendre Tour in November 2013 and performed in Belgium and France. " Breakaway ", " Incredible " and " Water and a Flame " were chosen as next singles. In June 2013, Dion co-produced the show titled " Voices " by Véronic DiCaire at Bally's Hotel & Casino's Jubilee Theatre and was presented 145 times up until 2015. On 13 August 2014, Dion announced
10098-512: Was sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to improve her English. In 1989, during a concert on the Incognito tournée , she injured her voice. She consulted the otorhinolaryngologist William Gould, who gave her an ultimatum: have immediate surgery on her vocal cords or do not utilize them at all for three weeks. Dion chose the latter and underwent vocal training with William Riley. Two years after she learned English, Dion made her debut into
10200-431: Was the world's highest-paid female musician in 1997, 1998, 2004, and 2006. She received honorary doctorates in music from Berklee College of Music and Université Laval . Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec , 24 kilometres (15 mi) northeast of Montreal, the youngest of 14 children of Thérèse ( née Tanguay , 1927–2020), a homemaker, and Adhémar Dion (1923–2003), a butcher, both of French descent. As
10302-616: Was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about Dion. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted her, printing the headline, "Celine — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'" She sued the magazine for more than $ 20 million. The editors printed an apology and a full retraction in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honour of her and her husband. A year after
10404-486: Was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major French-speaking country, including France, Switzerland, the Wallonia region of Belgium, and Canada. In France, the album was certified diamond, selling 1.5 million copies. By the end of the 1990s, Dion had sold more than 130 million records worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards. Her status as one of the music industry's biggest pop divas
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