The Untold Truth Of Celine Dion

Céline Dion is a powerhouse. Born on March 30, 1968, the renowned French Canadian singer has been in the spotlight for most of her life. As noted by Biography, she launched her career at the tender age of 12 and recorded nine albums in French over the next six years. It was 1990's Unison, her first English album, that truly catapulted the singer to widespread fame, though, by bringing her voice to a larger audience. Two years later, she cemented her status in pop music history by recording the theme song for Beauty and the Beast. The song won both a Grammy and an Academy Award, and made it to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After that, Dion became a part of our cultural lexicon. Her tremendous success was not without setbacks, though. From her impoverished childhood to the loss of her beloved husband, René Angélil, Céline Dion has had to overcome many challenges in her life, proving that she is more than a singer — she is a survivor.

Megastar Céline Dion comes from humble roots. The youngest of 14 children, Dion did not always have an easy life when she was growing up. With so many children in the family, their house in Quebec was overcrowded. "We were three, four in the same bed," Dion told CBS News. "I did not have a bedroom. Up the stairs, before going in the bedrooms, there was a little ramp. And my bed was there." She continued, "So everybody went up, they saw me, and I could wave goodbye and goodnight."

Despite the lack of money, Dion insists that her family wasn't poor where it really mattered. "We were given love and affection and support," she told Vanity Fair. "What else did we need?" Sounds like Dion has her priorities straight.

Céline Dion struggled for years to have a child, as reported by the Daily Mail. Her battle with infertility made having children difficult, but she finally had three children who were all conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). After giving birth to her first child, René-Charles — who, by the way, has grown up to be gorgeous — she went through another six rounds of IVF before conceiving her twins, Nelson and Eddy.

Dion was determined to have another child, even if it cost her the career she had worked so hard for. She had signed a contract with Caesars Palace but postponed her shows in order to undergo treatments. "People stop because it's very expensive but I kept on going," she told Daily Mail. "I was not going to stop just because I had a contract for singing. I would have hated every song for the rest of my life, so I said try to postpone the Caesars Palace shows because it wasn't a good enough reason for me not to try for a baby. A life or a contract? I couldn't live with that."

Believe it or not, but Céline Dion doesn't even watch reality singing competitions on television. She would no doubt have been a hit on a show like American Idol, but it turns out that TV shows aren't her style. She told Woman's Weekly that she is "glad" that she was born before the heyday of reality TV. 

"If I was starting my career now I doubt that I would of had any other option than to enter one of those shows," she said. "But I'm glad that I didn't start my career now. I don't watch TV and so I can't say that I'm a fan to be honest."

Dion added that everything is about her kids these days . "I'm not part of the music industry and what's going on these days, I just perform and then go back to my family," she said. Clearly family comes before work — and TV time.

It should come as no surprise that Céline Dion calls the shots. After launching her handbag and accessory line and parting ways with her former manager, Aldo Giampaolo, she made it clear that she's in charge. "Let me be clear.... I am the boss," she said to journalists at the launch of her line (via Montreal Gazette). 

In the wake of her husband's death, Dion found new strength. "I went through a lot and I'm not the only one," she said. "People have gone through a lot, and so they probably understand what I'm saying right now. Sometimes when you go through a lot, whether it's disappointment or a loss, there is a force that takes over when you believe."

Céline Dion's driven personality has no doubt played a huge role in her incredible success. She puts in long hours to make sure that her music is flawless. Diane Warren, who has written some of Dion's most iconic songs, told Billboard what is "impressive" about working with the singer. "I went to her show, and it's almost two hours," she said. "She's not lip-synching. She's singing songs that aren't easy to sing. Then we went in the studio at 11:30 at night and she stayed until, like, 4 a.m. and would not leave until it was perfect." Warren noted that this was just all proof that Dion would always be successful.

According to Warren, Dion's dedication is a rarity in the music industry. "A lot of times you work with singers and they're like, 'Aw, I'll finish next time,'" she said. Dion, however, always gives it her all.

While some celebrities are reclusive and share few personal details with the public, Céline Dion has always worn her heart on her sleeve. Dion believes that her realness and authenticity are why she is so beloved by her many fans. "I've been an open book all my life," she told V Magazine in 2012. Dion admitted that she has been criticized for being so honest with the world, but said that she had no intention of putting on a persona for the public. "I'm like this in my real life," she said.

Being an open book isn't just about allowing her fans to see into her real life, though. To Dion, the phrase also conveys her belief that she is the author of her own story. In 2016, she told Elle France (via ET Canada) that she doesn't have her future mapped out but that she is excited for the journey ahead of her. "I like to think that my life is an open book and there are still plenty of pages to write," she said.

On Jan. 16, 2020, Céline Dion's mother, Thérèse Tanguay Dion, passed away. The loss came as a blow to the singer, especially as it came just two days after the four-year anniversary of her husband's death. As noted by Entertainment Tonight, Dion's mother had been battling health issues for some time and passed away surrounded by family at the age of 92. Dion was on her Courage World Tour at the time of her mother's passing, but she did not cancel any performances. Instead, she powered through her heartbreak and performed the day after her mother's passing, dedicating the performance to her beloved mom.

In an interview with People, Dion talked about how much she adored and missed her "amazing" mother, revealing that, in addition to being a talented musician, her mother was "an amazing cook" who "was incredibly funny and loved to laugh." Dion added, "She was my hero."

Aside from her music, one thing that has helped Céline Dion cope with the losses in her life is raising her children. Dion, who is one of few celebs who raised their kids without nannies, told People that raising her children is her top priority as well as "the biggest source of my healing."

Dion takes parenting very seriously, but that doesn't mean she's afraid to think outside the box when it comes to bringing up her kids. The singer has some pretty progressive ideas when it comes to motherhood, such as her commitment to raising her kids free of gender stereotypes. She told The Sun that she believes in giving her kids "an option of trying things," revealing that her twins, Eddy and Nelson, were trying on her lipstick and boots at the age of 2 — and that she was okay with it. Dion was later inspired to launch a kids' gender-neutral clothing line with NUNUNU after her sons asked for Barbie dolls instead of action figures and were fascinated by Minnie Mouse instead of Mickey on a trip to Disneyland.

In an interview with CNN, Dion said that gender-neutral clothing is about "freedom." She added, "Giving them the opportunity, before they speak, they already have a voice."

Céline Dion is in really, really good shape. She revealed to People that she does as much as she can to take care of both her body and her soul. This includes eating "very healthily" and making sure her body gets enough sleep. She also works out with a trainer, but her true love is dancing. Dion said that she does ballet and improv nearly every day and even has a dance partner, calling dance "one of my greatest joys."

While Dion has attracted criticism for being too thin, leaving some concerned about her health, the singer told Entertainment Tonight that she has always been on the slim side. She's more concerned with feeling good about herself than about being thin and doesn't care what others have to say about her appearance. "I want to feel strong, beautiful, feminine and sexy," Dion, who is one of many celebs who've been criticized for being too thin, told The Sun, telling those who are bothered by her appearance, "Don't take a picture."