Celine Dion Triumphantly Returns to the Stage.
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| This handout released by the Olympic Broadcasting Services shows singer Celine Dion performing on the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. SCREENGRAB BY IOC VIA GETTY IMAGES |
Two years after disclosing her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis and canceling all performances, Celine Dion made a powerful comeback during the Olympics opening ceremony.
Following the lighting of the Olympic torch, Dion delivered a breathtaking rendition of Édith Piaf's French ballad "Hymne a l’Amour" under the illuminated Eiffel Tower and Olympics logo. Adorned in a sparkly dress and accompanied by a solo piano, Dion's soaring high notes captivated the audience.
Kelly Clarkson, co-hosting NBC’s Paris opening ceremony coverage, became emotional when discussing the moment, praising Dion's remarkable performance and enduring strength.
Following her performance, Celine Dion shared a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter): “I’m honored to have performed tonight for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and so full of joy to be back in one of my very favorite cities!
Most of all, I’m so happy to be celebrating these amazing athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance. All of you have been so focused on your dream, and whether or not you take home a medal, I hope that being here means that it has come true for you!
You should all be so proud; we know how hard you have worked to be the best of the best. Stay focused, keep going, my heart is with you!”
This performance marked Dion’s second appearance at the Olympic Games, having previously performed “The Power of the Dream” in Atlanta in 1996. The Olympic Games’ official Twitter account shared footage from Dion’s first Olympics performance to celebrate her triumphant return.
The moment marked a significant comeback for Celine Dion, as it was her first public performance since her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis. Dion first revealed her condition in 2022, initially delaying her Las Vegas residency and later canceling the North American leg of her Courage world tour. She postponed her European shows to 2023 and 2024 before ultimately canceling them as well.
Stiff-Person Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder of the nervous system, described by the Mayo Clinic as causing "progressive, severe muscle stiffness and spasms of the lower extremities and back." Unfortunately, there is no cure for the condition.
In June, Dion described the disease's impact on her ability to sing, saying it feels “like somebody is strangling you” and “like someone is pushing your larynx. It is like you are talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower. It gets into a spasm.”
In May, Celine Dion told Vogue France that she hoped to “find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now, I have to learn to live with it.” She revealed that she undergoes “athletic, physical, and vocal therapy” five days a week to counteract the effects of her disease. “I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice … I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself.”
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| Canadian singer Celine Dion performs on the Eiffel Tower as the conclusion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024. HECTOR VIVAS/GETTY IMAGES |
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer also shared that she first noticed difficulties in controlling her voice as far back as 2008. However, after years of concert tours and a Las Vegas residency, it was the pandemic in 2020 that finally gave doctors the time to accurately diagnose her condition.
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