At A Glance
Born: March 30, 1968
Where: Charlemagne, QC
Big Break
Celine was known everywhere throughout the world and when she recorded the title track for the soundtrack to the animated
Disney hit movie Beauty and the Beast, she had reached the huge American market. The song quickly climbed up the charts to
number one and garnered both an Academy Award and a Grammy Award.
Interesting Note:
Recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for her voice range capabilties - In 1983, Celine became the first Canadian
to receive a Gold Record in France.
Notable Achievements:
2003
Arion Music Award - Greece
» Best Sales, International Album for ‘A New Day Has Come’ Dragon Award - Poland
» Female Artist of the Year – International
2002
Felix Award – Canada
» Most Successful Quebecois Artist in A Language Other Than French
2000
Gold Disc Award - Japan
» Artist of the Year (International music category)
1999
Echo Award – Germany
» Most Successful International Female Artist
BAMBI Award – Germany
» For Sales of over 10 million CDs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
South African Music Award – South Africa
» Best Selling International Album – ‘Let’s Talk About Love’
World Music Award - Worldwide» World’s Best Selling Female Pop Artist
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Pop superstar Céline Dion was born in Charlemagne, Que., a rural town located nearly 50 kilometres from Montréal. She is
the youngest of 14 children. She began performing at the very young age of five with her siblings at her parents' piano
bar, entertaining the local area patrons on weekends. When she was just 12 years old, Céline composed a song with the aid
of her brother and mother. The demo she made of it was noticed by René Angélil, now Céline's manager-husband. René was so
convinced of Céline's abilities he actually mortgaged his house in order to record her debut album.
In 1982 she was awarded the Gold Medal and the Musician's Award for top performer at the Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo.
Her first albums, recorded in French, gained her wide acclaim, and in 1983 she was the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold
Record in France. While her albums turned platinum, she received multiple Felix Awards. Then in 1988, Céline took the
Eurovision Song Contest by storm in Dublin, Ireland.
Her international breakthrough came when she recorded the title track for Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", a song that went to
No. 1 and won both an Academy Award and a Grammy. Her 1996 album, "Falling Into You", topped the charts in 11 countries and
was a double-Grammy winner. "Let's Talk About Love" and "Titanic" followed it; the former selling 27 million worldwide,
the latter even more! She sang, "My Heart Will Go On" live at the 70th Annual Oscars, where the song won for best original
song.
Following the birth of her son René-Charles Angélil, and a two year hiatus, Céline has returned to performing. She signed a
three-year contract with The Coliseum at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to perform five nights a week in an unprecedented
variety show in a stadium custom-built for her show.
Dion is a spokeswoman of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a position she took in memory of a niece who died of
the disease.
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Inductees
