From humble beginnings in a rural French Canadian home town, Celine Dion has risen to
international superstardom like a shooting star. Celine has been called the premier
contemporary pop vocalist of the Nineties. She has earned music industry accolades from
around the world: Grammy Awards in the US, Juno and Felix Awards in Canada, and World
Music Awards in Europe. The entire world has seen Celine Dion literally transform herself
from a gifted pre-adolescent into an international superstar.
Born in Charlemagne (a small town 30 miles east of Montreal, Quebec, Canada), Celine is
the youngest of 14 children of a highly musical family. Her parents, both musicians,
operated a small club, and on weekends, the entire family performed and entertained the
local population. From the tender age of 5, Celine sang with her siblings and quickly
acquired the ability of performing live. At the age of twelve, together with her mother
and one of her brothers, Celine composed a French song which would forever alter the
course of her life.
The demo tape containing the song was brought to the attention of Rene Angelil, a well
respected personal manager. In January 1981, Rene was so taken by the voice of the young
Celine, that he became determined to make her an internationally known talent - he even
mortgaged his house to finance the recording of Celine's debut album!
Celine began to receive recognition for her talent in 1982, winning the Gold Medal at the
Yamaha World Song Festival in Tokyo, along with the coveted Musician's Award for Top
Performer. In 1983, she became the first Canadian ever to receive a Gold Record in France.
The streak of recognition had begun.