English was the language of opportunity for Céline Dion

English was the language of opportunity for Céline Dion

 

Céline Dion, a Quebec native, made a living singing in French in Quebec. Céline learned how to sing in English, eventually becoming bilingual, and is now a world-renowned multibillionaire living in Las Vegas.
Would this have happened if she had continued singing only in French? I really don’t think she would have captured the lucrative U.S. market with French songs. Of course, the downside is that while she and her family may speak French at home they, most definitely, speak English when making those extremely lucrative recording and appearance deals and when dealing with fellow superstars.
Separatists are among those who are very happy that Céline is going to sing on the Plains of Abraham, although I’m not sure they’re as happy that 20 per cent of the songs will be in English.
How come Quebec separatists can celebrate the success of a Céline Dion, who sings in English, earns tons and tons of money in English and lives in the U.S. the majority of her time, while denying other Quebec children the opportunity to learn English? How come Quebec separatists don’t have a problem with separatist politicians ensuring their children learn English while denying the same opportunity to the children of the average francophone?
I have absolutely nothing against Céline Dion. She has a magnificent voice. I just wonder why it’s acceptable for some of their children to learn English but not for others. As far as I can see the dividing line is money— if you’re rich, English is OK, as opposed to being average or poor and government restricted only to French.

Salina native recalls time

Salina native recalls time as Celine Dion's back-up singer

Toni Forbes had flown to Las Vegas with friends to enjoy rest, relaxation and a concert by singer Celine Dion.
The next thing Forbes knew, she had been hired as a backup singer for Dion at Dion's Vegas theater.
"There was a guitar player there, and I started singing with him," Forbes said. "After we finished two songs, an agent of Celine Dion gave me his card."
For the next four years, between 2004 and 2008, the Salina native was flown back and forth from her Kansas City, Mo., home to Vegas almost every two weeks to sing harmony with the legendary diva on some of her most famous tunes, including "The Power of Love," "Taking Chances" and the Oscar-winning "Titanic" song, "My Heart Will Go On."
For Forbes, it was a dream come true. Especially considering she had been born with cerebral palsy and was never expected to live a long life.
"I've been extremely blessed," said Forbes, 49. "My cerebral palsy is mild compared to others."
Here for surgery
Forbes returned to her hometown in March to have knee replacement surgery and follow-up rehabilitation at Salina Regional Health Center. She chose to have the surgery in Salina because her sister-in-law still lived here and could help with her rehabilitation.
On Friday, Forbes treated the physical therapy staff and a patient on the hospital's fourth floor with an impromptu serenade that included a couple of selections from the musical "The Sound of Music."
Born in Salina
Forbes was born Harriet Garrison in Salina in 1963, one of a set of triplets who were photographed as infants by the Salina Journal. The Journal continued to write updates on the triplets until their graduation in 1982 from Salina Central High School.
Forbes said she started singing in church at age 3 and then with her mother at home.
"I was homebound most of the time, and this was something my mom could do with me since I couldn't do all the physical things," she said.
Forbes received vocal and opera training at Emporia State University before moving to Kansas City, Mo., where she has lived for 22 years and works for the Social Security Administration 800 hotline. She has an 18-year-old son who lives at home.
Didn't believe it
When Forbes went to Las Vegas at age 41 and was asked if she'd like to sing backup for Dion, she didn't believe it at first.
"I asked her if she did this often, and she said no, but that she sought talent out whenever she could," Forbes said. "She liked my energy, and she could relate to people with special needs."
All good things ...
So for four years, Forbes flew to Vegas, where she leaned on a cane when performing and had a stool handy in case she had to sit down because of fatigue.
"Onstage, I had to be really careful, because there were so many electrical cords going everywhere and you couldn't see, for the most part, because of the stage lights," she said.
Dion couldn't have been a sweeter person, Forbes said.
"My dad got sick one time, and she sent him flowers," she said. "She's a really genuine person, a good person."
Forbes' run as a backup singer came to an end in 2008, when Dion decided to close her Vegas show to concentrate on family issues. Forbes went back to her normal life in Kansas City with great memories of her time in the Vegas spotlight.
"It was a wonderful time," she said. "And it's how I refinished my house."

 

Celine Dion to play Quebec City

Celine Dion to play Quebec City show this summer

Pop megastar Celine Dion is aiming to conquer Quebec City's Plains of Abraham this summer with her only show outside Las Vegas this year. Dion will appear on July 27 for a single concert. She also played the Plains in 2008 as part of the city's 400th-anniversary celebrations.
Unlike that gig, this one will cost fans.

Promoter QuebeComm said at a news conference today that 60,000 tickets will be available, with prices ranging from $69 to $299 including services and fees.
Sales for the general public will start on April 6.
Dion will sing all her hits, with about 80 per cent of the show in French and 20 per cent in English.
Dion spends most of her time in Las Vegas where she performs at Caesars Palace.
Rene Angelil, Dion's husband and manager, says the timing was ideal for the Quebec show as were the partners.

Dion

Dion, Warren add tune to 'Song': Pic closes Toronto fest Saturday

The final strains of the Toronto Film Festival belong to Celine Dion and longtime collaborator Diane Warren.

Dion has recorded "Unfinished Songs" as the end-credits tune for "Song for Marion," which closes the fest Saturday night at the Roy Thomson theater. Written by Warren, who's been nominated six times for an Oscar but never won, "Unfinished Songs" is among more than a dozen collaborations with Dion, including "Because You Loved Me."

"We go way back and I think we're a good combination, particularly for this song," Warren told Variety. "She had done her show from 7:30 to 9:30 that night and then recorded between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. That's why Celine is Celine -- she really has an amazing work ethic."

Warren said "Unfinished Songs" fits well with "Song for Marion," a music-based dramedy starring Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave and Gemma Arterton. Pic centers on a grumpy elderly man whose wife persuades him to join an unconventional local choir. The Weinstein Co. is handling domestic release.

Cutting Edge Group CEO Philip Moross, who is producing alongside Ken Marshall, brought together Dion and Warren, who saw the film in rough cut. It's the first feature production credit for Cutting Edge, which has provided music services for more than 200 films.

"As a connoisseur of great movie songwriters, my dream has always been to work with Diane Warren," Moross said. "What Diane was able to do with her work on 'Song for Marion' was to find the heart of the movie and put that heart into a beautiful chorus for Celine. It was amazing to witness."

Four-year-old CEG has gained notice by ponying up the money for scoring, clearances and music supervision in a film; it then recoups from such sources as soundtrack and sheet-music sales, licensing and royalties from international ticket sales and TV deals. Earlier this year, it closed a multi-picture slate deal with Endgame Entertainment and entered into an agreement last month with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures.

CEG has invested in over 200 films, most notably "The King's Speech," in exchange for music publishing rights. CEG's films at TIFF include the opening night selection "Looper," "Song for Marion," "End of Watch," "Seven Psychopaths," "Imogene" and "Writers."

As for Warren, she hopes that "Unfinished Songs" may lead to that elusive Oscar.

"I'm a six-time loser," Warren said, "so maybe this is my lucky seventh."

Céline Dion On Motherhood

Céline Dion On Motherhood: “I’m More Grounded Now Than Ever Before”

Mom-of-three Céline Dion bares just about all in the pages of the September issue of V magazine. Posing for a series of sultry pics for photographer Sebastian Faena, the Canadian songstress, who has sons René-Charles, Nelson and Eddy with her husband René Angélil, opens up about music and motherhood.
On being an open book: “I’ve been an open book all my life, and I think that’s why people like me. I’ve been criticized for it, but I’m not forcing myself to be the person that you see…. For me to tell someone that my husband had cancer, that we were struggling to have kids, or whatever we’ve gone through, talking about my life lets people know the real me. I’ve shared everything with them.They come for the whole package. I don’t think they just come for the songs.”
On motherhood: “I thought I had a life before, but until I was a mom, I had no idea. Why would I want a hit? Why would I want to win awards? There is nothing I can hope and wish for my career: I can just hope to be blessed as a mother for the rest of my life the way I am now.”
On her legacy: “Motherhood. Without a doubt. I did not lose myself to try to realize a dream. Everyone thinks that now I’ve climbed this ladder and I’m at the top of the top of the top. I really see the opposite. When I was five and nine and twelve, I was on the top of the ladder and I was looking down. My head was in the clouds. In time I came down the ladder. I’m a mother now. I’m more grounded now than ever before.”

 

Move over Celine Dion

Move over Celine Dion, Guns N' Roses to play Las Vegas residency

Guns N' Roses are going from "Paradise City" to Sin City .
Axl Rose may have refused to play alongside his former GN'R bandmates at the band's Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction in April, but the singer apparently has no issue with having his new lineup playing a residency in Las Vegas.
Borrowing a page from decidedly less metal acts like Celine Dion and Elton John, Guns N' Roses will perform 12 dates at The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, running from Halloween to Nov. 24, Bilboard magazine reported.
The band officially announced their Vegas gig with a terse tweet, "#VegasTakeOver w/ #AppetiteForDemocracy residency @TheJointLV 10/31-11/24 On sale Fri @10am http://t.co/JVOp5zbf"
"They were incredible; we watched them perform their timeless hits and soon-to-be legendary songs off 'Chinese Democracy,'" AEG Live exec Bobby Reynolds said in a statement. "Immediately following, AEG Live and Hard Rock began turning our fantasy of having them as a resident artist into a reality."
Tickets, starting at $45, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for the residency, which is called "Appettite for Democracy" - a nod to the band's classic album, "Appettite for Destruction."

Celine Dion Announces New Year's Eve

Celine Dion Announces New Year's Eve And Winter 2013 Performances At The Colosseum At Caesars Palace

Fresh off the heels of a hugely successful run of sold-out summer shows and following the 100^th performance celebrated on Sunday, Aug. 12, Celine has announced the addition of 29 more performances from Dec. 28, 2012 to March 16, 2013. Show dates are:

Dec. (2012): 28, 30, 31 

Jan. (2013): 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20  

Feb. (2013): 19, 20, 22, 26, 27 

March (2013): 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16  

Ticket prices are $55, $95, $140, $175 and $250 (plus applicable fees) and may be purchased beginning Friday, August 17 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., by calling 877-4CELINE (877-423-5463). All Ticketmaster orders may be subject to additional service charges and fees.  A variety of exclusive VIP ticket packages are also available on Ticketmaster.  For groups of 10 or more, call 1-702-946-4799.
Celine at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a glamorous show, directed by famed Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich, that features a 31-piece orchestra and band and includes Celine's biggest hits mixed with timeless classics that pay tribute to some of the most celebrated songs and artists of all time. Fans can also take a peek at the behind-the-scenes action at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Travel Channel's new show, Trip Flip. Host Ben Kreischer surprises two vacationers with tickets to Celine's show and a backstage tour including a visit with Celine! Don't miss the Las Vegas episode of Travel Channel's Trip Flip on Thursday, August 16 at 9/8c.