- author, Ian Youngs
- role, Culture reporter
Celine Dion returned to the stage for the first time since revealing a serious health condition, delivering her usual powerful performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The Canadian superstar had been rumored to be performing a duet with Lady Gaga, but instead performed solo at the Eiffel Tower, bringing the four-hour event to an emotional climax.
It was Dion’s first live performance in four years and came a year and a half after she revealed her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).
SPS is a rare and potentially debilitating neurological disorder that has affected her distinctive, powerful voice.
Image source, Shutterstock
Known as the “Queen of Power Ballads”, the 56-year-old told the BBC in June that she was undergoing treatment to “restore” her voice.
In a positive sign that the treatment is working, she sang the Edith Piaf classic “Hymne a l’amour” on Friday.
She performed accompanied by a pianist on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, beneath the giant illuminated Olympic rings.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said she was “a Canadian icon and an incredible talent who has overcome so much to be here tonight.”
He added: “Celine, good to see you singing again.”
Italian singer Laura Pausini wrote, “My hands were shaking and my eyes were filled with tears when I heard and saw my favorite Celine Dion songs.”
Her appearance has been highly anticipated, with crowds of fans waiting outside hotels in the city over the past few days.
Dion has a huge fan base in France, where her 1995 album “D’eux” is the best-selling French-language album of all time.
Dion, known for hits such as “My Heart Will Go On” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” performed at the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday for only the second time, having first appeared at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Her comeback performance comes six months after her surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards.
She also hinted at a new residence in Las Vegas.
“We’ve been working really hard to put this show together since I came back,” she told the BBC in June.
She already holds the record for the most successful resident show of all time on the Las Vegas Strip.
Last month, she spoke about her struggle with SPS in a film called “I Am: Celine Dion,” which Amazon Prime Video announced on Thursday has become the company’s most successful documentary ever.
