Canadian Chanteuse Céline Dion Conquers the Pop World

It was early 1998 and the airwaves were flooded with the theme to a song that had premiered just before Christmas. The film was very much under the radar, practically an indie film, really. I doubt you’ve ever heard of Titanic or its theme song “My Heart Will Go On”. Oh, you’ve heard of it? My mistake!

Jokes aside, the massive success of “My Heart Will Go On” is due in large part to the very distinctive voice and style of Céline Dion. Céline isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but in 1998, you couldn’t pass a car or tune into a pop radio station (or in my case, go to the prom) without hearing the opening notes of the distinctive Irish tin whistle being played. You immediately know the song within 2 seconds because like it or not, it’s that iconic.

And though romantic power ballads aren’t really my chosen form of musical expression, you can bet your Grammy Award that I was belting it out to “All By Myself” (my favorite Céline song) and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” while researching for this assignment. I was immediately transported to those heady days of high school, when you’re just sure that your current paramour is THE ONE and singers like Céline absolutely stir those emotions in you.

Early Life and Career

Céline Dion was born the 14th child of a large Quebecois family in 1968. She was discovered at the age of 12 by René Angélil, who became her manager and later her husband. He has been quoted as saying that hearing her sing brought tears to his eyes, which many of her fans could certainly understand. But somewhat controversially, Céline was 26 years Angelil’s junior when the two met, which certainly raised some collective eyebrows once they began dating. Céline was 19 and Rene was 45.

What Makes Her Special

But as a manager, he wasn’t wrong about her voice. Even as a younger singer, Céline has always had the warm, full-bodied voice of a grown woman. There are many conflicting sources online that attempt to clarify her vocal range. Some sites claim she has 3.5 octaves, some 4 and still others claim a 6 octave range! No matter the official answer, Céline’s unique vocal style and powerful register have made her an international star for decades.

Major Hit Songs Written by Others

What’s interesting is that despite her massive success, Céline is not credited with writing most of her biggest hits. In this video from the 1988 Eurovision contest (which interesting, she won for Switzerland), she sings “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi”, written by Turkish-Swiss singer/songwriter Atilla Şereftuğ and Swiss singer/songwriter Nella Martinetti.

In 1991, she was invited to sing the title track of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Paired with singer Peabo Bryson, the song was made for a voice like hers. It’s a power ballad at its core, with a message about love denied, then embraced. I learned that initially, studio honchos were concerned that Céline was not famous enough to pull off the song on her own so they brought Bryson in to strengthen the recording. I just found it interesting that you never know how much can change, and how quickly, in the entertainment industry.

Though many preferred Angela Lansbury’s original recording as the character Mrs. Potts, the remixed pop version of the song started a trend of Disney title songs being sung by the characters in the movie, then having more famous singers perform the song in the end credits to make them more radio-friendly.

Many other mainstream singers were also compelled to sing their own versions of Disney songs after the success of Beauty and the Beast. Peabo Bryson went on to record “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle for the Aladdin soundtrack in 1992. Elton John sang “Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King in 1995, winning an Oscar with lyricist Tim Rice. And though personally I feel that Auli’i Cravalho’s performance of “How Far I’ll Go” from the Moana soundtrack is flawless, Alessia Cara was tapped to sing the radio version in 2017.

I mentioned in my intro that “All By Myself” is my favorite Céline recording. Originally written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975 (American), the verse is actually based on the second movement of Rachmaninoff’s 1900-1901 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18 (Russian). I love this song because of the soaring high notes (any-moooooore!!!!), the evocative lyrics and the way it makes me feel like I can actually sing if I turn the music up so loud that I can’t hear myself.

Céline also worked with songwriter Jim Steinman to create the ballad “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” (American 1989). Steinman wrote the song to be the most romantic song that has ever been created. I’ve always felt like this song could have also been sung by Meatloaf, who I’m not really a fan of but I recognized the style as being something he could also sing. It’s no surprise that in my research, I learned that Bat Out of Hell and Meat Loaf collaborators Todd Rundgren, Eric Troyer, Rory Dodd, Glen Burtnick and Kasim Sulton provided backing vocals.

 

And now for the pièce de résistance of this French chanteuse’s career… “My Heart Will Go On” (American, 1997) was composed by James Horner, with lyrics by Will Jennings and produced by Horner, Walter Afanasieff and Simon Franglen. Jennings says he wrote the lyrics "from the point of view of a person of a great age looking back so many years".

Céline initially declined to sing the song (!!!!) as she had already recorded for the soundtracks of Beauty and the Beast and Up Close & Personal (“Because You Loved Me”). But fortunately, her husband and manager René Angélil convinced her to record a demo and I suppose the rest is history.

Tommy Mottola (who knows a thing about incredible female vocalists, having once been married to Mariah Carey) stated that Céline recorded her vocals in one take and this is what you hear in the movie. Incredible!

“My Heart Will Go On” went on to storm the 1998-99 awards season, winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe and sweeping all of the major categories at the Grammys, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.

Céline’s Contributions

Céline Dion has undoubtedly made her mark on pop music and has influenced so many who came after her. She is credited with introducing Francophone music to the world and in reinvigorating the Vegas show scene with her 16-year residency. She is also known for having a down to earth attitude and great sense of humor, as demonstrated in this “Carpool Karaoke” episode with James Corden.

She is currently battling severe health issues, having recently gone public with her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome. This incurable autoimmune and neurological disorder causes both stiffening of the body as well as uncontrollable spasms. To think of someone as dynamic as Céline being essentially trapped in her own body is devastating but I know that she is able to access the best treatment possible for this terrible disease and I wish her all the best for the future.

Citations

Bio - Celine Dion Biography. CelineDioncom. (n.d.). https://www.celinedion.com/about/biography/

Eurovision Contest - YouTube. (2011, October 30). Eurovision Song contest 1988 - winner - switzerland - Céline Dion - ne partez pas sans moi. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6b7BHGkKQA

“All By Myself” - YouTube. (2012, August 24). Céline Dion - all by myself (official remastered HD video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGrLb6W5YOM

“All By Myself” Similar to Rachmaninoff - Linton, S. (2024, March 12). Why “all by myself” sounds uncannily like Rachmaninov’s Piano concerto no.2. Classic FM. https://www.classicfm.com/composers/rachmaninov/piano-concerto-2-all-by-myself/

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” - Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, March 30). It’s all coming back to me now. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_All_Coming_Back_to_Me_Now

Jim Steinman - Wikimedia Foundation. (2024b, March 26). Jim Steinman. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Steinman#:~:text=Celine%20Dion’s%20album%20Falling,and%20%22Call%20the%20Man%22.

“My Heart Will Go On” - YouTube. (2023, March 23). Céline Dion - My Heart Will Go on (official 25th anniversary alternate music video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bFHsd3o1w0

“My Heart Will Go On” Writing Credits - Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, March 5). My heart will go on. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Heart_Will_Go_On

Classic Disney Songs Sang By Pop Stars - Bruner, R. (2017, March 17). 11 classic Disney songs performed by famous pop stars. Time. https://time.com/4700367/11-classic-disney-songs-performed-flawlessly-by-famous-pop-stars/

Stiff Person Syndrome - Yale Medicine. (2022, December 8). Stiff-person syndrome. Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/stiff-person-syndrome#:~:text=%E2%80%A2An%20autoimmune%20and%20neurological,aqua%2C%20occupational%2C%20and%20physical%20therapy