Celine Dion

Famous Quebecer

Singer

Born March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec; youngest daughter of Adhemar Dion and Therese Tanguay; 13 siblings (Denise, Clement, Claudette, Liette, Michel, Louise, Jacques, Daniel, Ghislaine, Linda, Manon, Paul, and Pauline); married Rene Angelil, her manager, at a large wedding in Montreal, December 17, 1994. Education: Dropped out of high school.

Addresses: Fan Club--P.O. Box 551, Don Mills, Ontario, M3C 2T6. Management--Ben Kaye, 4 Place Laval, Suite 500, Laval, Quebec, H7N 5Y3; phone (514) 668-0858.

Career

As a member of La Famille Dion, played cabarets, night clubs, and concert halls; decided on a singing career when she was 12 and soon signed with manager Rene Angelil; sang in a ceremony for Pope John Paul III at Olympic Stadium, 1981; released her first album, La Voix Du Bon Dieu, 1981; released at least one album per year until 1987; disappeared from the public eye in 1987 to change her image and learn English; signed with CBC Records, 1987; raised political hackles in 1990 when she refused to accept a Quebec music award for Anglophone Artist of the Year, stating that she was proud to be Quebecoise; released D'eux, 1995, still the largest selling French album in history, it was no. 1 for 44 weeks until it was knocked from its place by her next album, Falling Into You; featured on the cover of Time magazine, August 6, 1996; sang at the opening ceremonies for the summer Olympics in Atlanta, 1996.

Selected awards: Gold Medal, 1982, for Best Song, Yamaha World Song Festival; numerous Juno Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, and International Achievement Award (with Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain), 1997; Academy Award, 1992, for Best Song, "Beauty and the Beast," with Peabo Bryson; numerous Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, 1992, for "Beauty and the Beast," and Best Album and Best Pop Album, 1997, for Falling Into You; Medaille des Arts et Lettres, 1995, from the Government of France; Victoire Music Awards, 1996, for Francophone Artist of the Year and Top Song; World Music Award, 1996, for Best Canadian Artist.