Challenges in the Life of Celine Dion in a Detailed Timeline
A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Celine Dion's life and career.
Céline Dion is a Canadian singer renowned as the "Queen of Power Ballads." Her technically skilled and powerful vocals, combined with her commercially successful recordings, have cemented her influence on popular music. She is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with record sales exceeding 200 million worldwide.
1989: Vocal Training and Dental Surgery
In 1989, after injuring her voice during a concert, Celine Dion underwent vocal training with William Riley. That same year, she also underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance and was sent to the École Berlitz to improve her English.
2000: Sued National Enquirer for False Story
In 2000, Celine Dion sued the National Enquirer for more than $20 million after the magazine published a false story claiming she was pregnant with twins. The magazine printed an apology, a retraction, and donated money to the American Cancer Society.
2002: Performances and Singles in 2002
In 2002, Celine Dion's album 'A New Day Has Come' received mixed reviews despite commercial success. The album's first single peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, but spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Dion also performed at various benefit concerts, including VH1 Divas Live.
December 2013: Husband's Tumor Removal
In December 2013, Celine Dion's husband, René Angélil, underwent the removal of a cancerous tumor.
August 2014: Postponement of Show Business Activities
On 13 August 2014, Celine Dion announced the indefinite postponement of all her show business activities due to her husband's worsening health.
January 2016: Cancellation of Performances Due to Deaths
On 14 January 2016, Celine Dion cancelled the rest of the January performances due to her husband's and her brother's deaths from cancer.
March 2018: Hearing Irregularities and Surgical Procedure
On March 22, 2018, it was announced that Celine Dion had been dealing with hearing irregularities for the previous 12 to 18 months due to patulous Eustachian tube and would undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure.
June 2020: Courage World Tour Postponement
On 10 June 2020, Celine Dion announced her Courage World Tour would kick off again in 2021, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
January 2022: North American Tour Cancellation
On 15 January 2022, Celine Dion canceled her North American tour dates due to severe muscle spasms.
August 2022: Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis
In June 2024, Celine Dion publicly disclosed in a People magazine cover story that she had struggled with a variety of mysterious symptoms for 17 years before her August 2022 diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a neurological disorder affecting her muscles.
December 2022: Disclosure of Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis
In December 2022, Celine Dion disclosed that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a neurological disorder affecting her muscles.
2022: Tour Canceled Due to Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis
In 2022, Celine Dion canceled her tour due to a diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome, impacting her ability to perform.
June 2024: Public Disclosure of Stiff-Person Syndrome Struggle
In June 2024, Celine Dion publicly disclosed in a People magazine cover story that she had struggled with a variety of mysterious symptoms for 17 years before her August 2022 diagnosis. It was also revealed that she was under the care of Dr. Amanda Piquet and that her charitable foundation was donating $2 million to support autoimmune neurology research.
