Current:Home > StocksCéline Dion's dazzling Olympics performance renders Kelly Clarkson speechless -Secure Horizon Growth
Céline Dion's dazzling Olympics performance renders Kelly Clarkson speechless
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:07:27
Céline Dion will go on.
The Grammy winner, 56, made her highly anticipated musical return Friday with a performance that closed out the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. Situated on the iconic Eiffel Tower, which was adorned by the Olympic rings, the French Canadian singer serenaded the world with Édith Piaf's "L’Hymne à l’amour" ("Hymn to Love") after the Olympic cauldron was lit.
Wearing a sparkly floor-length tasseled Dior gown, Dion was accompanied by a pianist as she belted out the song, which was first recorded in 1950. The performance marked nearly 30 years since the musical legend took to the stage at the 1996 Olympic Games, which took place in Atlanta, with her ballad, "The Power of the Dream."
This was the legendary "My Heart Will Go On" singer's first time performing since March 2020, per Reuters. After postponements due to COVID-19 and health issues, she canceled her Courage World Tour dates in 2022.
Later that year, she revealed in an emotional Instagram video that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes her to experience muscle spasms.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The spasms impact her day-to-day life, sometimes causing seizures and difficulty speaking, as the songstress detailed in her recently released documentary, "I Am: Celine Dion." Dion has revealed her routine to combat the effects of the disease consists of "athletic, physical and vocal therapy" five days each week.
The opening ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, explained why Dion was the best choice to conclude the evening.
"In the ceremony we have a love anthem, and that's L'Hymne A l'Amour. We all wanted to finish the show with this song, and our first idea was very simple and clear. We wanted to ask the best singer to sing love, and this is Céline Dion," Jolly told Reuters. "It was obvious for us to ask her to do that to close the ceremony."
Kelly Clarkson was 'trying to hold it together' during Céline Dion performance
Dion had previously vowed that she would return to the stage amid her health battle. Speaking to the "Today" show in an interview that aired in June, she said, "I'm going to go back on stage, even if I have to crawl, even if I have to talk with my hands. I will."
She added, "My voice will be heard for the first time, not just because I have to or because I need to, it's because I want to. And I miss it."
On NBC's broadcast of the opening ceremony, Kelly Clarkson was speechless when first asked about Dion’s performance by co-host Peyton Manning. After a break, she regained her composure and unpacked her reaction.
“I’ve been inspired, I’ve been dancing, I was not ready for that ending,” Clarkson said. “If you know anything about Céline right now, she feels this is her purpose ... and if you know anything about what she is going through right now. … I’m so sorry, I’m trying to hold it together right now. But then she got through that. That was incredible. In my field, she is the gold winner for vocal athletes.”
Dion's performance was praised widely on social media. The song has a connection to sports. Piaf wrote the song to the love of her life, French boxer Marcel Cerdan. He was killed in a plane crash flying from France to New York to see her in 1949.
While Lady Gaga also sang in French during the ceremony, Dion had an advantage in her Edith Piaf rendition, as French is her first language.
Celebrities at the 2024 Olympics:Rosalía and Jeremy Allen White, Lady Gaga and more
What health condition does Céline Dion have?
Dion first revealed she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in December 2022. According to the Cleveland Clinic, stiff-person syndrome causes "muscle stiffness and painful muscle spasms" and can make it difficult to walk.
In a 2022 video sharing her diagnosis, Dion said the condition was affecting "every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
"I miss you all so much, and I can't wait to be on stage talking to you in person," she also said at the time.
Celine Diontearfully debuts doc amid stiff-person syndrome battle: 'My love letter'
Céline Dion has made several public appearances in 2024
In February, Dion got a standing ovation as she made a surprise Grammys appearance amid her health battle. She walked onstage to "The Power of Love," which Taylor Swift sang along to in the crowd, and then she awarded Swift the Grammy for album of the year.
In June, Dion made a rare public appearance at the New York premiere of "I Am: Celine Dion," a raw documentary exploring her health struggles.
"This is by far the biggest crowd I've had in a few years," she said at the premiere, where she received multiple standing ovations.
"Your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support over all these years have delivered me to this moment."
Dion told Vogue France in April that she wasn't sure when she would be able to return to the stage.
"My body will tell me," she said. "On the other hand, I don't just want to wait. It's morally hard to live from day to day. It's hard, I'm working very hard and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there's one thing that will never stop, and that's the will. It's the passion. It's the dream. It's the determination."
Contributing: Patrick Ryan
veryGood! (24)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Hollywood actors go on strike, say it's time for studio execs to 'wake up'
- Biden kept Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. This is who pays the price
- Tiny Soot Particles from Fossil Fuel Combustion Kill Thousands Annually. Activists Now Want Biden to Impose Tougher Standards
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- One Tree Hill’s Bethany Joy Lenz Reveals She Was in a Cult for 10 Years
- Not coming to a screen near you — viewers will soon feel effects of the writers strike
- Why inflation is losing its punch — and why things could get even better
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Legacy admissions, the Russian Ruble and Final Fantasy XVI
- To tip or not to tip? 3 reasons why tipping has gotten so out of control
- How fast can the auto industry go electric? Debate rages as the U.S. sets new rules
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Remember That Coal Surge Last Year? Yeah, It’s Over
- From no bank to neobank
- Pikmin 4 review: tiny tactics, a rescue dog and a fresh face
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
A stolen Christopher Columbus letter found in Delaware returns to Italy decades later
Microsoft says Chinese hackers breached email, including U.S. government agencies
Amazon Prime Day 2023 Home & Kitchen Deals: Save Big on Dyson, Keurig, Nespresso & More Must-Have Brands
Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
China imposes export controls on 2 metals used in semiconductors and solar panels
A beginner's guide to getting into gaming
Dua Lipa Fantastically Frees the Nipple at Barbie Premiere