Celine Dion's dazzling Eiffel Tower comeback at Paris Olympics

Virgin Radio

27 Jul 2024, 10:14

Celine Dion stuns the world with her first live performance since revealing her battle with stiff person syndrome at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Ladies and gentlemen, Celine Dion just brought the house—or rather, the Eiffel Tower—down at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony!

The Canadian superstar made a triumphant return to the stage, performing Edith Piaf's L'Hymne A L'Amour in a beaded gown that sparkled brighter than the Paris skyline.

This was her first live performance since announcing her struggle with stiff person syndrome (SPS), and it was nothing short of magical.

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Dion had previously sung L’Hymne à l’Amour, in Paris in 2015, to pay tribute to victims of tragic terrorist attack at the Bataclan.

Setting the scene from what is sure to be a spectacular Olympics at the iconic Eiffel Tower, with an emotional rendition of a timeless classic, Celine Dion belted out notes with all the power and grace we've come to expect from her, a truly athletic performer.

The powerhouse singer, who had been off the stage since 2021, chose this historic moment to make her comeback.

The weather didn’t stand a chance against the charged performance, with rain adding an almost cinematic touch as Dion stood next to a piano, showing visible emotion as she concluded her song.

"I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year," Dion later said on X.

"I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organising committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honour the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre."

Celine’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, with an estimated one billion people tuning in worldwide.

Her connection to the French audience was palpable, as she shared: "I have always felt a very special connection with French people and their music.

"I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris."

This isn't Dion’s first Olympic rodeo. She previously kicked off the 1996 Atlanta Olympics by singing The Power of the Dream, a performance that reached a record 3.5 billion viewers. But this time, the stakes were higher.

Dion has been open about her battle with SPS, a rare neurological disorder causing progressive muscular stiffness and severe spasms.

Last month, she revealed she had taken life-threatening doses of diazepam to manage her condition and perform on stage.

"It’s not hard to do a show, you know. It’s hard to cancel a show," Dion said in her documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.

She added: "I’m working hard every day. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle. I miss it so much. The people, I miss them. If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. I won’t stop."

The secret of her comeback was tightly kept under wraps until she arrived in Paris on Monday.

Fans spotted her coming in and out of her hotel, the Royal Monceau, but Dion remained tight-lipped about her upcoming performance.

While she signed autographs and posed for photos, including one with France’s first lady Brigitte Macron, Dion didn’t confirm that she was going to perform at the Opening Ceremony.

The Paris Olympics organisers reportedly had artists sign confidentiality agreements with breaches costing up to €250,000.

The ceremony also featured a surprise performance by US singer Lady Gaga, who wowed viewers by singing Mon Truc En Plume in French.

But it was Dion who stole the show, performing for the first time outside a stadium in Olympic history, alongside 3,500 actors, dancers, and musicians.

Despite her health struggles, Dion’s determination to perform was evident.

She detailed how she "brushed up on some old skills" and "rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance" for her performance.

"I bet you didn't know I used to dance at a '60s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out," she added.

In an interview on Today in June, Dion shared how Stiff Person Syndrome affects her singing voice, saying that it feels “like somebody’s strangling you.”

Pressing inward on her throat with her fingers, Dion said: “it’s like somebody’s pushing your larynx, pharynx, this way.”

Dion's incredible career spans four decades, with hits like My Heart Will Go On, Think Twice, Because You Loved Me, and It's All Coming Back To Me Now.

She has sold more than 250 million albums, earning five Grammys, two Oscars, and the Billboard Music Award lifetime achievement icon award.