 | This Wikipedia page has been superseded by Portal:Pop music and is retained primarily for historical reference. |
Celine Dion is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. In 1990, she released the English album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world. Dion first gained international recognition after she won the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Following a series of French albums, she signed on to Sony Records in 1986. She achieved worldwide success with several English and French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music. After a three-year hiatus from the music scene, Dion signed a four-year contract in 2002 to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Dion's music has been influenced by genres ranging from pop, soul, and rock, to gospel and classical, and while her releases have often received mixed critical reception, she is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals. In 2004, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the "Best-selling Female Artist in the World".