Céline Dion’s mother, Thérèse Tanguay-Dion, was born in early 1927 and grew up to become the mother of 14 beautiful children. She started having kids in 1946 at the age of 19, and kept getting pregnant almost every year until her last daughter, which happens to be Céline Dion, was born in 1968. This could almost bear the impression of winning a lottery, with her last child being worth almost $800 million and all the fame that surrounded. She was born on the Gaspé Peninsula, in Saint-Bernard-des-Lacs, Quebec and lived in Charlemagne, Quebec for most of her life.
Thérèse Dion became her daughter’s biggest supporter and helped almost every stage of the young singer’s career. This proximity to the fame and media helped her launch her own career as a media personality, from a line of food products to becoming the host of a cooking show for TVA. She is currently 92 years old. On her 90th birthday, Céline posted a picture of the event and posted in both English and French: “What a privilege for all of us to still have you around. Happy 90th birthday mom! We love you.”
She Helped Prepare Her Kids For Their Father’s Eventual Death
When Céline and René became lovers and decided to get married, they already knew that the age gap would likely result in René passing years before his loving wife. She was just 20 when they got married, while he was 47 at the time. Their first child came when he was 57, and the twins arrived when he was already 67 years old with a history of physical illnesses. It's no surprise that René passed away just 6 years later, but their older son and twins will always remember their loving father.
After René passed away from throat cancer in 2016, Céline explained how she prepared her children for their father's eventual early death: “I’m proud of the way I prepared my boys for their dad’s death. In life, you never know what’s going to happen, so you should never wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today, to say I love you, or send a thank-you note…The future is now.” Nowadays the twins are teens, with her oldest son in his twenties. Céline herself is currently in her fifties and healthy, so it looks like she’s going to be spending many more years of her life with her beloved family, and perhaps even get to see a few grandkids along the way.
Her Son Already Has Many Admirers
It's no secret that Céline Dion has built herself a large mass of followers, fans and even admirers. Even today at over fifty years of age, the singer looks sharp and very alluring, and maintains much of her younger personality and beauty. It was only expected that she and René would end up having beautiful children, and their son, René Charles Angélil, grew up to be quite a handsome young man. Being the son of one of the best selling and most beloved female singers of all time does have its perks, especially when she has an amazing personality as in the case of Céline Dion.
When the then-15-year-old René-Charles presented his mother with an award at the Billboard Music Awards, many of the viewers instantly became admirers of the handsome boy. Many of these admirers didn't know that he was just 15 years old, let alone the son of Céline Dion herself. Fans jokingly said that they are waiting until he turns 18 so they can finally get their hands on him, which goes to show you just how well the genes have passed through the family. One fan joked on Twitter: “Shawn Mendes is 17, Céline Dion’s son only FIFTEEN. Thanks #BBMAs for making us all feel like fat old perverts.”
Céline Gives Audiences Some of the Best Interviews
Giving a great interview on a late-night talk show or during a red carpet event is never an easy task. The celebrity and interviewer have many simultaneous responsibilities which include having an honest an engaging chat, asking important questions, keeping it entertaining, and somehow managing to promote the star’s new project all while doing these. Many celebrities also have a reputation for being really bad in interviews, as fans are often shocked and horrified to find that the singers and actors they admire are just really boring or stuck up people. On the other hand, we have Céline Dion, who is an entirely different breed of interviewee.
She is everything that a host or a reporter could want in such a guest — funny, witty, entertaining, honest, relatable and more. The Canadian singer always manages to deliver, which is one of the reasons that even after age fifty and well beyond the supposed “peak” of her career, she still gets interviewed and talked about all the time by late-night hosts, tabloids and news media. One example of how awesome she appeared was during a conversation with Ellen DeGeneres on her show. Ellen complimented Céline on the jewelry she was wearing, which prompted the singer to start chanting and dancing to the popular Donna Summer song, “She worked hard for the money.” If all celebrities were this witty and fun in real life, everyone would be watching talk shows.
The Most Tragic Week in Singer’s Life
Céline Dion was very blessed in her life to have had the various fortunes both financial and personal that she had accumulated throughout her life. Despite her various blessings, there was also a lot of tragedy and hardships throughout her life. However, nothing compares to the heartbreaking week she had to face back in 2016, when both her longtime husband and first love, René, as-well-as one of her brothers, Daniel, both passed away.
On January 14, 2016, René died of throat cancer just two days before his birthday. He was buried and eulogized in a beautiful ceremony at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal with hundreds of fans supporting the singer and bringing flower bouquets. Just two days after René’s death, on the anticipated day of his birthday, which would have been a good day to remember him in a positive way and put the past behind, her brother Daniel also died of cancer. This was a brutal week for the actress, who had to mourn two precious people while also supporting her children and her family at the same time. Céline’s character really shined through in these moments, as she managed to create a positive interpretation of these tragic events. She said in an interview that “René escorted my brother. It was perfect.”