Céline definitely had a tough childhood. She lived in a very poor home with many financial difficulties and was often mocked by her fellow classmates and called “vampire” for having a skinny and bony facial structure. Her family was always oriented towards music, which was definitely a great boost to her initial attempts at getting into the music industry. Her mother and brother, Jacques, even wrote and composed a song that Céline would later perform. This was about the time that she wanted to start getting into music professionally, but had no real prospects to start with.
Céline’s mother, Thérèse Tanguay Dion, recognized her immense musical talents and took a lot of effort to help introduce her to as many potential producers and managers in the hopes that someone will pick her up and get her running. The young singer was clearly a talented vocalist from a very young age, which made it hard for prospects to ignore her talents. She was eventually discovered by a successful music producer and talent manager who offered her a chance to prove herself, which she gladly accepted with the help of her mother. This producer, who ended up becoming her manager, was none other than René Angélil, the man who would later marry Céline and spend the rest of his life with her.
Her Audition Was Far From Normal
When René Angélil invited Céline for an audition, he was still skeptical even though he had already heard her amazing voice. Becoming a successful and best-selling singer isn’t just about sounding good, it also has just as much to do with the singer’s looks, personality, and on-stage charisma. This is why when the young singer’s audition finally took place, the veteran talent manager made sure to give her a proper challenge.
René asked Céline to grab a pencil and use it as a pretend microphone. He told her: “Here’s your microphone. Now sing as though you were in front of a sellout audience.” Based on the story that the two loved to tell, Céline absolutely dazzled the manager with her performance and confidence, which turned him into an instant fan for life, and probably made him fall in love with her that very same day.
Céline’s Audition Made René Burst Into Tears
One of the main reasons we love to listen to our favorite musicians is because they have their way of profoundly touching our souls and connecting with us on an emotional level. It turns out that René Angélil and Céline Dion were perfect matches right from the beginning. When recalling the experience of the audition, Céline said in an interview: “While I was singing, he [René] started to cry,” she said. “I knew then I had done a good job.”
It didn’t take long for the talent manager to make his decision, and Céline left the studio with a contract in her hand. He knew that she was going to become an incredible star, and wanted to take the most active part in her success he could possibly have. Céline was still very young at the time and couldn’t even speak English, so René knew that they were facing a long and challenging journey. Still, the two were committed right from the start which proved to be quite prophetic as they actually lived together until the end of René’s life.
Céline’s Mother Was Her Biggest Promoter and Supporter
Céline’s mother, Thérèse Tanguay Dion, was the first person to truly see her amazing vocal abilities and the potential she had to become one of the greatest singers of the generations. She knew immediately after hearing her daughter sing that the combination of her incredible looks, sweet personality and excellent voicework would end up setting the ground for an incredible singing career. She never pressured Céline into studying or getting a job, since it was clear as day that her daughter was going to become a tremendously successful singer.
Thérèse sent a demo of Céline's voice to René Angélil, who showed an interest in the young girl, and added a note saying: “This is a 12-year-old with a fantastic voice. Please listen to her. We want her to be like Ginette Reno.” Unfortunately, this did not catch the talent manager’s attention as any fan of American Idol can already imagine just how many demos a successful music producer receives from delusional parents who think their kids are going to be the next big thing when they’re actually just terrible singers. One of Céline’s brothers saw that things weren’t progressing with René, so he gave the manager a call and convinced him to listen to the demo, and once he did, she was immediately scheduled for an audition with him.
Céline Learned How to Speak English Before Taking Over the World
One of the smartest things that Céline Dion ever did in her career was to take the time and learn how to speak proper English, as-well-as sing in the language without sounding like a foreigner. This was very important, since the United States is one of the biggest and most influential countries in the world, with English being the leading language for entertainment. Many European singers who have top-notch singing abilities and charisma but never manage to get to worldwide fame during their career.
When Céline came back as a global pop star, fans were delighted to find a woman who was much more confident, intelligent, and proficient in English. This comeback was marked by the release of her album Incognito, which wound up selling more than 500,000 copies at the time. This was the defining moment in her career that got her signed with CBS, her biggest record label at the time.