Céline Dion on her health issues and plans for a comeback: 'I will sing again' | CBC News

Céline Dion, a famous singer, talks to CBC News about her wellbeing after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, her soon-to-be-released documentary, her longing for her admirers, and her determination to sing again.

Céline Dion Talks About Stiff-person Syndrome And Longing For Her Fans In An Interview With CBC’s The National

reporter Jackson Weaver, a journalist who works at CBC News, has authored a blog that is worth your time. The post covers a variety of topics, including local news, world events, and personal anecdotes. As you read through the piece, you'll find that Mr. Weaver's writing style is clear and concise, making it easy for you to follow along. Plus, his unique perspective on current events is sure to pique your interest. So, if you're looking for an informative and enjoyable read, give Jackson Weaver's blog a try. You won't be disappointed!

Date: June 13th, 2024 at 4:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) | The latest update was made 6 hours ago.

"At the beginning of everything, imagine yourself in my position, I didn't know what was wrong with me," states the famous singer Céline Dion.

In Las Vegas, it's currently the spring season and she's having a special one-on-one conversation with the CBC News top journalist, Adrienne Arsenault from Canada, discussing a particular subject. The matter at hand is the health problems that initially started as minor inconveniences but eventually took a toll on her well-being, leading to the interruption of her profession.

I was attempting to endure this situation. I attempted to show courage. It has always been my goal to be the greatest version of myself throughout my life.

Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a rare autoimmune disorder that hinders mobility and speech. This diagnosis was made public in December 2022. Dion expressed great concern about the impact on their voice.

The musician, who has received five Grammy awards and twenty Juno awards, made a groundbreaking discovery. However, she had to reschedule and eventually cancel her upcoming Courage world tour that was supposed to happen in 2023. This led her to take a break from the public eye and focus on managing her symptoms for a disease that cannot be cured.

VIDEO | Céline Dion talks about the way SPS impacts her singing voice:

The Impact Of Stiff Person Syndrome On Céline Dion's Voice

"Increased Spasms And Cramps"

As a part of her comeback, the singer of the famous song My Heart Will Go On participated in an interview. This comeback is happening in anticipation of a documentary called I Am: Céline Dion, which will be released on June 25th and will cover her personal and health battles. For Céline Dion, this is also a chance to offer an explanation and apology to her fans that she believes is long overdue.

Although it has only been two years since Dion announced publicly that she had been diagnosed with SPS, she shared with CBC that she had actually noticed her voice starting to weaken many years before.

"At first, it was quite easygoing," she explains regarding the Taking Chances world tour in 2008 where her vocal pitch began to slip out of her control. On certain occasions, her tone would rise abruptly, similar to a yodelling style.

The shows were satisfactory initially, with a slight problem being dismissed as a potential cold. However, instead of recuperating, the situation rapidly went out of control.

As time passed by, the situation kept worsening. Day by day, the woman noticed her body becoming stiffer and less flexible with more frequent spams and cramps.

The next fifteen years were marked by increased physical troubles, medical professionals who were unsure of what was wrong, makeshift solutions, and according to her, personal responsibilities and unfortunate events that prevented her from finding any respite.

Dion and her team came up with ways to conceal the effects of SPS as the muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain got worse.

They changed the pitch of particular tunes and left out some other songs. As per her statement, she modified her singing style by putting in more energy and producing a more nasal tone to attain the same high notes that used to come naturally with her relaxed and commanding voice.

VIEW | Catch the complete conversation between Adrienne Arsenault, the chief correspondent of CBC News, and Céline Dion:

Celine Dion To Sing Again

"I Needed Courage"

At the same time, she was consulting with various experts such as ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians. They thoroughly checked her vocal cords but were unable to detect any nodules or growths. After determining everything was fine, they sent her off.

She explains that she visited ENT specialists all over the globe. Despite performing in numerous shows, she underwent just as many ENT appointments. However, none of the doctors were able to find anything wrong with her. There was no discernible issue.

While managing her three sons and tending to her husband, René Angélil, who was also a singer and was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998, Celine Dion took on several tasks. Sadly, he passed away in 2016 after several relapses. Their twin sons, who are now 13, have been trained to respond appropriately if their mother experiences a medical emergency and have access to panic buttons.

As time passed, she persisted in showcasing her skills.

She explains that her strength was based on being fearless rather than intelligent.

VIDEO | Céline Dion: 'I couldn't continue to live with the dishonesty':

Celine Dion: Can't Live With A Lie

As time went on, it became increasingly difficult to conceal the problem. She experienced outbursts that could be set off by large groups, bright lights, loud sounds, and even intense feelings of happiness – all key components of attending a Céline Dion performance.

This resulted in her confessing that she had been dishonest for many years. She frequently had to change or cancel her performances due to ailments like tonsillitis or sinus infections.

After a long wait, she finally revealed that she had received a diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome.

Discovering the name of the ailment that had troubled her for almost twenty years provided a certain degree of comfort. It allowed her to escape the feeling of being trapped in an endless void of ignorance, which had burdened her with a constant sense of dread. According to her, it is better to perish than to live in ignorance.

VIDEO | Céline Dion declares, 'I shall sing once more':

Celine Dion: 'I'll Sing Again'

However, it was also a source of sadness - she was confronted with the fact that she would have to live with this illness for the rest of her life. Additionally, she was plagued with the fearful uncertainty of whether she would be able to pursue her career as a professional singer once more.

In a conversation with CBC, she shared that her condition has shown improvement. She is regularly undergoing rehabilitation and the medication she is taking has been adjusted to better suit her needs, which has resulted in better management of her illness. She also has a positive attitude and a powerful motto driving her forward: "I will definitely sing again!"

According to her, this interview and the soon-to-be-released documentary serve as her expression of this sentiment. She hopes to convey this not only to herself, but also to her supporters, who she urged to join her in singing.

"When I hold the microphone, it's like an extension of myself. I first encountered it when I was just 12 years old and it has become an integral part of me. To be honest, I think I sometimes long for the microphone even more than I do for singing itself," she expresses.

It's important for everyone to understand that I'm still living...I have an urge to perform once more and see if it's still feasible. Also, it's crucial for them to realize how much I appreciate and long for their presence.

You can catch Celine Dion's entire interview with CBC News on Gem and YouTube, and it will be shown on The National on Thursday evening. Plus, CBC Television is airing it on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

The documentary titled I Am: Céline Dion will make its debut on Prime Video on June 25.

Jackson Weaver is an experienced writer for CBC Entertainment News. To get in touch with him, you can email [email protected] or keep up with his updates on Twitter by following @jacksonwweaver.

Using information contributed by Adrienne Arsenault, Exan Auyoung and Sean Brocklehurst, we present this blog section.