Céline has Stiff-Person Syndrome

[anewdayhascome]

To wait to begin to look for a treatment until 2025?! This is a nightmare 😠😡🤬😞😓😱😱😱😱😱

[Zofia]

Yes, on the one hand it's a nightmare, on the other: finally, hope for SPS sufferers after their long journey through the desert. Autoimmune diseases are skyrocketing, but SPS is one of the rarest. If Céline hadn't fallen ill, I doubt very much that the Montpellier center would be specifically interested in these patients.

 

Of course, even today, symptomatic treatment exists, but not all patients are lucky enough to achieve considerable improvement. If Jorgensen's team succeeds in applying the CAR-T method to SPS therapy, it could be a real turning point.

[scielle]

Thank you for posting the articles! 🙏

[nomys]

Reading all this makes me cry

[AdrienneM]

Half of the dates and facts given in these articles are just flat out wrong or are confused with other dates/moments in her career. I really wouldn’t put too much stock into an article that discusses people going to see her show at its inception in 2003 and then giving a beat by beat rundown of the 2007 DVD when the two shows were nothing alike- or saying that she’s been cancelling shows for over 5 years related to SPS… which again just isn’t true.

[KyleVan41]

Half of the dates and facts given in these articles are just flat out wrong or are confused with other dates/moments in her career. I really wouldn’t put too much stock into an article that discusses people going to see her show at its inception in 2003 and then giving a beat by beat rundown of the 2007 DVD when the two shows were nothing alike- or saying that she’s been cancelling shows for over 5 years related to SPS… which again just isn’t true.

 

I agree. Nobody but those close to situation know, and those who spoke include Barnev and the resorts world president whom both expect her to be back based on conversations with her and or her team. This is all click bait. Full stop.

[AdrienneM]

 

 

I agree. Nobody but those close to situation know, and those who spoke include Barnev and the resorts world president whom both expect her to be back based on conversations with her and or her team. This is all click bait. Full stop.

 

Exactly. Especially their “close sources” who supposedly have deep intel that others who were far closer to Celine don’t, havent at minimum been around her in 10 years, AND, all their relevant statements clash with each other and don’t add up

[Zofia]

It's true that some facts are confused (as usual), but in Léna Lutaud's articles there's virtually no speculation about the current situation, no rumors or anonymous "close sources". The only comments that refer to what's currently happening are those of Dr. Jorgensen and Jacques Veneruso (the latter is the only comment that could pass for "news", but it doesn't come from an anonymous source). So what's the problem? Edited July 19, 2023 at 09:03 PM by Zofia

[Chantemoi]

Thank you, Davey!

[RosieBarron]

It's true that some facts are confused (as usual), but in Léna Lutaud's articles there's virtually no speculation about the current situation, no rumors or anonymous "close sources". The only comments that refer to what's currently happening are those of Dr. Jorgensen and Jacques Veneruso (the latter is the only comment that could pass for "news", but it doesn't come from an anonymous source). So what's the problem?

 

I suppose it goes back to the point that the only doctors who know Celine's current condition are her own and they wouldn't speak publicly due to confidentiality. I therefore don't place much significance on what doctors speaking about her condition are saying. They don't really know the specifics.

[Zofia]

I suppose it goes back to the point that the only doctors who know Celine's current condition are her own and they wouldn't speak publicly due to confidentiality. I therefore don't place much significance on what doctors speaking about her condition are saying. They don't really know the specifics.

 

Yet Jorgensen says nothing specifically about her condition, only about her illness and possible treatment. He's doing what dozens of doctors have done in the media before him. Even if we're not delighted by his indiscretion (he's obviously advertising his Institute using Céline's name), the results of this media hype for the patient community can be good.

[Davey84]

Again, thanks to Hope!

 

Here is part 4 of the series from LeFigaro

https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/mieux-vaut-se-taire-si-on-ne-l-aime-pas-celine-dion-icone-intouchable-au-quebec-20230720

 

"Better to be silent if you don't like her": Celine Dion, untouchable icon in Quebec

By Ludovic Hirtzmann

Published 6 hours ago, updated6 hours ago

GLORY AND TRAGEDY (4/6) – Protected by her success, the singer remains a prophet in her country. No one is allowed to criticize her.

To Montreal

“I learned French thanks to Celine Dion. Estevam Peric, a young Montreal financial advisor of Brazilian origin, recounts his love for Céline . “I wanted to understand the meaning of her songs. That's why I learned French in Brazil and immigrated to Quebec ten years ago ,” he says. Unconditional fan, Estevam attended 99 concerts of the star. And for Quebecers? "Céline is a model of accomplishment that is consensus ," assures Le Figaro the professor of musicology at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) Danick Trottier, a specialist in Celine Dion .

When, last January, Rolling Stone magazine did not include the diva in its list of the 200 best singers of all time , the Quebec cousins ​​saw red. A regiment of fans took to New York outside the Rolling Stones offices to protest the unworthy rating. And to brandish protest signs: “Justice for Céline” or “How Can You Forget Céline? ( “How can you forget Celine”). In addition, had La Belle Province not learned the previous month of the illness from which the star suffers ? The deputies briefly stopped their work in the National Assembly on this occasion. The Prime Minister, François Legault, wished “A speedy recovery to Céline Dion, a huge star, who comes from Charlemagne, in my riding. We are so proud of her, we hope she will be able to start her tour again as soon as possible. The Minister of Culture, Matthieu Lacombe, a native of Charlemagne, said he was upset.

Erin Hurley, author of the book De l'expo 67 à Céline Dion , explains: "Each of her appearances in Quebec deserves a mention on the front page, compelling a certain attention, presuming a shared and apparently insatiable interest and underlining her contribution to the figures and income generated by its appearance. She is omnipresent. And Danick Trottier to add that she is the "best known star in Quebec and English Canada, with the players of the national sport, hockey". Which is saying something. However, there are very few traces of the singer in the French-speaking province. Nothing in Charlemagne, where her childhood home was destroyed by the town hall in 2014. Barely a boulevard Céline-Dion. Only the home of Celine's mother, Thérèse Dion, who died in 2020, is still for sale, for $2,398,000. A real estate ad sets the tone: “Come and enjoy life on the banks of the Mille Îles River! Come and relax in your solarium with a breathtaking view! Almost 5000 square feet (464 m 2 ) of living space! »

Quebec was able to share the tastes of Celine Dion in the 1990s, when she created Nickels, a chain of smoked meat restaurants, the indulgence of René Angélil, her husband. After an Italian-style poutine (cheese-covered fries with a meat sauce), customers can still enjoy a five-tier “Céline” chocolate cake, for $8.99. Nickels still exists, but the star sold the business.

More than Celine's brothers and sisters, who were quite discreet, the two pillars of the Dion clan were René Angélil and Thérèse Dion, whom Quebecers called "Maman Dion". The death of the impresario caused a national commotion. The Montreal Canadiens hockey team observed a minute of silence before a game. Artistic and political circles paid unanimous tribute to René. The then mayor of Montreal lowered the city's flags. René "had the talent to seek out talent to write for her", for his part, entrusted the lyricist Luc Plamondon to Radio Canada. René's funeral, a state funeral, took place at the Notre-Dame-de-Montréal basilica. In the 1990s, Thérèse Dion was very present in the local media. Then dapper septuagenarian, she hosted television shows. "Maman Dion" gave viewers her best Quebec cuisine recipes: tourtière, shepherd's pie (corn shepherd's pie). Thérèse even created a pâté company in 1993, Les Pâtés de Maman Dion.

What impresses Quebecers is not his music, it's his successes, a bit like Trump

A music critic from Quebec (on condition of anonymity)

Céline was indeed the target of the jokes of the intellectuals of the Belle Province who underlined her kétaine (redneck) look, but that was in the 1980s and 1990s. She became untouchable over time, especially when she started performing in Las Vegas, says Danick Trottier. "No one can say on television : 'I hate Celine Dion'" , he specifies. "What impresses Quebecers is not her music, it's her successes, a bit like Trump", decides a music critic from Quebec. Not without requiring anonymity, because, for Quebecers, Céline is the pride of Quebec. For English Canadians, she is the symbol of Canadian duality and the unity of the country. Unlike Quebec stars like Gilles Vigneault, she never spoke out on the question of Quebec independence. “It is said that if she had spoken in the 1995 referendum in favor of independence, she would have made the difference (in favor of independence). But this idea never appealed to her ,” says the Uqam professor. Estevam Peric laughs: “In Canada, there was Queen Elizabeth, there is still Céline. »

The columnist of the daily La Presse Yves Boisvert wrote in 2016: “We imitate her little, or never badly. She is surrounded by an aura of benevolence. Those who criticize it do so at their peril (…). Better to keep quiet if you don't lik her. It is the homeland that is being attacked. You may be accused of treason and, worse, of elitism, a capital cultural crime. We touch here on the deep roots of Quebec. Any criticism, even the most constructive, is strictly prohibited. And even less when it comes from the “damned French”. Aline , the film by and starring Valérie Lemercier , could only cause an uproar, from Chibougamau to Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs.

Why is Celine Dion untouchable?

So why is Celine Dion untouchable? François Demers, author of the book Céline Dion and Quebec identity , gives an explanation: "Through her humble origins, through the many reminders of her belonging to Quebec, Dion has remained faithful to the land, to the family, to a more tradition of identity. She participates in the redefinition of the Quebec identity by personifying the archetype of the modern being capable, enterprising, profitable, efficient and hardworking. »

With her thirteen brothers and sisters, Céline could not better represent what we call pure wool Quebecers.

With her thirteen brothers and sisters, Céline could not better represent what we call pure wool Quebecers. Families of ten children were common until the 1950s in Quebec. The star knew how to break the image of these often poor siblings. Céline is a billionaire, but she keeps her Québécois speaking abroad, while others try their hand at the French accent. And then, she makes you dream. Estevam Peric briefly met the singer, a dozen times. "She told me that we should pursue our dreams, but never the comments of others should prevent us from having them ," he said. A source of inspiration. Erin Hurley, also a professor at McGill University in Montreal, tempers: “Because so much of her work is done in English, Dion is often called sold out to Anglophone and American interests. “ The star of the singer, since her disappearance from the scene, withers a little. Danick Trottier concludes, sternly: “If she does not come back with a success, she will only be a popular icon, who will no longer be talked about for her music but for gossip. »

«Mieux vaut se taire si on ne l'aime pas» : Céline Dion, icône intouchable au Québec

Par Ludovic Hirtzmann

Publié il y a 6 heures, mis à jour il y a 6 heures

LA GLOIRE ET LA TRAGÉDIE (4/6) - Protégée par son succès, la chanteuse reste prophète en son pays. Nul ne s'autorise à la critiquer.

À Montréal

« J'ai appris le français grâce à Céline Dion. » Estevam ­Peric, jeune conseiller financier montréalais d'origine brésilienne, conte son amour pour Céline. « Je voulais comprendre le sens de ses chansons. C'est pour cela que j'ai appris le français au Brésil et que j'ai immigréau Québec il y a dix ans », confie-t-il. Fan inconditionnel, Estevam a assisté à 99 concerts de la star. Et pour les Québécois ? « Céline est un modèle d'accomplissement qui fait consensus », assure au Figaro le professeur de musicologie de l'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Danick Trottier, un spécialiste de Céline Dion.

Lorsque, en janvier dernier, le magazine Rolling Stone n'a pas inclus la diva dans son palmarès des 200 meilleurs chanteurs de tous les temps, les cousins québécois ont vu rouge. Un régiment de fans s'est rendu à New York devant les locaux de Rolling Stones pour protester contre le classement indigne. Et de brandir des pancartes revendicatrices : « Justice for ­Céline » ou « How Can You Forget Céline ? » (« Comment pouvez-vous oublier Céline »). La Belle Province n'avait-elle pas de surcroît appris le mois précédent la maladie dont souffre la star ? Les députés ont arrêté brièvement leurs travaux à l'Assemblée nationale à cette occasion. Le premier ministre, François Legault, a souhaité « un bon rétablissement à ­Céline Dion, une immense vedette, qui vient de Charlemagne, dans mon comté. On est tellement fiers d'elle, on espère qu'elle va être capable de recommencer sa tournée le plus vite possible. » Le ministre de la Culture, Matthieu Lacombe, un natif de Charlemagne, s'est dit bouleversé.

Symbole de la dualité canadienne et de l'unité du pays

Erin Hurley, auteur du livre De l'expo 67 à Céline Dion, explique : « Chacune de ses apparitions au Québec mérite une mention en première page, obligeant à une cer­taine attention, présumant d'un intérêt partagé et apparemment insatiable et soulignant sa contribution aux chiffres et revenus générés par son apparition. Elle est omniprésente. » Et Danick Trottier d'ajouter que c'est la star la « plus connue au Québec et au Canada anglais, avec les joueurs du sport national, le hockey ». Ce qui n'est pas peu dire. Il demeure pourtant bien peu de traces de la chanteuse dans la province francophone. Rien à Charlemagne, où sa maison d'enfance a été détruite par la mairie en 2014. À peine un bou­levard Céline-Dion. Seule la ­demeure de la mère de Céline, Thérèse Dion, décédée en 2020, est encore à vendre, pour 2 398 000 dollars. Une annonce immobilière donne le la : « Venez profiter de la vie au bord de la rivière des Mille Îles ! Venez relaxer dans votre solarium avec une vue à couper le souffle ! Près de 5000 pieds carrés (464 m2) habitables ! »

Le Québec a pu partager les goûts de Céline Dion dans les années 1990, lorsqu'elle a créé ­Nickels, une chaîne de restaurants de « smoked meat » (viande fumée), le péché mignon de René Angélil, son époux. Après une poutine à l'italienne (des frites recouvertes de fromage avec une sauce à la viande), les clients peuvent encore y déguster un gâteau au chocolat « Céline » à cinq étages, pour 8,99 dollars. Nickels existe toujours, mais la vedette a revendu l'affaire.

Plus que les frères et sœurs de Céline, assez discrets, les deux piliers du clan Dion ont été René Angélil et Thérèse Dion, que les Québécois appelaient « Maman Dion ». Le décès de l'imprésario a provoqué une commotion nationale. L'équipe de hockey des Canadiens de Montréal a observé une minute de silence avant un match. Les milieux artistiques et politiques ont rendu un hommage unanime à René. Le maire de Montréal d'alors a mis en berne les drapeaux de la ville. René « a eu le talent d'aller chercher des talents pour écrire pour elle », a pour sa part confié le parolier Luc Plamondon à Radio Canada. Les funérailles de René, des funérailles nationales, ont eu lieu à la basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal. Dans les années 1990, Thérèse Dion a, elle, été très présente dans les médias locaux. Alors pimpante septuagénaire, elle a animé des émissions de télévision. « Maman Dion » livrait aux téléspectateurs ses meilleures recettes de cuisine québécoise : tourtière, pâté chinois (hachis parmentier au maïs). Thérèse crée même en 1993 une entreprise de pâtés, Les Pâtés de Maman Dion.

Ce qui impressionne les Québécois, ce n'est pas sa musique, ce sont ses succès, un peu comme Trump

Un critique musical du Québec (sous couvert d'anonymat)

Céline, elle, a bien été la cible des quolibets des intellectuels de la Belle Province qui soulignaient son allure kétaine (plouc), mais c'était dans les années 1980 et 1990. Elle est devenue intouchable au fil du temps, notamment lorsqu'elle a commencé à se produire à Las Vegas, estime Danick Trottier. « Personne ne peut dire à la télévision : “Je déteste Céline Dion” », précise-t-il. « Ce qui impressionne les Québécois, ce n'est pas sa musique, ce sont ses succès, un peu comme Trump », tranche un critique musical de Québec. Non sans requérir l'anonymat, car, pour les Québécois, Céline est la fierté du Québec. Pour les Canadiens anglais, elle est le symbole de la dualité canadienne et de l'unité du pays. Contrairement aux vedettes québécoises comme Gilles Vigneault, elle ne s'est jamais prononcée sur la question de l'indépendance du Québec. « Il se dit que si elle s'était exprimée lors du référendum de 1995 en faveur de l'indépendance, elle aurait fait la différence (en faveur de l'indépendance). Mais cette idée ne l'a jamais interpellée », précise le professeur de l'Uqam. Estevam Peric dit en riant : « Au Canada, il y avait la reine Elizabeth, il reste Céline. »

Le chroniqueur du quotidien La Presse Yves Boisvert a écrit en 2016 : « On l'imite peu, ou alors jamais méchamment. Elle est entourée d'une aura de bienveillance. Ceux qui la critiquent le font à leurs risques et périls (…). Mieux vaut se taire si on ne l'aime pas. C'est la patrie qu'on attaque. On risque de vous accuser de trahison et, pire, d'élitisme, un crime culturel capital. » On touche là aux racines profondes du Québec. Toute critique, même la plus constructive, y est rigoureusement interdite. Et encore moins lorsqu'elle vient des « maudits Français ». Aline, le film de et avec Valérie Lemercier, ne pouvait que provoquer un tollé, de Chibougamau à Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs.

Pourquoi Céline Dion est-elle intouchable ?

Alors pourquoi Céline Dion est-elle intouchable ? François Demers, auteur du livre Céline Dion et l'identité québécoise, donne une explication : « Par ses origines modestes, par les nombreux rappels de son appartenance au Québec, Dion est restée fidèle à la terre, à la famille, à une définition plus traditionnelle de l'identité. Elle participe à la redéfinition de l'identité québécoise en personnifiant l'archétype de l'être moderne capable, entreprenant, ren­table, performant et travailleur. »

Avec ses treize frères et sœurs, Céline ne peut pas mieux représenter ce qu'on appelle les Québécois pure laine

Avec ses treize frères et sœurs, Céline ne peut pas mieux représenter ce qu'on appelle les Québécois pure laine. Les familles d'une dizaine d'enfants étaient fréquentes jusque dans les années 1950 au Québec. La star a su casser l'image de ces fratries souvent pauvres. Céline est milliardaire, mais elle conserve son parler québécois à l'étranger, alors que d'autres s'essaient à l'accent français. Et puis, elle fait rêver. Estevam Peric a brièvement rencontré la chanteuse, une dizaine de fois. « Elle m'a dit qu'on doit poursuivre nos rêves, mais que jamais le commentaire des autres ne doit nous empêcher de les avoir », dit-il. Une source d'inspiration. Erin Hurley, également professeur à l'université McGill de Montréal, tempère : « Parce qu'une grande partie de son travail se fait en anglais, Dion est souvent qualifiée de vendue aux intérêts anglophones et américains. » L'étoile de la chanteuse, depuis sa disparition de la scène, s'étiole un peu. Danick Trottier conclut, sévère : « Si elle ne revient pas avec un succès, ce ne sera plus qu'une icône populaire, dont on ne parlera plus pour sa musique mais pour du potinage. »

 

 

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[manu23]

I try not to think too much about this situation. But I see how great Shania is doing in her last tour or how much fun Mariah is always having on Social Media and I just get angry and sad. I can't believe why life is so unfair for Celine. I know it could happen to anyone, but it's too unfair. Edited July 21, 2023 at 11:37 AM by manu23

[Davey84]

Thanks to Hope!

 

Here is part 5 of the series

 

I will go where you will go , If it was enough to love , All by myself …: in the secret of Celine Dion's hits

By Lena Lutaud

Posted 1 hour ago

GLORY AND TRAGEDY (5/6) - Various American and French songwriters have shaped a unique bilingual repertoire for her.

Revealed by her pygmalion René Angélil at the age of 13, the singer did not leave the stage until March 2020. Since then, she has retired, and the announcement of her illness has caused dismay. A look back at the extraordinary career of a little princess who gave her all to showbiz.

In French, her most recent hit, Encore un soir , full of delicacy about her last moments of happiness with René , dates from 2016. In English, we have to go back to 2002 with I'm Alive. A glance at Spotify shows a repertoire that is unique in the world because it is bilingual: S'il suffisait d'aimer, Because You Loved Me, The Power of Love ... Her titles mingle with covers ranging from Quand on n'a que love, by Jacques Brel , to The Show Must Go On, by Queen.

Of all the international headliners, Celine Dion is the only one to lead such a repertoire in two languages. From 1990 - she was then 22 years old and released her first album in English, Unison , calibrated for the world market - she alternated records in each of the languages. Of her 27 studio albums, 16 are in French, 11 in English. “As she always wanted to make a career in recording and on stage, each album serves to prepare ammunition to take on tour,” writes her biographer Denise Bombardier

Juggle directories

“It's fascinating, ” comments Jean-Pierre Pasqualini. She had to redouble her efforts. Find songwriters on both sides of the Atlantic. Rotate twice as many clips. Carry out two promotional campaigns simultaneously. Put on two shows in each world tour with different song choices. And adapt her voice to each audience. The Americans, like the Scandinavians, like that the voice of "Celeenn" Dion is demonstrative and gives all its power. On All by Myself , for example, she hits her chest when the drums get carried away, then, fist raised, she holds the note at its highest for twelve long seconds on the chorus "Don't wanna be / All by myself anymoooooore " . . Conversely, she sings So that you still love me in the breath of your voice, as Jean-Jacques Goldman taught her. After a minute, she "casts spells" and speeds up to show all her passion to the one who must "still love her". Some titles, like the rocky J'irais ou tu ira "send" as much as River Deep Mountain High. Depending on the language, the range of her voice sounds different. In French, her voice is more controlled and less shrill.

Juggling between these directories required a lot of work. From 14 to 21, she only recorded in French. Eddy Marnay, author of his first five albums, explained to her that her voice was too nasal, especially in the treble. “You have a very beautiful voice and you sing with a lot of emotion, but you too often drown the words under vocalizations. To give meaning to a word, you have to think about what it contains. Some you will shout, others you can whisper,” he told her.

At the end of the 1980s, she took up English for nine hours a day at Berlitz in Montreal. Then she moved with her dear René to Malibu, California. Thanks to her phenomenal auditory memory, she becomes bilingual in record time. When she takes off with Where Does My Heart Beat Now , Americans think she's one of them. She immediately won against Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey , the two other voice divas.

In late 1990, during the Unison Tour , drama occurred on the third night. Her voice breaks. With the help of ENT specialist William Riley, himself a musician, Celine Dion will impose iron discipline on herself for ten years. No more coffee, soft drinks, dairy products. Make way for herbal teas with vocalizations with periods of absolute silence from twenty-four hours to three weeks! “The most difficult thing is to never give up. I've organized my whole life around my voice. For her, I had all the requirements, all the whims. Discipline has something comfortable about it, it eliminates choices and simplifies life” , analyzes this fighter in My life, my dream(Robert Laffont). Never drafts, cigarette smoke, fragrant flowers… Like new, her voice becomes fuller, more nuanced, more supple too. Its tone clears up and gains in sharpness. “All of this allows her a vast choice of tessitura and increasingly wide colors ,” writes Denise Bombardier.

"Sing the world, not change it"

In English as in French, Céline chooses universal themes that speak of love, dreams, fidelity and all the feelings that arise in a human life: parents, childhood, death... She symbolizes traditional values, unlike Whitney Houston, who falls into all excesses. Celine never talks about firearms, like Madonna does, about androgyny, like Mylène Farmer, about feminism, like Beyoncé. The most “risky” title that Céline has dared is Love still exists , a text by Luc Plamondon with music by Richard Cocciante, on AIDS in the early 1990s, a time when the subject was still taboo.“I just want to sing the world, not change it. I have no rage in me, anger or dissatisfactions. I am not a tortured being. I have nothing to hide either ,” she says in her Memoirs.

Solely an interpreter, she is very loyal to her authors. Thanks to Eddy Marnay, who knew how to make her talk about her emotions as a young girl during walks in Luxembourg, in Paris, in the early 1980s, she had her first gold record with D'amour ou d' Amérique . When she asks Luc Plamondon to write for her, Celine Dion is 19 years old. "The author who signed Starmania with Michel Berger has been very prominent since he launched the career of Diane Dufresne, a singer unlike Ginette Reno and the other singers that Céline has listened to since she was little, explains Jean- Pierre Pasqualini. He brings Céline into a more pop and more rock universe. »

At the same time, she worked on her first album in English with David Foster, star of the American music industry who collaborated with Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand... At the end of 1993, when Jean-Jacques Goldman offered her a dozen songs, words and music, she is ready to face a different universe from that of American directors. With his emotional efficiency, the composer offered her the mythical album D'eux, in 1995. He repeated this artistic and commercial triumph in 1998 with S'il suffisait d'aimer . Like Eddy Marnay, he corrects her flourishes, her way of rolling the r's and wetting the dentals. “At the end of 2015, he offered her Encore un soir, the last title René heard”, confides Jacques Veneruso, accomplice of Jean-Jacques Goldman.

Céline's voice confidently crosses all genres likely to reach the general public.

Bertrand Dicale, journalist specializing in song

Ballads, rock, gospel… “Céline's voice confidently crosses all genres likely to reach the general public, analyzes Bertrand Dicale, journalist specializing in song. She has always recorded kaleidoscopic discs that contain everything and its opposite, which is the surest way to aggregate all age groups of the public. » And to continue by taking as an example the album A New Day , in 2002: « On When The Wrong One Loves You Right, it combines a chorus à la Britney Spears with verses close to the soul. Sorry for Love starts out as a Eurodance hit and ends up sounding like the credits of The Fun Cruise,with sugar, pink dress and sunlamp. Conversely, she interprets Nature Boy, by Nat King Cole, in piano voice with astonishing sobriety. »

In the studio, she memorizes the songs after having listened to them once or twice and René always gives good advice. “During the recording of Parler à mon père, he opened his eyes between two takes, recalls Jacques Veneruso. She sought his opinion just by looking. The recording in a New York studio of My Heart Will Go On , the song from Titanic, her greatest worldwide hit, is legendary. “She was tired and sick. She recorded a single take, says Jean-Pierre Pasqualini.It was a sample voice that was just recorded so that the arrangers could “dress” it with musical instruments, before the singer came back to do a final voice. Finally, it is this test piece that is on the disc and has been around the world. »

(1) “The enigmatic Céline Dion”, by Denise Bombardier, XO Editions/Albin Michel, 231 pages.

J'irai où tu iras, S'il suffisait d'aimer, All by myself… : dans le secret des tubes de Céline Dion

Par Léna Lutaud

Publié il y a 4 heures

LA GLOIRE ET LA TRAGÉDIE (5/6) - Divers auteurs-compositeurs américains et français lui ont façonné un répertoire bilingue unique au monde.

Révélée par son pygmalion René Angélil à l'âge de 13 ans, la chanteuse n'a pas quitté la scène jusqu'en mars 2020. Depuis, elle s'est retirée, et l'annonce de sa maladie a suscité le désarroi. Retour sur la carrière hors norme d'une petite princesse qui a tout donné au showbiz.

En français, son tube le plus récent, Encore un soir, plein de délicatesse sur ses derniers instants de bonheur avec René, date de 2016. En anglais, il faut remonter à 2002 avec I'm Alive. Un coup d'œil sur Spotify montre un répertoire unique au monde car bilingue : S'il suffisait d'aimer, Because You Loved Me, The Power of Love… Ses titres se mêlent à des reprises qui vont de Quand on n'a que l'amour, de Jacques Brel, à The Show Must Go On, de Queen.

De toutes les têtes d'affiche internationales, Céline Dion est la seule à mener de front un tel répertoire dans deux langues. Dès 1990 - elle a alors 22 ans et sort son premier album en anglais, Unison, calibré pour le marché mondial -, elle a alterné des disques dans chacune des langues. Sur ses 27 albums studios, 16 sont en français, 11 en anglais. « Comme elle a toujours voulu faire carrière dans le disque et sur scène, chaque album sert à se préparer des munitions à emporter en tournée », écrit sa biographe Denise Bombardier.

Jongler entre les répertoires

« C'est fascinant, commente Jean-Pierre Pasqualini. Il lui a fallu redoubler d'efforts. Trouver des auteurs-compositeurs de chaque côté de l'Atlantique. Tourner deux fois plus de clips. Mener de front deux campagnes de promotion. Monter deux shows dans chaque tournée mondiale avec des choix de chansons différents. Et adapter sa voix à chaque public. » Les Américains, comme les Scandinaves, aiment que la voix de ­« Celeenn » Dion soit démonstratrice et donne toute sa puissance. Sur All by Myself, par exemple, elle se frappe la poitrine quand la batterie s'emballe, puis, poing levé, elle tient douze longues secondes la note au plus haut sur le refrain « Don't wanna be/ All by myself anymoooooore ». À l'inverse, elle chante Pour que tu m'aimes encore dans un souffle de voix, comme le lui a appris Jean-Jacques Goldman. Au bout d'une minute, elle « jette des sorts » et accélère pour montrer toute sa passion à celui qui doit « l'aimer encore ». Certains titres, comme le rocky J'irais où tu iras « envoient » autant que River Deep Mountain High. Selon la langue, la tessiture de sa voix sonne différemment. En français, sa voix est plus maîtrisée et moins aiguë.

Jongler entre ces répertoires lui a demandé énormément de travail. De 14 à 21 ans, elle n'a enregistré qu'en français. Eddy Marnay, auteur de ses cinq premiers albums, lui a expliqué que sa voix était trop nasillarde, surtout dans les aigus. « Tu as une très belle voix et tu chantes avec beaucoup d'émotion, mais tu noies trop souvent les mots sous les vocalises. Pour donner tout son sens à un mot, tu dois penser à ce qu'il contient. Certains tu les crieras, d'autres tu pourras les murmurer », lui disait-il.

À la fin des années 1980, elle se met à l'anglais à raison de neuf heures par jour chez ­Berlitz à Montréal. Puis elle s'installe avec son cher René à Malibu, en Californie. Grâce à sa mémoire auditive phénoménale, elle devient bilingue en un temps record. Quand elle décolle avec Where Does My Heart Beat Now, les Américains pensent qu'elle est l'une des leurs. Elle s'impose immédiatement face à Whitney Houston et à Mariah Carey, les deux autres divas à voix.

Fin 1990, lors de la tournée ­Unison, le drame se produit le troisième soir. Sa voix se casse. Avec l'aide de l'ORL William Riley, lui-même musicien, Céline Dion va s'imposer une discipline de fer pendant dix ans. Fini le café, les boissons gazeuses, les produits laitiers. Place aux tisanes aux vocalises avec des plages de silence absolu de vingt-quatre heures à trois semaines ! « Le plus difficile, c'est de ne jamais lâcher. J'ai organisé toute ma vie en fonction de ma voix. Pour elle, j'ai eu toutes les exigences, tous les caprices. La discipline a quelque chose de confortable, elle élimine les choix et simplifie la vie », analyse cette battante dans Ma vie, mon rêve (Robert Laffont). Jamais de courants d'air, de fumée de cigarette, de fleurs odorantes… Comme neuve, sa voix devient plus ample, plus nuancée, plus souple aussi. Son timbre s'éclaircit et gagne en netteté.« Tout cela lui permet un vaste choix de tessitures et de ­couleurs de plus en plus large », écrit Denise Bombardier.

«Chanter le monde, pas le changer»

En anglais comme en français, ­Céline choisit des thèmes universels qui parlent d'amour, de rêve, de fidélité et de tous les sentiments qui surgissent dans une vie humaine : les parents, l'enfance, la mort… Elle symbolise les valeurs traditionnelles, à l'opposé de Whitney Houston, qui tombe dans tous les excès. Jamais Céline ne parle d'armes à feu, comme le fait Madonna, d'androgynie, comme Mylène Farmer, de féminisme, comme Beyoncé. Le titre le plus « risqué » que Céline ait osé est L'Amour existe encore, un texte signé Luc Plamondon avec une musique de Richard Cocciante, sur le sida, au début des années 1990, une époque où le sujet était encore tabou. « Je veux juste chanter le monde, pas le changer. Je n'ai pas de rage en moi, de colère ou d'insatisfactions. Je ne suis pas un être torturé. Je n'ai rien à cacher non plus », confie-t-elle dans ses Mémoires.

Uniquement interprète, elle est d'une grande fidélité à ses auteurs. Grâce à Eddy Marnay, qui a su la faire parler de ses émois de jeune fille lors de promenades au Luxembourg, à Paris, au début des années 1980, elle a connu son premier disque d'or avec D'amour ou d'amitié. Quand elle demande à Luc Plamondon d'écrire pour elle, Céline Dion a 19 ans. « L'auteur qui a signé Starmania avec Michel Berger est très en vue depuis qu'il a lancé la carrière de Diane ­Dufresne, une chanteuse à l'opposé de Ginette Reno et des autres chanteuses que Céline écoute depuis toute petite, explique Jean-Pierre Pasqualini. Il fait entrer Céline dans un univers plus pop et plus rock. »

En parallèle, elle travaille son premier album en anglais avec David Foster, star de l'industrie musicale américaine qui collabore avec Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand… Fin 1993, quand Jean-Jacques Goldman lui propose une douzaine de chansons, paroles et musique, elle est prête à affronter un univers différent de celui des réalisateurs américains. Avec son efficacité émotionnelle, le compositeur lui offre l'album mythique D'eux, en 1995. Il réitère ce triomphe artistique et commercial en 1998 avec S'il suffisait d'aimer. Comme Eddy Marnay, il corrige ses fioritures, sa façon de rouler les r et de mouiller les dentales. « Fin 2015, il lui offre Encore un soir, le dernier titre que René ait entendu », confie ­Jacques Veneruso, complice de Jean-Jacques Goldman.

La voix de Céline traverse avec assurance tous les genres susceptibles de journaliste spécialiste de la chansontoucher le grand public

Bertrand Dicale, journaliste spécialiste de la chanson

Ballades, rock, gospel…« La voix de Céline traverse avec assurance tous les genres susceptibles de toucher le grand public, analyse Bertrand ­Dicale, journaliste spécialiste de la chanson. Elle a toujours enregistré des disques kaléidoscopiques qui contiennent tout et son contraire, ce qui est la manière la plus sûre d'agréger toutes les tranches d'âge du public. » Et de poursuivre en prenant comme exemple l'album A New Day, en 2002 : « Sur When The Wrong One Loves You Right, elle cumule un refrain à la Britney Spears avec des couplets proches de la soul. Sorry for Love commence comme un tube d'eurodance et finit par ressembler au générique de La croisière s'amuse, avec sucre, robe rose et lampe à bronzer. À l'inverse, elle interprète Nature Boy, de Nat King Cole, en piano voix avec une sobriété étonnante. »

En studio, elle mémorise les chansons après les avoir écoutées une ou deux fois et René est toujours de bon conseil. « Pendant l'enregistrement de Parler à mon père, il ouvrait les yeux entre deux prises, se souvient Jacques Veneruso. Elle cherchait son avis juste par le regard. » L'enregistrement dans un studio à New York de My Heart Will Go On, la chanson de Titanic, son plus grand tube mondial, est mythique. « Elle était fatiguée et malade. Elle a enregistré une seule prise, raconte Jean-Pierre ­Pasqualini. C'était une voix témoin qui était juste enregistrée pour que les arrangeurs puissent l'“habiller” d'instruments de musique, avant que la chanteuse ne revienne faire une voix définitive. Finalement, c'est ce bout d'essai qui est sur le disque et a fait le tour du monde. »

(1) « L'enigmatique Céline Dion », de Denise Bombardier, XO Editions/Albin Michel, 231 pages.

 

 

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G781B met Tapatalk

 

 

[stevo]

Thank you Davey, and Hope! Fascinating and heartbreaking to remember and discover at the same time.

 

These ‘quotes’ from her memoirs- what memoirs do they mean? Like about seeing Rene less as he ‘sunk into the gambling halls’ etc?

Edited July 22, 2023 at 04:13 PM by stevo

[Chantemoi]

Thanks Davey!

 

Why was LAEE described as a song about AIDS? Lyrically, nothing stands out to me, but I think this is the second time I’ve seen that mentioned before… Was it an unofficial anthem for francophone AIDS activists?

[Zofia]

Thanks Davey!

 

Why was LAEE described as a song about AIDS? Lyrically, nothing stands out to me, but I think this is the second time I've seen that mentioned before… Was it an unofficial anthem for francophone AIDS activists?

 

Luc Plamondon has said on numerous occasions that he wrote this text because of the AIDS epidemic, and that this "evil that runs and puts love to death" (« mal qui court et met l’amour à mort » ) refers directly to the disease (he talked about it in a long documentary devoted to Céline that I can no longer find, perhaps it was "Il était une fois Céline Dion", no longer on the YT).

 

Here he declaims his text in a program devoted to AIDS:

 

We also mention it in the portrait published in Libé in 1995: "L'amour existe encore, - one of the first songs written about AIDS, without naming it, - was a great success for Céline Dion": https://www.liberation.fr/culture/1995/11/20/luc-plamondon-le-starmanieur-sur-fond-de-reconduction-perpetuelle-de-starmania-un-portrait-de-son-co_149365/

 

The rumor that Céline didn't want to sing it - when she was avoiding controversy - is well known: https://mradio.fr/news/musique/48191/celine-dion-pourquoi-elle-ne-voulait-pas-chanter-l-amour-existe-encore

 

BTW a few days ago, Ginette Reno revealed that the song "was intended for her" and Plamondon had done her a "dirty deed" by offering it to Céline: : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/js-tendresse/segments/entrevue/449678/ginette-reno-anecdotes-vie-carriere-musique-amour

(by the way², I'll never understand Reno's Quebecois cult as a singer, but there's no accounting for taste…)

[Chantemoi]

 

 

Luc Plamondon has said on numerous occasions that he wrote this text because of the AIDS epidemic, and that this "evil that runs and puts love to death" (« mal qui court et met l’amour à mort » ) refers directly to the disease (he talked about it in a long documentary devoted to Céline that I can no longer find, perhaps it was "Il était une fois Céline Dion", no longer on the YT).

 

Here he declaims his text in a program devoted to AIDS:

 

We also mention it in the portrait published in Libé in 1995: "L'amour existe encore, - one of the first songs written about AIDS, without naming it, - was a great success for Céline Dion": https://www.liberation.fr/culture/1995/11/20/luc-plamondon-le-starmanieur-sur-fond-de-reconduction-perpetuelle-de-starmania-un-portrait-de-son-co_149365/

 

The rumor that Céline didn't want to sing it - when she was avoiding controversy - is well known: https://mradio.fr/news/musique/48191/celine-dion-pourquoi-elle-ne-voulait-pas-chanter-l-amour-existe-encore

 

BTW a few days ago, Ginette Reno revealed that the song "was intended for her" and Plamondon had done her a "dirty deed" by offering it to Céline: : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/js-tendresse/segments/entrevue/449678/ginette-reno-anecdotes-vie-carriere-musique-amour

(by the way², I'll never understand Reno's Quebecois cult as a singer, but there's no accounting for taste…)

 

Merci c’est bien l’explication que je cherchais. I knew there must have been some mention in the French-speaking world that told the backstory. To me, Ziggy always seemed more like a bold pro-LGBT statement than LAEE. That both songs were recorded by Céline at that time is touching - but it’s a little sad (though understandable ?) she didn’t take that risk in her English career. Sony wanted her to appeal to conservative Christian people, who very well would have objected to a pro-gay stance.

 

Interesting note about Reno…

[Zofia]

To me, Ziggy always seemed more like a bold pro-LGBT statement than LAEE. That both songs were recorded by Céline at that time is touching - but it's a little sad (though understandable ?) she didn't take that risk in her English career. Sony wanted her to appeal to conservative Christian people, who very well would have objected to a pro-gay stance.

 

 

It's true that Sony supervised her, and it's true that in her English-speaking career there are even fewer risks and controversies than in her French-speaking career (where there are already very few). Were they just her own risks and choices? Because there's a deeper aspect to this problem: if the mass market is always the target, commercial calculations will take precedence over personal expression. This is a bad thing for every artist, especially if they're young, before they become aware of their identity and learn to manage conflicts instead of avoiding them. Rather, as she has always humbly called it, you become a worker in the music industry.

 

Every time I watch her 1992 interview with Lise Payette, I get the same impression: a fragile young woman, very unsure of herself, preoccupied with "what people will think" and asking the question "who am I", as if those around her - generally much older than her - cared more about her career than her maturation as a person (when asked if she gets "too much advice", Céline replies: « Maybe... Can you ever get too much advice? I don't know, it's good to be advised. But sometimes, it doesn't leave enough room for yourself. As I've mentioned before, "I am the others", it's the same thing, so there's not enough room for myself in me »).

 

Yes, her French repertoire is also less soapy (and her covers of Starmania songs are truly remarkable), but it's true that Plamondon and Goldman provide her with more ambitious material than more or less generic songs manufactured for the charts. But her true emancipation came during the Célinaissance and, characteristically, was expressed more in fashion than in music. She's no longer afraid to take a stand and assume the consequences; her audacity is admirable, whether or not you're a fan of Law Roach or Celinununu. Only this era was so brief and so unjustly interrupted...

[PuraVida]

This quote sticks out: "Celine has never had a life like everyone else's. With her, everything is exceptional."

 

That hits the nail on the head. This was always going to be a years-long struggle to return to the stage, in my opinion. I believe it will almost certainly happen one day, but indeed years will have been lost. So sad.

[nuts2you]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3k0CoNnoGI&t=797s

 

with everything that is going on with her, I think we all need this

[nuts2you]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afRHXWWdEak

 

Here's more to this

[PuraVida]

Is there a part 6 to Le Figaro's piece after all?

[dawn]

Is there a part 6 to Le Figaro's piece after all?

 

Yes, there you are.... Thanks Hope for sharing with us.

 

Here is part 6 of the LeFigaro the final in the series.

“We would just like a little message from her”: the distress of Celine Dion fans

By Lena Lutaud

GLORY AND TRAGEDY (6/6) – With the complicity of René Angélil, they had built rallying signs. Today, they admit they are lost and some have transferred to actress Valérie Lemercier.

It is, to say the least, unexpected. In the past two years since Celine Dion has been living out of sight, some of her fans have transferred to… Valérie Lemercier . They liked the film ‘Aline’ so much , where the actress plays the singer, that Celine's shift towards Aline happened. “I saw the film five times and I will always see it again with pleasure, says Laure Hestin, co-founder of the Red Heads, the main fan club which brings together 100,000 admirers of the singer, including a hard core of 250 people. Every scene is full of love. It made me happy that someone paid homage to the story between Céline and René in this way rather than making fun of their age difference. With the angle of loneliness and anguish behind the sequins, Valérie Lemercier takes a fair look at Céline. »

Laure Hestin has the actress' cell phone, they regularly exchange news and give each other gifts at Christmas. When Aline 's DVD was released in 2022, Valérie Lemercier was performing at the Antoine Theater and she organized a private screening for them with a question-and-answer session, just opposite, at the Archipelago cinema. " That fans need a benchmark since Celine Dion retired from public life, it's normal, analyzes psychiatrist Mickael Louafi. For Valérie Lemercier, playing Celine Dion was a role that had to end at the end of the promotion. It was better not to go beyond that. To continue to appropriate a personality and, therefore, the fans that go with it, is not healthy. »

Without the death in 2016 of René Angélil , husband and pygmalion of the Quebec singer, these fans would never have been so lost. The current managers have cut all ties. “We had collected thousands of photos of Céline with the idea of ​​building the largest fresco in the world in Las Vegas. Without René, it fell through,” sighs Julien Grand, 39, a nurse in Compiègne (60).

“An iron hand in a velvet glove”

Born in Quebec to Syrian parents, René Angélil had a formidable intelligence. “He was an iron fist in a velvet glove, remembers Jean-Pierre Pasqualini, artistic director of the vintage channel Mélody. He was very powerful, but gentle and understanding, as Easterners know how to be, and treated everyone equally. He was the opposite of more star-than-star managers. René Angélil neglected nothing. Starting with the Red Heads ("RH", which he spotted from the birth of the movement on July 7, 2008. In the middle of a world tour, Celine Dion gave a memorable concert at the Ch'tis in Arras. At the first notes of My Love, spectators waved red balloons . “TikTok and Insta did not exist. We had spread the word on the forums, the old way , remembers Cédric Dupraz, school director in the Ardèche. About 30 of us bought 400 balloons each and distributed them. Leeward , they fly away. Celine Dion stops to admire the magical spectacle while her musicians play with the balloons stranded on stage. René Angélil pushes through the crowd and inquires. This tide of balloons will have its place in the DVD of the tour.

Laure Hestin and Line Basbous are in their thirties, they founded the movement's headquarters in Paris. René Angélil gives them his contact details: “If you go to Quebec, let me know,” he tells them.

“The following year, in Montreal, we wanted to find ourselves easily in the crowd. We ordered custom-embroidered red caps,” says Cédric Dupraz. This headgear is codified. A flag indicates the country from which its wearer comes. The bronze nails total the number of concerts attended by its wearer. The stars symbolize the number of participations in the group's missions.

These "missions" range from the "before party" in 2016 before Céline's show at Bercy, to the preview of Love Again on the Champs-Élysées in June 2023. During "HR" evenings often post-concerts, when everyone is already "hot", there is no need to broadcast anything other than Céline Dion. “Rihanna or David Guetta, we tried, but they only want to listen to Céline”, laughs Julien Grand.

In fifteen years of existence, the Red Heads have organized many group trips. On each world tour, the singer gives two shows, one with her songs in French, the other with her hits in English. The "HR" always attends both as well as the first and the last show. After sixteen years of residence of Céline in the gambling capital, the merry band ended up getting to know Las Vegas well. To explain René's death to her twins, Céline told them that "Dad is up" as in Pixar's ‘Up’ . This gave the Red Heads the idea of ​​planting thousands of luminous balloons near her home. On her way home, Celine Dion got out of her car to thank them for twenty minutes. Then she released one of the balloons towards the stars. “It was almost silent as a moment, remembers Line Basbous. It was the first time that we experienced something so intimate with her. »

In March 2018, the Red Heads rented a penthouse at Caesars Palace to celebrate Celine's 50th birthday. She had canceled her show at the last moment. “We had to launch flying and luminous butterflies during the show. In the end, we partied until dawn with a sound system and a three-tier cake,” remembers Julien Grand.

At the Red Heads, it's like at the 59th legion of Star Wars enthusiasts , there are weddings. Sébastien and Aline met at the Nice concert in 2008. And got married, in the presence of the Red Heads on March 17, 2011 in Vegas. "But the baby, we did it alone, without the Red Heads, and his name is not RC or Nelson or Eddy, like Céline's three boys, but Baptiste," jokes Sébastien .

The “family side” has disappeared

In the group, we can look for it: some have Céline's face or the lyrics of her songs as tattoos, but there are no look-alikes like Johnny Hallyday fans. When they're not singing ‘So That You Still Love Me’, the Red Heads are mostly middle-aged executives. Many work in marketing, are lawyers, opticians. "We are the second wave of Céline fans," explains Cédric Dupraz. We were between 7 and 15 when she exploded in the mid-1990s with Jean-Jacques Goldman. »

Composed of volunteers, the association law 1901 of the Red Heads does not receive any financial assistance from Céline, her Sony record company or AEG, her concert promoter. There are also no contributions to be paid.

All these trips, all these friendships, it's thanks to Céline. The more time passes, the more the risk that all this crumbles grows

Julien Grand, a fan

Between René Angélil and these " pure" fans , the current passed immediately. The respect was mutual. “With him, we could make a deal on the sidewalk. His word given, we were sure that it would be done, ” recalls Laure Hestin. René Angélil was full of little attentions. “Our association often buys concert tickets for 300,000 euros, he happened to offer us a hundred. Twice he took us to rehearsals. »

Without René, relations with the star's new entourage take a 180 degree turn. Today, they no longer know who to turn to. The “family” side has disappeared, the prices of concert tickets are soaring. “In René's time, the ticket office was held. In Vegas, the price of a front-row seat has suddenly gone from $200 to $500. We have even seen tickets for $4,000. It's nonsense, ” sighs Julien Grand. What he misses the most are those moments of reunion with all the other Red Heads. “All these trips, all these friendships, it's thanks to Céline. The more time passes, the greater the risk that all of this will crumble. »In March 2023 for the 55th birthday of their idol, the Red Heads prepared a surprise. Like so many others, Julien Grand feels abandoned since Celine Dion no longer communicates. “We would just like a little voice or film message to find out how she is. No doubt she no longer has the strength. Of course, everyone hopes to see her again one day. At the Olympia for a piano-voice. Or in a new film career. "For now, it's serious enough to leave her alone ,"insists Laure Hestin.

On aimerait juste un petit message d'elle»: la détresse des fans de Céline Dion

Par Léna Lutaud

Publié il y a 4 heures

LA GLOIRE ET LA TRAGÉDIE (6/6) - Avec la complicité de René Angélil, ils avaient construit des signes de ralliement. Aujourd'hui, ils s'avouent perdus et certains ont fait un transfert sur la comédienne Valérie Lemercier.

C'est pour le moins inattendu. Ces deux dernières années depuis que Céline Dion vit loin des regards, certains de ses fans ont fait un transfert sur… Valérie Lemercier. Ils ont tellement aimé le film Aline où l'actrice incarne la chanteuse, que le glissement de Céline vers Aline s'est fait. « J'ai vu le film cinq fois et je le reverrai toujours avec plaisir, raconte Laure Hestin, cofondatrice des Red Heads, le principal fan-club qui regroupe 100.000 admirateurs de la chanteuse, dont un noyau dur de 250 personnes. Chaque scène est pleine d'amour. Cela m'a fait plaisir que quelqu'un rende hommage ainsi à l'histoire entre Céline et René plutôt que de se moquer de leur différence d'âge. Avec l'angle de la solitude et de l'angoisse derrière les paillettes, Valérie Lemercier porte un regard juste sur Céline. »

Laure Hestin a le portable de l'actrice, elles s'échangent régulièrement des nouvelles et s'offrent des cadeaux à Noël. Quand le DVD d'Aline est sorti en 2022, Valérie Lemercier se produisait au Théâtre Antoine et elle leur a organisé une projection privée avec séance de questions-réponses, juste en face, au cinéma l'Archipel. «Que les fans aient besoin d'un repère depuis que Céline Dion s'est retirée de la vie publique, c'est normal, analyse le psychiatre Mickael Louafi. Pour Valérie Lemercier, jouer Céline Dion était un rôle qui devait s'arrêter à la fin de la promotion. Il valait mieux ne pas aller au-delà. Continuer à s'approprier une personnalité et, donc les fans qui vont avec, ce n'est pas sain. »

Sans la mort en 2016 de René Angélil, époux et pygmalion de la chanteuse québécoise, ces fans n'auraient jamais été aussi perdus. Les managers actuels ont coupé tous les ponts. « Nous avions récolté des millliers de photos de Céline dans l'idée de bâtir la plus grande fresque du monde à Las Vegas. Sans René, c'est tombé à l'eau », soupire Julien Grand, 39 ans, infirmier à Compiègne (60).

Une main de fer dans un gant de velours»

Né au Québec de parents syriens, René Angélil était d'une intelligence redoutable. « C'était une main de fer dans un gant de velours, se souvient Jean-Pierre Pasqualini, directeur artistique de la chaîne vintage Mélody. Il était très puissant, mais doux et compréhensif, comme savent l'être les Orientaux et traitait tout le monde sur un pied d'égalité. Il était l'opposé des managers plus star que la star. » René Angélil ne négligeait rien. À commencer par les Red Heads (« RH », qu'il repère dès la naissance du mouvement le 7 juillet 2008. En pleine tournée mondiale, Céline Dion donne un concert mémorable chez les Ch'tis à Arras. Aux premières notes de My Love, des spectateurs agitent des ballons rouges. « TikTok et Insta n'existaient pas. On s'était passé le mot sur les forums, à l'ancienne, se souvient Cédric Dupraz, directeur d'école dans l'Ardèche. Une trentaine d'entre nous ont acheté 400 ballons chacun et les avons distribués. » Sous le vent, ils s'envolent. Céline Dion s'arrête pour admirer le spectacle féerique tandis que ses musiciens jouent avec les ballons échoués sur scène. René Angélil fend la foule et se renseigne. Cette marée de ballons aura sa place dans le DVD de la tournée.

Laure Hestin et Line Basbous ont la trentaine, elles fondent le siège du mouvement à Paris. René Angélil leur donne ses coordonnées : « Si vous passez au Québec, faites-moi signe », leur dit-il.

« L'année suivante, à Montréal, nous voulions nous retrouver facilement dans la foule. Nous avons commandé des casquettes rouges brodées sur mesure »,raconte Cédric Dupraz. Ce couvre-chef est codifié. Un drapeau indique le pays d'où vient son porteur. Les clous en bronze totalisent le nombre de concerts auquel a assisté son porteur. Les étoiles symbolisent le nombre de participations aux missions du groupe.

Ces « missions » vont de la « before party » en 2016 avant le show de Céline à Bercy, à l'avant-première de Love Again sur les Champs-Élysées en juin 2023. Lors des soirées « RH » souvent post-concerts, quand tout le monde est déjà « bien chaud », inutile de diffuser autre chose que du Céline Dion. « Rihanna ou David Guetta, on a essayé, mais ils ne veulent écouter que du Céline », s'amuse Julien Grand.

Chez les Red Heads, c'est comme à la 59e légion des passionnés de Star Wars, il y a des mariages. Sébastien et Aline se sont rencontrés au concert de Nice en 2008. Et se sont mariés, en présence des Red Heads le 17 mars 2011 à Vegas. « Mais le bébé, on l'a fait tout seuls, sans les Red Heads, et il ne s'appelle pas RC ni Nelson ni Eddy, comme les trois garçons de Céline, mais Baptiste », plaisante Sébastien.

Le «côté familial» a disparu

Dans le groupe, on a beau chercher : certains ont le visage de Céline ou les paroles de ses chansons en tatouage mais il n'y a pas de sosie comme chez les fans de Johnny Hallyday. Quand ils ne chantent pas Pour que tu m'aimes encore, les Red Heads sont surtout des cadres quadragénaires. Beaucoup travaillent dans le marketing, sont avocats, opticiens. « Nous sommes la seconde vague de fans de Céline, détaille Cédric Dupraz. Nous avions entre 7 et 15 ans quand elle a explosé au milieu des années 1990 avec Jean-Jacques Goldman. »

Composée de bénévoles, l'association loi 1901 des Red Heads ne touche aucune aide financière de Céline, de sa maison de disques Sony ou d'AEG, son promoteur de concerts. Il n'y a pas non plus de cotisations à verser.

Tous ces voyages, toutes ces amitiés, c'est grâce à Céline. Plus le temps passe, plus le risque que tout cela s'effrite grandit

Julien Grand, un fan

Entre René Angélil et ces fans « purs », le courant est passé immédiatement. Le respect était mutuel. « Avec lui, on pouvait conclure un accord sur le trottoir. Sa parole donnée, on était sûr que cela se ferait », se rappelle Laure Hestin. René Angélil était plein de petites attentions. « Notre association achète souvent pour 300.000 euros de places de concert, il lui arrivait de nous en offrir une centaine. Deux fois, il nous a fait assister aux répétitions. »

Sans René, les relations avec le nouvel entourage de la star prennent un virage à 180 degrés. Aujourd'hui, ils ne savent plus à qui s'adresser. Le côté « familial » a disparu, les prix des places de concert flambent. « Du temps de René, la billetterie était tenue. À Vegas, le prix d'une place au premier rang est passé d'un coup de 200 à 500 dollars. On a même vu des places à 4 000 dollars. C'est n'importe quoi »,soupire Julien Grand. Ce qui lui manque le plus, ce sont ces moments de retrouvailles avec tous les autres Red Heads. « Tous ces voyages, toutes ces amitiés, c'est grâce à Céline. Plus le temps passe, plus le risque que tout cela s'effrite grandit. » En mars 2023 pour les 55 ans de leur idole, les Red Heads ont préparé une surprise. Comme tant d'autres, Julien Grand se sent abandonné depuis que Céline Dion ne communique plus. « On aimerait juste un petit message vocal ou filmé pour savoir comment elle va. » Sans doute n'en a-t-elle plus la force. Bien sûr, tous espèrent la revoir un jour. À l'Olympia pour un piano-voix. Ou dans une nouvelle carrière au cinéma. « Pour l'heure, c'est suffisamment grave pour qu'on la laisse tranquille », insiste Laure Hestin.

Edited July 26, 2023 at 12:41 PM by dawn

[PuraVida]

"the Red Heads are mostly middle-aged executives"

[No1IrishFan]

I’m seeing Celines name all over the media this morning. Looks like Claudette has told JDM that they cannot find a treatment that works. We know to take what Claudette says with a pinch of salt but thought it was worth sharing -

 

https://www.etonline.com/celine-dions-sister-shares-heartbreaking-update-on-her-battle-with-stiff-person-syndrome-209227?amp

[Davey84]

I’m seeing Celines name all over the media this morning. Looks like Claudette has told JDM that they cannot find a treatment that works. We know to take what Claudette says with a pinch of salt but thought it was worth sharing -

 

https://www.etonline.com/celine-dions-sister-shares-heartbreaking-update-on-her-battle-with-stiff-person-syndrome-209227?amp

Hmmm yeah a pinch of salt indeed. Linda has already moved in since 2003, basically! Ever since RC was born, she has been close by. And perhaps they still haven't found the right treatment or dosis, but that doesn't mean Céline is at the end of her combat...

 

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G781B met Tapatalk

 

 

[Dancing_Queen]

Can't find a new article in JDM, so I'm assuming it's just a rehash from this interview from a couple of weeks back:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/07/10/celine-dion-ne-sera-pas-au-quebec-cet-ete-assure-sa-soeur-claudette

[HannesMUC]

Even in Germany the newspaper speaking about her today

[incognito]

Celine should cease and desist that dreadful woman.