At 55, Celine Dion Makes Surprise Grammys Appearance Amid Health Battle
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Celine Dion made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammys.
The singer has made few public appearances in the last year, since announcing her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome.
The singer presented the award for Album of the Year to Taylor Swift.
At the 2024 Grammys, to end a whirlwind of a night, pop star Celine Dion made a surprise appearance to present the award for Album of the Year (to Taylor Swift, of course). The “My Heart Will Go On” singer’s presence was welcome, to say the least, given that she has been out of the spotlight since revealing her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome, a neurological disorder, in December 2022.
Dion wore a long camel coat and light pink gown while her son, René-Charles Angélil, helped her onto the stage while the backtrack of her ballad, “The Power of Love,” played. The crowd gave her a standing ovation. “When I say that I’m happy to be here I really mean it from my heart,” the 55-year-old began, per The New York Times. “Those who have been blessed enough to be here,” she continued, “must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world.”
Dion proceeded to present the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift.
After postponing her Courage tour multiple times in 2022 and going quiet on social media, Dion shared a long-awaited message to let fans in on the latest with her health. In the moving video, she revealed that she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs, as well as a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can trigger muscle spasms, per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
In the video, Dion explained that her ability to perform is greatly impacted by the condition. “Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said. “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most... I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage—performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now.”
Ultimately, the singer decided to cancel all concerts through April 2024, and has not yet shared further tour updates.
Her Grammys appearance, however, does come on the heels of another special update. Last week, she announced that a new documentary detailing her health journey will debut on Prime Video. The film, I Am: Celine Dion, will capture the highs and lows of her career, including how she plans to move forward.
“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she said in the statement. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”
The statement didn’t disclose the documentary’s release date. For now, though, we’ll relish Dion’s return to the stage.
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