Céline Dion is having a moment — whether it’s closing out the Opening Ceremonies at the 2024 Paris Olympics, sharing her struggles with stiff-person syndrome in a tell-all documentary, and claiming the mantle as a fashion icon.
But while Céline’s international stardom seems obvious now, it was all so unlikely.
In a new 4-part series, Céline: Understood, cultural writer Thomas Leblanc explores the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created one of the most enduring superstars the planet has ever seen.
Leblanc is a Céline expert, and as a Quebecois kid born in 1985, he has never known a world without Céline (who started her career in Quebec in 1981).
“It’s hard to overstate how exciting it was to watch her shoot for the stars in the 1990’s, singing at the Oscars, becoming the biggest music star in the world, selling out multiple world tours… And as a fan of pop music, to watch this woman from Quebec conquer the world was incredibly exciting,” Leblanc said.
But she also meant a lot to him on a personal level.
“She is French Canadian (like me). The last of 14 kids (my dad is the last of 11), [and] she was born in 1968 (my own mom was born in 1964), so in many ways Céline is almost a family member,” he said.
“Céline is obviously an exceptional talent, but it’s her incredible heart, work ethic and sense of humor that has fascinated me for the longest time.”
We spoke to Leblanc about the making of the podcast and what Céline means to him.
What’s your first memory of Céline Dion?
I believe my first memory of Celine Dion is the music video for “Lolita”, off her 1987 French album Incognito. The video was filmed on location in London, U.K., on the top of a double-decker bus and the song is about a young woman longing for the love and attention of an older man (long before her love for René Angelil became public!) — the content of the song shows how much the culture has changed since the 80’s.
I also remember seeing Céline Dion live in 1990 during the Unison tour, for her first English album. And for Christmas in 1991, I received my first cassette tape player with two Céline tapes: Unison and Dion chante Plamondon, which featured her French gay anthem Ziggy, un garçon pas comme les autres.
Why did you want to make this podcast?
Identity can be tricky for French-speaking Québécois people; on one hand, we are proud of our language and culture and we want to see it grow and thrive… while at the same time having an incredible ambition to make our mark on the world. Céline not only became a global superstar, but one of the world’s best known ambassadors of francophone culture, singing in English and French (and even other languages).
The series makes that connection between the idiosyncratic nature of Quebecois culture and the massive forces of globalization that propelled Céline to the top of the entertainment world in the 90’s and 2000’s.
Céline is a global superstar like very few. What do you think was the most important thing to push her to this level?
In a way, Céline was incredibly lucky: she has world class talent and dedication, and with the support of her mother Thérèse and her manager-husband René she rode this to the top. The industry bet on her, investing millions, and it worked. But she was also able to bring heart and “epic love” (as we say in the series) to everything she touched, never getting sidetracked by the dark side of this industry (like other successful artists, from Michael Jackson to Britney Spears).
In this intensely personal, candid and revealing exclusive from the team at The National, Céline Dion opens up to CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault about coping with stiff person syndrome, losing the voice that has guided her life and how she is determined to perform again. [I Am: Celine Dion, the documentary featured in this interview, premieres June 25 on Prime Video.]
But I think Céline is incredibly good at being a famous person. She is both relatable and fascinating, so emotionally close to her fans yet such a towering, almost out-of-this world force in their lives.
You’re a self-described Céline superfan — is there something new or surprising you learned about her during the making of this podcast?
The producers Zoe Tennant, Cristal Duhaime and Imogen Birchard did a fantastic job digging up archives and finding fresh angles to tell Céline’s story, connecting her Quebecois and Canadian roots to her success as a global artist. They had to make tough decisions in order to fit everything in four episodes!
I especially enjoyed Episode 3, which focuses on “the globalization” of Céline. We hear from fans in Iraq and Jamaica and I learned how she broke the Japan market in the 90’s.
OK….final question. Your top 3 Céline songs.
How dare you do this to me!! I had to choose three French songs and a bonus English.
1) I have to include her biggest French hit, “Pour que tu m’aimes encore“, from arguably her best album, D’Eux (1995). This album is the best selling French album of all time and this song is probably her finest moment in either French or English. It was written by music legend Jean-Jacques Goldman who produced 3 French albums with Céline.
2) From Dion chante Plamondon (1991), “L’amour existe encore.” An incredible ballad that references wars and the AIDS epidemic, which was a commercial risk at the time. An underrated queer classic! Plus, I even have the song title tattooed on my left arm!
3) In 2008 in Quebec City, Céline performing “Un peu plus haut un peu, un peu plus loin“, one of the most iconic songs in Quebec music with Jean-Pierre Ferland and Ginette Reno, who originally performed it in the 1970’s (they are two giants of Quebec culture; Ferland died last year). Reno is largely perceived as the artist who opened the door for Celine in the 70’s (she was even managed by René Angelil before he took Céline under his wing). This performance still gives me goosebumps every time! I really wish people outside Quebec knew Ginette Reno and Jean-Pierre Ferland and how they paved the way for Céline. The moment where Ginette Reno shows up at the top of the stairs is very meaningful because the audience recognizes the connection between Céline and Ginette.
The bonus! My favorite English song would have to be “Where Does My Heart Beat Now“, her first American hit. Even though she had been performing in Québec and France for close to 10 years, she was willing to follow her dreams and take a big swing to make it in the US. I listened to that tape going to bed every night in 1991-1992!
Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for length.
