Celine Dion made a triumphant return to the stage at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The star, who was diagnosed with a neurological disorder stiff person syndromesang Edith Piaf’s Hymn to Love at the Eiffel Tower in front of a global audience of millions, her first live performance since early 2020.
She appears bathed in light, accompanied by a pianist and the Olympic rings above her, delivering a moving rendition of the 1950 song. It was originally written by Piaf for her boxer lover Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash after her first performance.
NBC host and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson got emotional after her performance, calling Dion an “athlete” for what she accomplished.
Dion has already performed at 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
“Every time I come back to Paris, I remember that there is still so much beauty and joy to discover in the world,” Dion said. wrote in a message posted on social media. “I love Paris and I’m so happy to be back!”
Lady Gaga also performed Mon Truc En Plumes earlier in the evening, descending a staircase next to the Seine in a custom Dior costume, surrounded by dancers and a parade of feathers in homage to Zizi Jeanmaire. It was reported that the singer spent two months rehearsing the number.
“Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with the French and with the singing of French music,” Gaga wrote in a social media post“It’s a huge honor for me to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympics always makes me cry!”
In a 2019 testDion paid tribute to Gaga, calling her “one of the most inventive artists we’ve ever seen” and “one of the greatest voices in the world.”
French-Malian megastar Aya Nakamura also performed a medley of her hits including Pookie and Djadja. The singer was at the center of a racist storm earlier this year while there was far-right outrage, including from Marine Le Pen, about the possibility of it happening.
Other celebrities in attendance included Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who star in the big screen adaptation of Wicked, the first part of which is due out later this year.
While rumors circulated that Celine Dion would receive $2 million for her performance, this information was later denied. “Contrary to what some media reports, the artists of the ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Games will not receive a fee for their performance,” a spokesperson for the Olympics told Page Six“Their choice to perform in these conditions reflects their desire to take part in a historic event for France and for the world of sport.”
Dion was diagnosed with the extremely rare condition in 2022 and has previously said it “caused me difficulty walking and didn’t allow me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
In 2023, Dion canceled his Courage World Tour due to his health condition. There is no known cure for stiff person syndrome.
The singer detailed the difficulties of her daily life in a recent film I am: Celine Dion who has become The most-watched documentary on Amazon. Its success has also had an impact on streams of his music, with a 33% increase worldwide. Adrian Horton of the Guardian rented the film as “remarkably unreserved” and “deeply serious.”
“If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl,” she says in the film. “And I won’t stop. I won’t stop.”
During the film’s press cycle, Dion said that the severity of her muscle spasms was such that she had broken her ribs and in April sharing that she was receiving physical and vocal therapy five times a week.
This week saw unconfirmed reports that Dion is in the “final stages” of preparing for a new Las Vegas residency.
Gaga will be heading to the Venice Film Festival next month for the world premiere of DC’s sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, in which she plays Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix.