Canadian singer Celine Dion, famous for singing the theme song “My Heart Will Go On” for the Hollywood movie “Titanic,” confirmed in 2022 that she was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder, Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS). Having not performed publicly for a long time, she was recently reported to have been invited to be a guest performer at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Paris Olympics is scheduled to open on July 26th local time, and past Olympic opening ceremonies have always featured various grand performances. According to The Sun, sources revealed that Celine Dion, who hails from a French singing background, has received the invitation to perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, potentially marking her comeback.
In fact, Celine Dion has canceled multiple performances since 2021 due to health issues, confirmed her illness in 2022, and had to completely cancel her concerts in 2023 due to the worsening condition. Her most recent public appearance was at the beginning of the year at the Grammy Awards, where she presented the Album of the Year award to American singer Taylor Swift, surprising many with her good condition and appearance that day.
The 56-year-old Celine Dion has shown a strong desire to return to the stage. Recently, when asked by a host on a show about when she would make a comeback performance, she turned to her agent and asked, “Can I tell her?” only to be loudly interrupted with a “NO.” This has led people to speculate that Celine Dion has long had a plan for a comeback, with some even suggesting that it might be at the Paris Olympics.
Stiff-Person Syndrome is a rare central nervous system disorder, causing patients to experience stiffness in limbs and torso, severe muscle spasms, potential falls, and impacting their ability to walk and sing. During an interview with NBC last month, Celine Dion revealed that whenever she tries to sing, it feels like someone is strangling her throat.
Celine Dion’s recent documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” depicts her ongoing battle with the illness, where she struggles to produce sound, experiences full-body convulsions during attacks, and even suffered rib fractures, evoking sympathy from viewers. Viewing singing as her life, Celine Dion expressed her hope that by sharing her story, more people would understand this disease, stating that she is determined to return to the stage, even if she has to do it crawling.