CELINE DION. Singer Celine Dion, who had revealed that she had a rare neurological disease, unveiled a new song on Thursday.
[Updated April 13, 2023 at 1:37 p.m.] This news, all Celine Dion fans have been waiting for it: the star is making her comeback in music! After months of silence and concern about the state of health of the Canadian diva, she announces, on social networks, the release of a new song, this Thursday at 2 p.m. French time.
Celine Dion, who hasn’t released anything new since 2019 and her album Courage, today released the song that will serve as the soundtrack to the film Love Again: A Little, Much, Passionately, an American romantic comedy directed by Jim Strouse , with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan, expected in theaters on June 7, 2023 and in which Celine Dion plays herself. A short excerpt from the film’s first music was unveiled last February, in the film’s trailer.
The Canadian singer, who celebrated her 55th birthday on March 30, was again walled in silence after revealing, in December, to be suffering from a rare neurological disease, Stiff-person syndrome. Celine Dion had also canceled her European tour until this summer.
In a video posted Thursday, December 8, 2022 on Instagram, Celine Dion revealed that she had a very rare neurological disease, called in English Stiff-person syndrome. A pathology that affects “about one person in a million”, as Celine Dion explains in her video and which is translated, in French, by “stiff man syndrome.”
This nervous system disorder is characterized (hence its name) by a progressive stiffness of the muscles, especially those of the trunk, which causes, as in Celine Dion, the famous muscle spasms from which she had previously revealed to suffer. This pathology, discovered in 1956, is treated with muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants or anxiolytics. Stiff-person syndrome affects twice as many women as men and the peak incidence is around 45 years old, explains Orpha.net, “the portal for rare diseases.”
“The progressive muscular stiffness leads to immobility of the trunk and hips and the gait becomes stiff and particular”, is it detailed on the same site.
“Hello everyone. I’m sorry it took so long to update you. I miss you all and can’t wait to get on stage to talk to you in person. As you know, I ‘ve always been an open book, but until now I was not ready to talk about what I had to go through”, begins the singer Celine Dion in her video, posted in French and English on her account Instagram, this Thursday, December 8, 2022.
And to detail: “I have had health problems for a long time and it is not easy for me to cope with them. Recently I was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder, called in English Stiff-person syndrome, which affects approximately one in a million people. We don’t yet know everything about this rare disease but we now know that it is the cause of the muscle spasms I suffer from. Unfortunately these spasms affect my daily life, on several levels . I sometimes have a lot of difficulty walking and I can’t use my vocal cords as I would like.”
In the same video, Celine Dion explains that due to her state of health, she will not be able to go back on stage for her European tour, postponed to early 2023. “It saddens me enormously to have to tell you today that I won’t be ready to start my tour of Europe again in February,” the singer says. “I love listening to a great team of doctors treating me to make me feel better. And it’s my kids who give me the courage and hope to Also, I train every day with my sports medicine therapist to regain strength and stamina to allow me to perform again.
She adds, “Singing is what I’ve done my whole life and for me to not be able to do it anymore is unimaginable. I miss seeing you, being on stage, performing for you. I always give 100% in my concerts, but right now I’m in no condition to do so. To find you, I have no choice but to focus on my health. And I’m hopeful to to be on the right track.”
And to conclude: “I am very grateful to you for all your messages of encouragement on my social networks, your words mean a lot to me and help me a lot. Take care of yourself. Be well. I love you, so much and I I hope very very much to be able to see you again soon. Thank you.”
After two first postponements due to the Covid, then to the state of health of the singer, the concert dates of the Courage World Tour have been modified several times. However, the production of the diva ensures that the concerts in France announced in the summer and fall of 2023, are maintained (for the moment). Also, Celine Dion will perform at Paris la Défense Arena on September 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 10, 2023. However, the highly anticipated date at Les Vieilles Charrues on July 13, also twice postponed, has been canceled.
According to her website and the latest news from her producers, Celine Dion will therefore be back on stage on August 26, 2023, in Amsterdam. The six concerts scheduled at Paris La Défense Arena in September 2023 are also maintained. For the moment. Until another cancellation?
