Céline Dion's Stage Comeback At 2024 Paris Olympics Moves Kelly Clarkson To Tears; American Idol Alum Calls Former 'Vocal Athlete'
Céline Dion triumphed at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a powerful comeback performance, despite battling Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), moving many to tears, including Kelly Clarkson.
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Despite her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, Céline Dion’s stage comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics was truly extraordinary, leaving many, including American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson, in tears. The 42-year-old was seen choking up while covering the event alongside Mike Tirico and Peyton Manning for NBC on Friday, July 26.
“I actually can't talk,” Clarkson squeaked out once Dion was done belting out melodies, and her co-host replied, “That was incredible!” The Since U Been Gone singer explained her tears, saying, “People don't know her story. What she's been going through physically... It's just incredible what she has overcome.” Clarkson then went on to emotionally acknowledge the French-Canadian crooner as a “vocal athlete” of her field.
Céline Dion was a sight to behold at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
As the hot air balloon-inspired Olympic cauldron was lit and floated into the sky, with the Eiffel Tower and the four glowing Olympic Rings serving as a breathtaking backdrop, Dion performed Edith Piaf’s classic Hymne A L’Amour at the base of the coveted tourist attraction.
She wore a dazzling white Dior haute couture gown by Maria Grazia at the event. The opening ceremony marked the icon’s first performance since she revealed her SPS diagnosis back in December 2022.
The condition, for those who may not know, affects a person's ability to speak, walk, and care for themselves in extreme cases. Dion’s ongoing fight with the disease was chronicled in her documentary, I Am: Céline Dion, released last month. The singer told Vogue France in an interview published on April 22 that she has chosen to work with all her body and soul from head to toe with a medical team to prepare for her stage return.
Rumors of Dion making her musical comeback at the 2024 Olympics took flight earlier this week
While no announcement about the performance was made ahead of the opening ceremony, speculation about Dion's appearance at the revered event was almost confirmed with the singer's presence in the French capital ahead of the summer games. The Because You Loved Me singer seemed in good health, signing autographs and greeting fans outside of her hotel before she took the stage on Friday.
Dion’s performance came at the end of the Opening Ceremony, following a mesmerizing performance by Lady Gaga and the French duo Juliette Armanet and Sofiane Pamart, who played the burning piano.
Dion, who last performed at a concert in July 2019, is also reportedly preparing for a residency in Las Vegas.
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