Celebrated pop icon Celine Dion has made the decision to cancel all of her remaining performances scheduled for the 2023-2024 period due to her ongoing struggle with a rare neurological disorder. In her statement, she expressed that her current strength did not allow her to embark on a tour at this time.
Last year, the 55-year-old Canadian revealed that her condition –
Stiff-Person Syndrome – was affecting her singing.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again… and even though it
breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything until I’m really ready to
be back on stage,” Dion tweeted.
“I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” she added.
A statement released by her tour said, “With a sense of tremendous
disappointment, Celine Dion’s Courage World Tour today announced the
cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024.”
Dion, one of the top women singers with an octave-busting voice, is the
author of hits like, Because You Loved Me, My Heart Will Go On, and, Think
Twice.
In December 2022, she posted a tearful video on Instagram to say she had
recently been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome and would not be ready to
start her European tour in February as planned.
She said the disorder was causing muscle spasms and was “not allowing me
to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to”.
Sufferers commonly experience stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs,
with noise or emotional distress known to trigger spasms.
The cancellations will affect her 16-country tour in Europe which was
due to start in Amsterdam in August and conclude with two dates at the O2 arena
in London in April next year.
Her “Courage World Tour” began in 2019, and Dion completed 52 shows
before the coronavirus pandemic put the remainder on hold. She later cancelled
the North American section of the tour due to her health problems.
Fans online reacted with disappointment but wished Dion well.
“Not surprising, but no less sad. Courage to you Celine, we are with
you,” wrote one fan information account @LesRedHeads.
“You don’t have to apologize queen! Take care of yourself. Your health
should take number one priority,” wrote @notaerz.
The youngest of 14 children, Dion was born in Quebec, Canada and got her
start at 12, when her mother sent a recording of her to Angelil, who mortgaged
his own home to finance her first album. She began singing in French, but
started bellowing out hits in English after taking English lessons in the
1980s.
She gained worldwide fame in 1997 with, My Heart Will Go On, the theme
to James Cameron’s extremely popular film, Titanic.
She parlayed that success into a regular gig at Caesar’s Palace in Las
Vegas, playing for audiences night after night for 16 years, with only a few
breaks.
Post a Comment