French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his enthusiasm about the possibility of Canadian singer Celine Dion attending the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Dion, 56, has been unable to perform live due to her recent diagnosis of stiff person syndrome (SPS), a condition that leads to progressive muscle stiffness.
Reports indicate that Dion has arrived in Paris, along with American singer Lady Gaga, ahead of the Games.
In an interview with France 2, Macron commented in French, “It appears she (Dion) has arrived in Paris. That’s wonderful.” He added that it would be “fantastic news” if Dion participated in the opening ceremony, praising her as “a great artist.”
Macron continued, “I would be immensely happy if she could attend this opening ceremony, just like all our fellow citizens.”
When asked for details about the ceremony, Macron declined to disclose specifics, saying, “I will not reveal anything about what Paris Olympics artistic director Thomas Jolly and his team have planned. There will also be a surprise.”
He also noted, “I am not in charge of her schedule.”
Dion disclosed her SPS diagnosis in 2022, which led to the cancellation of her Courage World Tour. Her condition and its effects were explored in the 2024 documentary I Am: Celine Dion.
The singer, known for hits like “My Heart Will Go On,” “Think Twice,” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” has sold over 250 million albums throughout her 40-year career. She has won five Grammys, two Oscars, and the Billboard Music Award’s lifetime achievement icon award. She was also named a knight of the Legion of Honour by then-President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Dion first gained international fame by winning Eurovision in 1988 for Switzerland with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” (Don’t Leave Without Me). Her discography includes both French and English albums, starting with her 1981 debut La Voix Du Bon Dieu (The Voice of the Good God).
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