Celine Dion sobbed when Kelly Clarkson performed “My Heart Will Go On” and applauded her junior for her emotional performance.
On October 8, Celine Dion released a video on X, praising Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the first season of American Idol, for her performance on the show Kellyoke, which aired in late September. The diva said, “I just heard you sing My Heart Will Go On and cried again. You are just fantastic. I absolutely enjoy your cover.
Before complimenting her voice, Celine Dion said that she sobbed when she witnessed Kelly Clarkson’s Hymne à l’amour performance at the Paris Olympics in July. She recalled: “When I returned from the Olympics, I listened to your remarks on the performance at the Eiffel Tower. That was really lovely. Those comments triggered my emotions and moved my heart.”
At the time, Kelly Clarkson was one of three commentators for the NBC event. She said Celine Dion’s performance left her dumbfounded, and she was grateful for the diva’s fortitude to overcome her sickness and return to the stage. Clarkson has referred to the singer as a “vocal athlete.”
A few hours after sending the message, Celine Dion responded to her seniors’ love and support with an Instagram video. She wrote, “I’m not sure how much it means to me to know you. Thank you for being such a tremendous example of enthusiasm and one of the best vocalists of all time—someone who continues to inspire me.”
Kelly Clarkson revealed in the video that she auditioned for American Idol 22 years ago at the age of 19, hoping to catch Celine Dion’s attention after hearing the singer’s song I Surrender. “Now I have the privilege of having my hero see me sing and execute her song admirably. “I feel like I made my 19-year-old self proud,” Clarkson said.
Born in 1968, Celine Dion is a Canadian singer, part of “The Vocal Trinity”—one of the world’s three most influential divas, alongside Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Celine has received five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In 2016, Billboard named her the Queen of Contemporary Music.
In December 2022, Celine Dion officially announced her diagnosis of Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare autoimmune movement illness that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). This illness, which affects just one in every one million individuals, creates muscular stiffness and makes it hard for her to operate her vocal cords as she previously could, preventing her from singing normally. The singer revealed in May 2023 that she would cancel her tour indefinitely to focus on her therapy.
Since her illness, Dion has made very few public appearances. Her performance of “L’Hymne à l’amour” at the 2024 Olympics will be her first on stage after two years of suffering this painful disease.
Kelly Clarkson was born in 1982 and rose to fame after winning the first season of the American Idol music talent competition in 2002. Her debut hit, “A Moment Like This,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 list and became the most popular song of 2002. Throughout her career, the singer sold around 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide, earning three Grammy Awards. Many magazines consider her to be one of the most successful female singers in history, as well as the most successful American Idol champion.