A life in the spotlight: 50 photos of Canadian megastar Celine Dion

How old is Celine Dion? Old enough to have sold more than 200 million albums, won five GRAMMYs and earned more than $20 million in Las Vegas ticket sales alone. The Canadian superstar has had a rollercoaster few years, saying goodbye to her beloved husband René Angélil and brother Daniel Dion within days, but also triumphantly returning to the Las Vegas stage and performing a stunning tribute to Paris at the American Music Awards. <p>Here, we look back on the singer's extraordinary life as she rings in her 50th birthday on Mar. 30.</p>
On Oct. 30, 1983, a teenaged Celine accepted one of her four Félix awards in Montreal. The singer was just 15 years old at the time. (Photo: © Getty)
For Celine, winning the Eurovision Song Contest on May 1,1988 marked the starting point of her international career. The singer was photographed in Dublin shortly after her big win, beaming ear to ear. (Photo: © Getty)
In 1994, the singer celebrated another career milestone: Selling 1 million copies of her hit single “Think Twice” (from the album ‘The Colour of My Love’) in the UK. The record would eventually be certified six-times platinum. (Photo: © Getty)
Cuddling up to her manager and fiancé, René Angélil, the singer was presented with a diamond record for ‘The Colour of My Love’ in Montreal. The album sold more than one million copies in Canada and six million copies worldwide. (Photo: © CP)
Celine and René were wed on Saturday, Dec. 17, 1994 in an extravagant Montreal ceremony, which was broadcast live on Canadian television. The kooky star wore a silk creation by Mirella and Steve Gentile – complete with a 20-foot train – and an enormous, Swarovski-crystal tiara that had to be sewn onto her head! (Photo: © CP)
Living the glamorous life: Celine Dion was photographed in her limousine on her way to Grammy rehearsals in Los Angeles in 1995. She earned a nomination for Best Female Pop Performance that year for her song “The Power of Love.” (Photo: © Getty)
Sporting a Montreal Canadiens ‘Habs’ jersey, Celine Dion blew a kiss to NHL hockey player Maurice "The Rocket" Richard as he attended her show in Montreal in 1998. (Photo: © CP)
Wearing a replica of the blue, heart-shaped diamond that was made famous in the movie ‘Titanic’ – for which she sang the Oscar-winning theme song, “My Heart Will Go One – Celine made a striking entrance at the 70th annual Academy Awards. (Photo: © Getty)
Celine delivered a powerhouse performance of “My Heart Will Go On” during the award show that evening. She would later take home the Oscar for Best Original Song. (Photo: © Getty)
At the 1999 Grammy Awards, the singer took home two gramophones for "My Heart Will Go On": Best Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year (Photo: © Getty)
The chanteuse made fashion history at the 1999 Grammys by sporting a white tuxedo with a backwards jacket on the red carpet. The John Galliano for Dior look divided fashion critics, but remains undoubtedly one of Celine’s most memorable looks to date. (Photo: © Getty)
Sporty Celine struck an athletic pose at the Mission Hills Country Club during the 2000 Nabisco Golf Championship. (Photo: © Getty)
On July 25, 2001, proud parents Celine and René arrived at the chapel of the Notre-Dame Basilica in old Montreal, Quebec before the baptism of their six-month-old baby boy, René-Charles. (Photo: © Getty)
Celine lent a helping hand to construction workers at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace following the announcement of her Las Vegas residency in 2002. The wildly successful show has since earned more than $20 million, making the singer the "most profitable music act in Las Vegas" since Elvis Presley, according to ‘Market Watch.’ (Photo: © Getty)
Divas squared: Celine teamed up with Cher – who dressed up as Elvis Presley! – for a raucous Vegas performance in 2002. (Photo: © Getty)
Surrounded by her husband René and her proud parents, Adhemar and Therese, Celine Dion unveiled her Bronze Star in Montreal in 2002. <p>Photo: Getty Images
Celine sang "God Bless America" during the 2003 Super Bowl XXXVII Pregame Show at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. (Photo: © Getty)
A huge Celine Dion concert poster was hung on the side of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas preceding her show. The singer performed more than 300 concerts a year at the resort starting March 25, 2003. (Photo: © Getty)
Surrounded by a gaggle of hunky, shirtless men, the French-Canadian icon was photographed rehearsing for her upcoming 'Celine Dion - A New Day' concert at The Colosseum. (Photo: © George Bodnar/CDA Productions via Getty Images)
Celine was all smiles after her opening night performance in Las Vegas, which garnered rave reviews. (Photo: © Getty)
Canadian pride! Celine Dion and Shania Twain were spotted hanging out backstage at the 2003 Billboard Music Awards. (Photo: © Getty)
René planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek after she was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. (Photo: © Getty)
Later that year, Celine celebrated the release of her concept kids album/book, ‘Miracle.’ The project, which was a collaboration with photographer Anne Geddes, became the 11th best-selling kids album of the decade. (Photo: © Getty)
Philanthropic stars Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand teamed up for a good cause in 2005, supporting the 10th Annual "Grand Slam for Children" Fundraiser. (Photo: © Getty)
Sir Elton John and Celine Dion performed during the Harrah's Entertainment Artists Rally Together (H.E.A.R.T.) benefit concert in 2006. The sold-out show, also featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld, raised more than $2.1 million for about 9,400 hurricane-affected employees of Caesars' parent company, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., who had been negatively affected by Hurricane Katrina. Heavy damage had caused the closure of Harrah's resorts in Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana and Hurricane Rita closed Harrah's Lake Charles in Louisiana. (Photo: © Getty)
The singer was a vision in green at the 2007 Oscars, wowing the red carpet crowd in a vintage James Galanos gown with a jewel accessory at the hip. (Photo: © Getty)
The chanteuse took a well-deserved break from her Las Vegas residency to spend some time with her family during a vacation in Disneyland in 2007. (Photo: © Getty)
Dec. 15, 2007 proved to be an emotional day for Celine. The singer, who had just finished her last performance of 'A New Day…' at Caesars Palace, was embraced by her husband and son as fans threw roses at the stage. Almost three million people had watched her perform 717 shows since the show first opened in 2003. (Photo: © Getty)
In 2008, Celine Dion embarked on an unprecedented global tour, which included concert dates in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. The tour grossed more than $279 million worldwide. (Photo: © Getty)
She’s still got it! The singer enthralled an enraptured audience in San Antonio, Texas, as part of her world tour. (Photo: © Getty)
The Angélil family attended the Portland Trailblazers Vs. New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2009 in New York City. (Photo: © Getty)
Sporting stylish 3D glasses, Celine posed backstage with Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and Carrie Underwood at the 2010 Grammy Awards. (Photo: © Getty)
During the Grammys ceremony, the singer cozied up to fellow singer Lady Gaga. She was seemingly unperturbed by Gaga’s wild getup. (Photo: © Getty)
Following the earthquake in Haiti, Celine lent her voice to the humanitarian effort by singing on the "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti" track, which helped raise funds for the devastated Caribbean nation. (Photo: © Getty)
Celine Dion introduced her twin boys, Nelson and Eddy, in a December 2011 issue of 'HELLO! Canada.' The songbird told 'HELLO!' exclusively that the babies, who were conceived after six IVF attempts, had made her life "extraordinary.”
After the birth of her twins and a brief hiatus from show business, Celine was ready to return to the stage. Holding baby Nelson (with René nestling twin-brother Eddy), the Angélil family was greeted by throngs of fans as they arrived at Caesars Palace, where Celine was due to begin rehearsals for her new Vegas show. (Photo: © Getty)
Talk about a superstar photo-op: The Canadian chanteuse posed next to Madonna backstage at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. (Photo: © Getty)
Celine could hardly contain her joy during the closing night party for the Garden of the Gods pool at Caesars Palace on June 12, 2013 in Vegas. (Photo: © Getty)
TV personality Maria Menounos shared a laugh with the singer during a visit to the Universal Studios in Hollywood in September 2013. (Photo: © Getty)
She wowed in a gold dress at the 2013 Billboard music awards. (Photo: © Getty)
Celine released her latest album, 'Loved Me Back To Life,' in 2013, which was her first English-language album in more than six years. (Photo: © Alix Malka)
While visiting Paris in 2013, Celine stopped to sign a ukulele for one lucky fan. (Photo: © Getty)
The songstress showed some serious leg in a gorgeous draped gown at the UCLA Head and Neck Surgery Luminary Awards in January 2014. She ended the evening with performances of her biggest hits, receiving a standing ovation when she closed her set with “My Heart Will Go On.” (Photo: © Getty)
Celine looked ravishing as she joined fellow celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Kevin Spacey, Carrie Underwood and Lady Gaga at <em>Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy concert</em> in Sin City on Dec. 3, 2015. The longtime Las Vegas resident belted out her duet with the late crooner, "All the Way," as an emotional tribute to then-ailing husband, René Angélil. (Photo: © Getty)
At the 2015 American Music Awards, Celine Dion delivered an enchanting rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hyme a l’amour” in honour of those affected by the Paris terrorist attacks. Dressed in a black floral ball gown and accompanied by a full orchestra, the singer captivated the solemn audience as she paid tribute to the tragic events that befell France on Nov. 13. (Photo: © Getty)
On Jan. 14, Celine faced the hardest challenge of her life: saying goodbye to her lifelong manager and partner, husband René Angélil. Her biggest fan, his dying wish had been that she keep performing, and after a heart-wrenching funeral and memorial service, the singer returned to the Las Vegas stage in February 2016, opening the show with a montage of photos of her beloved. "We are one and nothing has changed. We will always be one," she told the audience. Here, on Mar. 13, she shared a special message with fans on Instagram, thanking them for the strength to carry on at the Colloseum. This was the last show before a hiatus that will run until May 2016. (Photo: © Instagram)
In 2016, Celine became the Queen of Couture, with help from her new stylist Law Roach. The duo collaborated on transforming the singer into a sartorially savvy powerhouse by filling Celine's wardrobe with chic pieces from the world's top design houses. <p>Photo: Getty Images
In July 2016, Celine left the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace to take her show on the road. The singer performed 11 sold-out shows in Paris and Belgium before heading home to Quebec to delight crowds in Montreal and Quebec City. <p>Photo: Getty Images
Gwen Stefani asked Celine to be a guest coach for her team on season 12 of <em>The Voice</em>, and naturally the Quebec native jumped at the chance to share her wisdom with aspiring singers. <p>Celine shared some advice her husband Rene gave her back in the early days of her career, telling the contestants, "You cannot be good all the time. You have to be good when it’s time." <p>Photo: NBC/Getty Images
<p>Last year was one of Celine's most incredible fashion years yet. From making the streets of Paris her catwalk to debuting avant garde gowns (like this one) on the red carpet, Queen Celine swiftly became a style icons – if she wasn't already!</p> <p>The Billboard Music Awards was just one of Celine's time to shine, and she nailed it with this incredibly angelic ensemble. Of the Stephane Rolland gown, Celine's stylist Law Roach told <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>, "If someone were to ask me to describe Celine if she was a gown, it would be that gown."</p> <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
© 2001-2020, HELLO! - All rights reserved