Celine Dion cancels world tour due to health issues
The Canadian superstar suffers from stiff-person syndrome.
Celine Dion has made the difficult decision to cancel her entire 'Courage World Tour'. The 55-year-old has postponed several shows in the past due to a serious condition.
The 'My Heart Will Go On' singer was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as "stiff-person syndrome" in late 2022.
The condition causes muscle spasms, which can occur randomly. It also affects her voice.
"I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.
"I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” Celine said in a statement shared on social media.
All remaining dates for the European leg of her tour - which was set to run into 2024 - have been cancelled.
Celine's tour kicked off in Canada in September 2019. It was the first time she had embarked on a world tour since her 'Taking Chances World Tour' - which took place between 2008 and 2009.
She completed 52 shows during the North American leg of the 'Courage' tour before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the concerts to a halt.
The singer's stiff-person disorder resulted in further postponements. The European leg of the tour was originally supposed to begin in May 2022.
"Celine's medical team continues to evaluate and treat the condition," the statement added.
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Despite her health challenges, the 'I'm Alive' singer remains active on social media.
Celine also released a new song, 'Love Again', in April this year ahead of the release of her new movie of the same name. She filmed the movie, which stars Priyanka Chopra and Sam Heughan in the lead roles, in early 2021.
Celine celebrated the anniversary of one of her biggest hits in March 2023.
"Today marks the 25th anniversary of Celine’s performance of 'My Heart Will Go On' at the Oscars!" her team wrote on her Instagram.
The song, which was featured on the 'Titanic' movie soundtrack, was released in 1997. Celine performed the song at the Academy Awards the following year. It won 'Best Original Song' at the ceremony.
An upgraded and reimagined version of the song's music video was posted on YouTube to celebrate the anniversary.
"Newly transferred from the original 35mm film reels and assembled in a brand new 4K edit, this performance focused video features exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the original 1997 ‘My Heart Will Go On’ video shoot."
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Celine is confident that she will overcome her health challenges and return to the stage. For now, she is focusing on spending more time with her sons René-Charles Angélil and twins Eddy and Nelson.
Nelson is named after Nelson Mandela. Celine and her now-late husband, René Angélil, met the former South African president during the South African leg of her 'Taking Chances World Tour'.
"René said that in just the few minutes they were able to spend with him, they were impressed by the human being he is. Céline and René want their children to be inspired by their names, because they were so inspired by these men,” Celine's rep said shortly after the twins were born.
Main image credit: Instagram/@celinedion (Love Again movie)
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