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Mother of the Year 2009
Celine Dion

Hall of Fame for Mothers has chosen Celine Dion, wife of manager Rene’ Angelil and mother of son Rene’-Charles as our Mother of the year 2009.

Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born March 30, 1968 to a Roman Catholic family in the little town of Charlemagne, Quebec, the youngest of fourteen children.  She grew up in a close and loving musical family.  Her parents formed a singing group, Dion’s Family, which toured Canada when Celine was still an infant.  Her mother encouraged her singing voice in her early childhood.  By the age of five, she was performing for anyone who would listen.

In 1980, her encouraging mother brought her to agent/manager Rene’ Angelil, who was so, moved by her talents that he mortgaged his home to help finance her career.  By 1981, they had released her first record in her native French language, “La Voix du bon Dieu” (“The Voice of God”), which made her into a national singing star in Quebec.  In following years she competed and won many awards including the gold medal at the Tokyo World Song Festival.  Other awards and recognitions included being approach by Swiss song writers Atilla Sereftug and Nella Martinetti, as the representative for Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, singing “Ne partex pas sans moi”.  Winning the contest in Dublin, Ireland on April 30, 1988 was a large boost to her career in Europe.  She made her mark in the U.S. market with the breakthrough single, “Where Does My Heart Beat Now”.

It was late in 1993 when she indicated publicly she was in love with her manager and friend Rene’ Angelil.  Eventually, they became engaged and were officially married in 1994.  They celebrated their nuptials at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica, in an elaborate ceremony.  Their wedding was broadcast on television across Canada.  While there is a twenty-six year difference in the couple’s ages, they have had a very close and happy marriage.

Celine told many of her friends and fans how important having a child was to her.  After years of publicly wishing for a child—and enduring an intensive round of in vitro fertilization treatments to conceive, at age 32 Dion was able to conceive!  Rene’-Charles was welcomed into the world on January 25, 2001, weighing in at 6-lbs. 8-oz.   Their son, Rene’-Charles, arrived three weeks before his Valentine’s Day due date. Dion’s father, Adhemar arrived in Florida shortly before the birth of his grandson and her mother Therese Dion was able to hear the first cries of their grandson over the phone from the Hotel Le Bristol in Paris, France.

Dion’s obstetrician Dr. Ronald Ackerman, who assisted in the cesarean section delivery performed by his partner Dr. Steven Pliskow reported, “Everybody was just crying tears of joy, nurses, doctors, and experienced people were moved to tears!”  “This was their dream,” said long time friend and recording producer David Foster.  “It’s bigger than any hit record, bigger than anything for them.”

Become a mother was a long, hard labor of love for Dion.  Since her son’s birth she has dedicated herself to her family as a caring mother with a career.  While motherhood did not come easily for Celine she has celebrated her family and so we celebrate her!  

We are pleased to recognize Celine Dion as our Mother of the Year 2009.