Celine Dion to return to stage for performance at Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris

CNN
—

Celine Dion She is set to return to the stage at the Paris Summer Olympics.

Dion is scheduled to close the ceremony on Friday from the first stage of the Eiffel Tower, singing Edith Piaf’s timeless classic, “La vie.”

The live performance will mark the superstar entertainer’s first concert performance since revealing that he has Stiff Person Syndrome, a “rare, progressive syndrome” that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Dion, 56, December 2022 After announcing her diagnosis, she said she was taking time off work to focus on her health, saying at the time that her illness meant she was unable to “sing like I normally do.”

The “My Heart Will Go On” singer last performed live on July 2019, LondonEngland.

Lady Gaga kicked off the opening event by performing “Mon truc en plume” by Zizi Jeanmaire, a female singer who was active in French music halls in the 1950s, along the Seine River.

Last month, Dion Share more information While promoting her new Amazon documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” Celine Dion spoke about how stiff-person syndrome, which causes involuntary spasms and muscle stiffness, has made her life more difficult.

In an interview with NBC Hoda Kotb At the time, the singer said that trying to sing with his condition made him “feel like someone was choking me.”

The spasms can occur in different parts of the body, including the abdomen, spine and ribs, she said.

“I’ve broken ribs, because if it’s really bad you can break your ribs,” the Grammy winner said.

But Dion hasn’t been completely sidetracked by her diagnosis. At the Grammy Awards earlier this year, Appeared on stage We will be awarding the final trophy of the night.

In the documentary, Dion spoke about her decision to return to performing.

“If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl,” she said. “And I won’t stop. I won’t stop.”

CNN’s Lisa Resperse-France and Allie Rosenbloom contributed to this story.