Celine Dion diagnosed with incurable neurological disorder
Celine Dion has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as Stiff Person Syndrome, she revealed Thursday in an emotional video.
Celine Dion earned her crown as the queen of Sin City after performing for millions of fans in Las Vegas, Nevada for 15 years.
"A New Day… " was her first concert residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and supported her 18th studio album, "A New Day Has Come." The 90-minute show premiered in 2003, and was just as much a visual experience as it was a musical masterpiece. Dion's show became the hottest ticket in town and brought fans in from all over the world.
Her initial three-year, $100 million contract (which included a stake in profits) with The Colosseum was extended by two years due to the show's incredible success. After more than 700 shows, "A New Day… " ended in December 2007. It's still credited as the most successful residency of all time.
Dion's distinguished presence on The Strip ushered in memories of old Las Vegas, where visitors were just as interested in hitting the tables as they were to see Elvis Presley during his seven-year stint at the International Hotel, or catch The Rat Pack in the Copa Room at the Sands Casino in the early '60s.
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Celine Dion made millions on multiple Las Vegas residencies through the years, and inspired the likes of Britney Spears, Elton John and Katy Perry to pursue multi-show concerts in the desert. (Getty Images)
She paved the way for a new era of performers to make their mark – and earn millions with multiple shows at one venue – in the desert, including residencies from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Elton John.
Viva Las Vegas
Celine redefined the entertainment industry in 2003 with her "A New Day… " residency when she invited fans to come to her instead of globetrotting around the world with a full concert production.
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Directed by Franco Dragone and choreographed by Mia Michaels, 43 dancers helped create an awe-inspiring performance. More than three million fans got a chance to see the show, which earned more than $500 million in revenue.
She returned to Caesars Palace in 2011 for a second residency, aptly titled "Celine," which earned nearly $300 million.
Dion began the series on March 15, 2011, and ended the 424-show stint in June 2019, having played 1,141 shows in total across 16 years in Las Vegas. Her residencies are the two highest-grossing and best-selling Las Vegas residencies of all time having grossed $681.3 million, according to AEG.
Celine Dion helping construction workers at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace before her press conference to announce that her tickets are going on sale May 23, 2002. (Kevin Mazur)
Celine Dion performs during the first night of her new show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. (Ethan Miller)
Celine Dion stands with her son at the final performance of her Caesar's show. (Ethan Miller)
At the end of her residency in 2019, Dion paid tribute to her late husband and manager, René Angélil, during the show in an emotional moment she shared on stage with their three children.
"I’m both proud and humbled by what we’ve accomplished at the Colosseum since we began 16 years ago when René and I first shared this dream," she told the audience. "This entire experience has been a huge part of my show business career, one that I will cherish forever."
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The five-time Grammy Award winner was due to begin a new residency at Resorts World in 2021, but rising health issues forced her to slow down.
Celine admitted to a setback in her plans to return to the stage with her "Courage" tour in 2023 during an emotional video posted Thursday where she revealed she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-person syndrome. The autoimmune disease can cause muscle spasms and affect mobility issues, and Dion was forced to postpone her upcoming concerts to 2024.
"While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what has been causing all of the spasms I've been having," she said. "Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
Celine Dion and husband Rene Angelil smiled ahead of her debut in Las Vegas. (Toni Anne Barson)
Sir Elton John and Celine Dion perform together during the Harrah's Entertainment Artists Rally Together (H.E.A.R.T.) benefit concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace February 20, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller)
She added, "It hurts me to tell you, today, that this means I won't be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February. I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help get better and my precious children, who are supporting me and giving me hope."
Concerts West / AEG Presents and Resorts World Las Vegas said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, "When Celine is ready and feels she is back to 100%, we will look forward to welcoming her to Resorts World Theatre. Celine’s health is the priority, and we will announce new dates when she is ready."
Gimme More
Britney Spears made her own mark on Las Vegas with her famous "Britney: Piece of Me" residency, which began in 2013 and ended after 248 shows in 2017.
She announced the series on "Good Morning America" via helicopter flyover where 1,000 fans held up cards revealing her new venture would begin in December.
Nearly one million people got a chance to see Spears perform at The AXIS auditorium in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
Britney Spears earned millions during her residency show "Britney: Piece of Me" at The AXIS auditorium located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. (Marco Piraccini)
Jennifer Lopez performs during the debut of her residency show "Jennifer Lopez: All I Have" at Planet Hollywood. (Denise Truscello)
Her initial contract was for two years, but with so much success, she extended for another two years and reportedly grossed more than $138 million.
Between breaks in concert dates, Spears shared the same venue with Jennifer Lopez who took the stage for her "All I Have" residency beginning in January 2016.
At one point, Lopez and Spears battled for Planet Hollywood's highest-grossing showing with JLo earning more than $1 million from an August 2016 performance, but Britney reclaimed the top spot for her final residency performance in December 2017.
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Lopez did nab the most successful Las Vegas residency of 2016, grossing $34.6 million. In total, Jenny from the Block pulled in more than $101 million from 121 shows when her residency ended in 2018.
Hitting the Keys
Celine Dion was in the tilting ground at The Colosseum with Sir Elton John for his first residency in 2004, "The Red Piano."
Originally slated as a 75-show schedule across three years, John performed 243 times throughout six years and ended his first run at Caesars in 2009.
Sir Elton John performs during the final performance of his show "The Red Piano" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace April 22, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller)
He pulled in more than one million fans, garnered $160 million in earnings, and is ranked as the third highest-grossing Vegas residency to date. Cher replaced him with a three-year, $60 million contract of her own.
His second run at Caesars Palace was with "The Million Dollar Piano, which began in 2011 and ended in 2019.
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The "Rocket Man" singer played a total of 197 shows at Caesars once again, earning more than $130 million.
Another star who focused on the keys during her concert, "Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano."
Gaga had the highest-grossing Las Vegas residency in 2019 in a deal with Park Theater at Park MGM worth a reported $100 million. Unlike performers before her, she produced two different shows, one which was focused on her hits and another which showcased her love of the piano.
More than 275,000 people came to see their Mother Monster perform throughout her four-year stay, which had been prolonged from a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lady Gaga performs during her "Jazz & Piano" residency at Park Theater at Park MGM. (Kevin Mazur)
Katy Perry wore an ornate mushroom costume onstage at her PLAY residency. (John Shearer)
Katy Perry announced her first eight-show concert residency in 2021 with Resorts World Las Vegas.
Due to popular demand and rave reviews, eight more shows were added, extending the residency through March 2022.
The "Teenage Dream" singer, in total, now has 54 shows on the block in a contract deal worth a reported $168 million. Perry's residency now runs through April 15, 2023.
Other stars who have set their sights on Las Vegas include Carrie Underwood, Adele, Garth Brooks and Miranda Lambert.
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Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report
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