Celine Dion surprised fans when she made a surprise appearance as the final presenter at the 66th Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles.
Just over a year ago, the Canadian singer announced that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), forcing her to cancel her “Courage” world tour dates. In 2021, Ms. Dion canceled her Las Vegas residency due to health concerns.
“Thank you all. I love you right back,” Ms. Dion said on the evening of Feb. 4 following a standing ovation after being escorted on stage by her eldest son, René-Charles Angélil, 23.
“When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she said.
The 55-year-old singer also has 13-year-old twin sons, Nelson and Eddy, with her late husband, René Angélil, who died in 2016.
Ms. Dion presented Taylor Swift, 34, with the night’s biggest award, the Album of the Year, for “Midnights,” noting that Ms. Dion also received the award at the 39th Grammys in 1997.
Ms. Swift’s historic win was her fourth win in the category, surpassing Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra, who each won the award three times. She previously won the category for her albums, “Fearless” in 2010, “1989” in 2016, and “Folklore” in 2021.
“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love, or when I’m shot listing a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers, or my band, or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show,” Ms. Swift said.
“For me, the award is the work. All I want to do is keep being able to do this,” she continued. “I love it so much. It makes me so happy.
“It makes me unbelievably blown away that it makes some people happy that voted for this award, too. So, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do what I love so much. Mind blown.”
Social media quickly lit up, calling out the “Anti-Hero” singer for not making eye contact with the “My Heart Will Go On” crooner as they shared the stage.
Possible Comeback
This past week, Ms. Dion announced the release of her upcoming documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion,” which promises to take viewers on an intimate journey inside the pop legend’s battle with SPS.“The last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she said in a press release on Jan. 30.
“As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans.”
“During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis,” she continued.
Fans are hopeful that the Grammy appearance is a signal that Ms. Dion will once again perform on the stage at some point.