Celine Dion we think we know everything, Purepeople having even introduced you to the diva in 5 things you did not know. But the life and career of the Quebec singer, now 53 years old, being so rich, there is always something to learn …
Just as the general public thinks that the late René Angélil was Celine Dion’s first manager and discoverer, when she actually signed her first contract with Paul Lévesque, it is wrong to believe the rumor that René got into debt. for her. It is Jean Beaunoyer who twists the neck of this legend which is part of a story telling perfectly orchestrated around the rise of a little girl from Charlemagne who became the greatest singer on the planet. In 1981, René Angélil listened to the model of the song It was only a dream, written by Thérèse Dion. He then meets young Céline at her desk and falls under the spell of her voice. He agreed to produce it and, in 1982, he obtained a contract to manage his career after negotiation with Paul Lévesque.
While the legend claims that René Angélil would have mortgaged his house to produce Celine Dion’s first record, it is not, it is a lie! And for good reason : at this time he is already in debt of 200,000 dollars and his house is already mortgaged. The aftermath of the loss of the contract of its biggest star, Ginette Reno, who wants to manage her career alone. Believing strongly in the talent of the young Céline, he struggles to find the money necessary for the recording of a first disc. He hopes to raise $ 50,000 in this way. “It was said that he had mortgaged his house to obtain this amount and he let the legend grow (…) his house was already heavily mortgaged. Worse yet, the bank believes he is insolvent and cannot get the money he urgently needs.“, we read in the pages of And Angélil created Céline.
Finally, René Angélil will succeed in convincing a man to put this sum on the table to launch the career of his protege: Denys Bergeron, director of the Trans-Canada record company. At that time, however, the company only granted $ 25,000 per album. The duo finally get along so that Céline records two discs at once: Good Lord’s voice and Celine Dion sings Christmas. “It is true that René Angélil was going through a difficult period financially. He did not mortgage his house since I was the one who provided him with the money (…) He had no business in his name. and he was so helpless that I had to pay him a pair of jeans when he went to France with Celine“, confirms Denys Bergeron in the book.