Celine Dion answered all the questions on Watch What Happens Live on Monday night (Nov. 18).
With excitable host Andy Cohen putting the Canadian siren through the paces, Dion played “It’s All Coming Back to Celine!,” “Versace or Hibachi” and even judged a drag competition during an action-packed, higher-than-high camp blitz through her legendary career.
Asked who her musical heroes were growing up, Dion said it was her 13 brothers and sisters, as their musical tastes (Beatles, Janis Joplin, Doobie Brothers, Stevie Wonder) informed hers. And when Cohen wondered which historical figure she’s met that impressed her the most (The Pope, Princess Diana, Pres. Clinton), Dion deffered to the musical icons who visited her long-running Las Vegas residency: Michael Jackson and Prince, who she said “came many times.”
But it was when Andy asked Celine if there was any song she passed on that she regretted, the singer revealed the most shocking story. “There’s one song that I didn’t wanna record…and I’m glad that they didn’t listen to me,” she said. “‘My Heart Will Go On,’ it’s true…it didn’t appeal to me, I was probably very tired that day,” she said of the Titanic hit that has become her signature ballad. But her late husband and manager, René Angélil, convinced Celine to just demo it once and that vocal ended up as the finished recording.
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Speaking of Angélil, when a caller asked if Dion is dating, the singer said she is not currently seeing anyone or dating, but that doesn’t mean that she may not find someone. “If I do that would be great. If I don’t, that would be great,” she said of finding love three years after her longtime love’s death. “Because I’m still in love. Once you’re in love so much…you know I’ve been living all my life with René, he’s still within me, I see him through the eyes of my children every day.”
Dion also judged the first-ever “That’s the Wig It Is” drag competition, during which three queens modeled a trio of legendary Celine looks, including, of course, that classic backwards white tux she wore to the 1999 Academy Awards. During a scorching game of “Versace or Hibachi?,” Dion also ran through some of her most memorable and regrettable fashion choices over the years, from a body-hugging latex bodsuit to a Canadian tuxedo and, or course, that backwards suit.
“Everybody was wearing gowns, but I feel like I was the rare one wearing pants on the red carpet,” she said, assuring Cohen that there was no way she simply put it on backwards because she was in a hurry. C’mon.
Dion also addressed her anxiousness about singing with the late Aretha Franklin at the 1998 VH1 Divas Live show, some insecurity about climbing to the heavens to hit that high note in “All By Myself” and what she thought when she found out Barbra Streisand was in the bathroom at the 1997 Oscars when Celine was paying homage to her hero.
After finishing up her 16-year Vegas run, Celine recently kicked off her North American tour in support of her Courage album. Watch Dion on Watch What Happens Live below.