Celine Dion made headlines recently as she returned to the stage after a two-year hiatus due to her battle with a rare condition known as Stiff-Person Syndrome, which causes muscle spasms. During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, she moved nearly 3.5 billion viewers with her performance of “The Immortal Song,” showcasing her signature powerful vocals that remain impressive.
However, reports reveal that Dion’s performance may not have been live. According to France’s “Liberation,” composer Etienne Daho stated, “What we saw was indeed a modified recording.” An audio engineer confirmed that the sound was pre-recorded, a notion echoed by multiple experts, suggesting that Dion’s performance was, in fact, pre-recorded.
Interestingly, pre-recorded performances are not uncommon at major events; for example, Lady Gaga’s performance was also pre-recorded, allowing her to simply perform by the Seine. The distinction arises as the Paris organizing committee initially insisted that Dion’s performance was live.
When “Liberation” sought clarification on whether Celine Dion had sung live, representatives from the Paris 2024 committee declined to comment.
Musicians point out that the consistency between Dion’s actual performance and the rehearsed sound is nearly impossible, as there are generally differences between any two live renditions of a song.
In response to media inquiries, the Paris organizing committee has chosen not to comment, and Celine Dion’s team has yet to respond. On social media, discussions around Dion’s “performance” have been lively; however, in contrast to the usual disdain for lip-syncing, reactions appear to be gentler. Many commenters expressed that this revelation isn’t surprising, stating, “There’s nothing strange about this; many famous singers do the same at grand events,” while others emphasized that given Dion’s health situation, a pre-recorded performance is completely understandable.
