Singer posted a video in December 2022 to say that she had recently been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome.
Pop icon Celine Dion has canceled all of her remaining shows scheduled for 2023-24, saying she wasn’t strong enough to tour while battling a rare neurological disorder.
Last year, the 55-year-old Canadian revealed that her condition – stiff person syndrome – affects her singing.
Dion tweeted: “I’m so sorry to disappoint you all again… And even though it breaks my heart, we’d better call everything off until I’m really ready to get back on stage.”
“I’m not giving up…and I can’t wait to see you again!” she added.
“With a sense of immense disappointment, Celine Dion’s Courage World Tour today announced the cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024,” a statement from her tour said.
I hope you get better soon. I watched your concert in 2017 and it was one of the best days of my life! the dream came true. I look forward to seeing you again on stage. Until then, please continue to take care of yourself.
– Maria Fernanda (@mfjabbur) May 26, 2023
Dion, one of the best singers with an octave-piercing voice, is the author of songs like Because You Loved Me, My Heart Will Go On, and Think Twice.
In December 2022, she posted a tearful video on Instagram to say that she had recently been diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome and would not be ready to start her European tour in February as planned.
She said the disorder was causing muscle spasms and was “not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I used to”.
Sufferers typically experience stiffness in the muscles of the trunk, arms, and legs, with noise or emotional distress known to cause convulsions.
The cancellations will affect her 16-country tour of Europe which was due to start in Amsterdam in August and end with two dates at London’s O2 arena in April next year.
The Courage World Tour began in 2019, and Dion completed 52 shows before the coronavirus pandemic halted the rest. She later canceled the North American leg of the tour due to her health issues.
The reaction from fans online was disappointment, but Dion wished luck.
Love, peace, strength and healing to you. We love you just the way you are. ❤️
Mara Dolan May 26, 2023
“Not surprising, but no less sad. Braves to you Celine, we are with you,” wrote one fan info account @LesRedHeads.
“You don’t have to apologize, Queen! Take care of yourself. Your health should take number one priority,” @notaerz wrote.
Dion, the youngest of 14 children, was born in Quebec, Canada and got her start at the age of 12, when her mother sent a recording of it to Angelil, who mortgaged his house to finance her debut album. She began singing in French, but began singing in English after taking English lessons in the 1980s.
She gained worldwide fame in 1997 with My Heart Will Go On, the subject of the hugely popular James Cameron movie, Titanic.
She parlayed this success into a regular gig at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, playing to crowds night after night for 16 years, with only a few breaks.