Celine performs in her Las Vegas show.

 
She's sold a record-breaking 185 million albums and soared to the top of the charts with hit singles like "My Heart Will Go On," "Because You Loved Me" and "The Power of Love."

Celine Dion—the best-selling female artist of all time—is here to surprise some of her biggest fans! She's taking requests and the first song on the must-sing list is "A New Day Has Come," the title track off her 2002 album.

For five years, Celine thrilled Las Vegas visitors with music, choreography and visual effects during "A New Day," her extravagant stage show. Since the first performance in 2003, more than 3 million people have traveled to Caesars Palace to hear her sing.

What many people don't know is that Celine's show almost ended before it began.
Celine Dion

 
In 1999, Celine hung up her microphone and took a break from show business to start a family. Two years later, she and her husband, René Angelil, celebrated the birth of their first child, a little boy they named René-Charles.

When it came time for Celine to make her highly anticipated Vegas debut, she says she almost backed out. "When I had my son, I didn't want to perform in Las Vegas anymore," she says. "I had a life for the first time. I knew then that I wanted to have more success as a mother than a singer. It was probably one of the hardest moments of my life."

Despite some hesitation, Celine knew the show must go on. She rolled the dice and it paid off...huge! Five years and hundreds of sold-out shows later, Celine took her final bow on December 15, 2007. "I cannot believe that five years have passed by," she says. "It's amazing."
Celine Dion and Oprah

 
Looking back, Celine says her extended stay at Caesars Palace was more than a series of musical performances. "It was a five-year journey," she says. "Even though it was tough to start with, I have to say, I'll miss it."

With multiple shows a week and sometimes more than one a day, Celine says the journey was demanding, but it was never boring.

"It evolved since the beginning, and I'm amazed because I was the first one to think that night after night, maybe it will be very, very difficult," she says. "But it gave me, in a way, stability and a comfort zone. You think, 'How can you do it night after night? It can get boring or something.' It did not. ... The people there are different every night. Nights you don't feel so good, you go on. They give you the energy you need."
Celine Dion and René-Charles

 
Throughout her stint at Caesars, Celine says she didn't count the years, the shows or the number of songs she performed. Instead, she marked the passage of time by counting her son's birthdays. "I say, 'Two more birthdays!'"

Like many working moms, Celine says she sometimes feels guilty when professional demands disrupt family time. "You know how mommies are. ... We want to work. We love what we do, but we love our kids tremendously," she says. "We feel bad and guilty sometimes to take time for us to go to the office."

Some nights, Celine says she sang as fast as she could to get off the stage and see her family. "[I thought], keep the applause for the end. Don't applaud. You know, so I can go home to my baby," she says.

When René-Charles was younger, Celine says he had a hard time sharing her with adoring fans. Then, when he was just 3 years old, she says he asked to see her show. "It was the first time in my life that I was nauseous [before a show]," she says. "When the show started, my smile was hooked to my ears. It was the first new day of my life. I realized that my son has accepted me as a singer."
Celine Dion and Oprah

 
The other man in Celine's life is her husband and long-time manager, René. In 1999, René was diagnosed with skin cancer. At that moment, she says she took charge for the first time in her life.

In November 2007, Celine shared this terrifying experience and the aha! moment it inspired with O, The Oprah Magazine.

Read Celine's complete aha! moment.

In the article, Celine says the most important thing she learned from her husband's battle with cancer is, "My life is so much more than show business. ... My inner voice is a lot stronger than my singing voice."

"I love that," Oprah says. "I thought you must have one powerful inner voice."

Celine also advises aspiring singers to remember that there's more to life than a career. "Maturity is an amazing, wonderful thing," she says. "People focus on maturity [and] gravity. Forget about it. No way. Maturity [means] stability, strength and focus. ... What it says is that before, singing was my life—my vocal cords used to lead the way. Now, I'm in charge."
Celine surprises Brittany.

 
 When word spread that Celine was coming to The Oprah Show, some devoted fans pulled out all the stops to get a seat in the audience. One of the most creative campaigns was led by Brittany, a North Georgia College freshman.

This determined coed covered her campus with "Help Me Meet Celine" fliers that asked students, teachers and total strangers to write to Oprah on her behalf. Her efforts paid off! She's not just getting a ticket to the show...she's also getting a huge surprise from her favorite singer.

Brittany and her friends gather in their dorm lounge for what they think is movie night. Then, the TV turns on and Celine appears on the screen! "Hi, Brittany. It's Celine Dion," she says. "I have big news for you. Listen closely. I want you to tell all your professors that you won't be in class for one day next week because you're coming to Chicago to The Oprah Show, and you have two front row seats. So go pack your bags, and I'll see you in Chicago, girl!"

"Oh, my God," Brittany says. "Oh, my God."

Cameras follow Brittany to her dorm room for a peek at her Celine Dion collection. The walls are covered with Celine posters, while the shelves are filled with everything from Celine coasters and magnets to Celine lotion and perfume! "When I go to bed tonight, I'm going to lay back, probably just thinking about how great this night has been," she says. "This is what I've dreamed of since forever."
Celine sings 'I Drove All Night' for Brittany

 
After years of listening to Celine's albums and memorizing the words to her songs, Brittany finally meets her favorite singer on Oprah's stage. Now comes the hard part...she must choose one song for Celine to perform. What's it going to be?

"I Drove All Night," Brittany says.

"You got it, girl!" Celine says.
Celine and Sarah

 
A viewer named Megan has a very special request for Celine. She says her friend Sarah and Sarah's father cherished the song "Because You Loved Me" ever since they danced to it at Sarah's high school graduation.

Before Sarah lost her father to cancer, Megan says the song gave them another priceless memory when they danced to it at a friend's wedding. "Anytime Sarah hears this song, she thinks of this beautiful moment and the special time that they shared," Megan says. "Sarah's such an amazing friend who has been through so much. Celine, I can't tell you what it would mean to her if you would sing 'Because You Loved Me' for Sarah and for her father."

Celine says she can relate to Sarah's pain. "I lost my dad, too. And you know what? He's part of my life like he's part of yours, and you'll be just fine," Celine says.
Celine Dion with her father

 
When Celine's dad died on November 30, 2003, she decided to perform the evening's concert as scheduled—dedicating the performance to her beloved father. "I felt very bad for the people who were there that night to hear me sing, because obviously nothing came out," she says. "But they saw me open my soul. They saw my pain, and isn't that what it's all about as well?"

Despite her pain, Celine says she is happy she did the show that night. "I needed to go on for my dad," she says. "I wanted to do it just for him. When I finished the show, I collapsed backstage."

Celine recalls her father as someone who provided unending support. "I just remember him giving me a standing ovation for every single song that I was doing," she says. "My dad was my biggest fan ever."
Poonam and Sundeep

 
Not all of Celine's biggest fans are women. A viewer named Poonam says her husband, Sundeep, is an athletic "man's man" with a little secret—"He's a huge undercover fan of Celine Dion!" she says.

Poonam says Sundeep begged her to see a Celine concert in Las Vegas, and he owns all of her CDs. "He belts out singing her songs as loud as he can in the car. He gets made fun of endlessly for being such a macho guy that's so into Celine's music," Poonam says.

Sundeep is such a big fan, his wife made a special request!
Celine Dion sings 'My Heart Will Go On.'

 
Sundeep loves the movie Titanic, which features "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine. So Poonam asks Celine a favor. "I would like to request for Celine to sing the song 'My Heart Will Go On' in honor of my husband, Sundeep."

Celine is happy to comply! "Just for you, Sundeep," she says.
A lucky audience member wins tickets to see Celine in Vegas.

 
Celine has one final surprise set up for a lucky fan in the Oprah Show audience. The night before the show, Celine chose one seat in the Harpo Studios audience. The person who sits there receivde two seats for her final show in Las Vegas on December 15, 2007!
Celine sings 'Alone.'

 
Celine closes the show by singing two songs from her album Taking Chances, "Alone" and the title track, "Taking Chances."

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