In his book, The Carnival of the Ambitious which will be published on October 31, 2024 by Editions XO, Patrick Sébastien tells, among other things, how he came to the aid of several artists in their beginnings, long before they became stars. If Jean Dujardin has already declared that the ex-host of the show The largest cabaret in the world was a prince who changed his destiny and that Albert Dupontel nicknamed him his “good fairy”we know less that Patrick Sébastien was one of the first to put Céline Dion on stage in France.
“Young girl in kitsch ruffled skirt“: Patrick Sébastien talks about his memories of Céline Dion who was opening for her when she was 16 years old
In September 1984, Patrick Sébastien was the star of a show which took place under a big top.planted in a vacant lot a stone’s throw from the city“, before going on tour to perform, among others, in the legendary Olympia hall. For the first part of his show, he chose Philippe Lavil and, before him, a young 16-year-old from Quebec: Céline Dion Accompanied by René Angélil who was not yet her companion but already her manager, the “.young girl in kitsch ruffled skirt“, as Patrick Sébastien describes it, has the heavy task of starting the evening. When he almost apologizes for the conditions in which she must perform the show, Céline Dion has this almost premonitory sentence: “So I don’t care about the decor! For me, you know, as long as I sing, it’s Las Vegas everywhere.“It’s hard to imagine that, years later, she would indeed be a triumph in concert in Las Vegas, before having to, heartbroken, cancel her shows for medical reasons. Patrick Sébastien remembers her to this distant period as “a baby bird that straws with all its might. With all his talent. With all his ambition.“
“He’s a global icon but…“: Patrick Sébastien speaks candidly about the life of Céline Dion
Interviewed exclusively by Tele-Leisure on the occasion of the release of his book, Patrick Sébastien once again evokes his memories of Céline Dion, but also his current life. “This little one, she was cheerful, lively and today she suffered a lot, she is sick. So yes, she was successful, she is very rich, she is a world icon, but the question I ask myself is: ‘Which of the two was happier?’. I think maybe the 16 year old was happier. She had no money, but she already had René with her and I’m sure she misses him a lot.“, he analyzes. Indeed, if the international superstar impressed everyone with her stunning performance during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she still seems to suffer martyrdom because of the syndrome of stiff person she suffers from and therefore not ready to go back on stage, where she is certainly the happiest.
