Celine Dion Cancels All Shows After Heartbreaking Medical Diagnosis
Because of complications from Stiff-Person syndrome, Celine Dion has had to cancel 42 tour dates.
According to Variety, Celine Dion is canceling 42 of her own upcoming tour dates, but she’s doing so for a very good reason. Citing a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome as the reason for canceling her “Courage” world tour, Dion is struggling with muscle spasms that are affecting her movement as well as her ability to sing.
Celine Dion’s “Courage” tour kicked off in 2019, but like many other world tours at that time, it was cut short after 52 shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining 42 dates were then rescheduled to 2022, but the tour was postponed once again due to her ailment, which was undisclosed at the time. Now that we know what she’s dealing with, we can’t help but think that she made the right decision to lay low and focus on her health for the time being.
In a heartfelt message to fans on her Instagram page, Celine Dion said, “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%.” Although it’s a disappointment to ticket holders that they will have to wait once again to see Celine Dion belt out “My Heart Will Go On” in person, it’s worth noting that pushing through an illness while on tour can have tremendous and irreversible adverse effects on one’s health.
We’re reminded Tom Petty’s tragic passing in 2017, which very well could have been prevented if he took some time off and nursed himself back to health after his hip injury. It’s always a disappointment when your favorite songwriter has to cancel a string of tour dates, but the bigger picture is that if they push their health to the limit, there may be no coming back from the compounding health issues that surface while taking their show on the road.
Considering how rare Stiff-Person syndrome is, affecting roughly one out of a million people, it’s safe to say that Celine Dion made the right call in postponing her shows while she seeks out proper treatment. Stiff-Person syndrome has a wide range of symptoms, including stiffening in the torso and limbs and severe muscle spasms that can affect the vocal cords. To add insult to injury, environmental triggers like loud noises (read: concerts) can further exacerbate the condition, and trigger an episode that would most definitely stop a performance dead in its tracks.
There is presently no known cure for Stiff-Person syndrome, but there are ways to treat it with sedatives, muscle relaxants, and steroids.
For those of you who purchased tickets for Celine Dion’s “Courage” tour, refunds will be issued via the original point of sale. Though the “Queen of Power Ballads” has not announced any future rescheduled dates, we’re holding out hope that she finds a suitable treatment that will allow her to eventually finish out her remaining tour dates in good health.
