LAS VEGAS — This is a case of honoring Dion but not Celine.
Famed ’60s singer Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts made the Rolling Stones’ list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. He’s at No. 154. Remarkable, as the Dion we would also expect on that list — Celine — was left off entirely.
The omission has created rampant hullabaloo among Celine Dion’s fans, though not from Dion herself. Requests for comment from her camp have been shrugged off. At this point, she’s not commenting and is apparently not concerned. The superstar is battling Stiff Person Syndrome, which has prevented her from returning to the stage. Her return to performance, at Resorts World Theatre, is still on hold.
On Friday, a tiny-but-mighty contingent of Dion’s fans protested at Rolling Stones’ headquarters in New York on Friday. They carried signs relaying their angst, including, “Rolling Stone is Stoned,” which they also chanted between Dion songs.
The magazine reports the assembly was organized by a group of Dion fans known as the Red Heads, representing the Instagram account @celinedionaddicts_official. The group’s founder, Line Basbous, was present and said most of the group traveled from Canada to express themselves “in the name of Celine.”
Rolling Stone left Dion off its original list of 100 greatest singers, too. Maybe she’ll make the top 300, if it gets to that point. Or 1,000.
Dion is the only artist left off the list of 200 whose fans have risen in protest. Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Cher, Dionne Warwick, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Nat King Cole and Judy Garland also were left off.
Aretha Franklin was named as the greatest, followed in order by Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Billie Holliday, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Otis Redding and Al Green to make up the magazine’s top 10.
A few thoughts about these lists: They are subjective. They are published to generate conversation and debate. They are nonbinding. There is no award for being named.
Should Dion be on that list? Of course. You could argue she deserves to be in the top five, given her record sales of between 200 million to 250 million worldwide. “My Heart Will Go On” won an Oscar, she’s won five Grammys, and she also reshaped the Las Vegas Strip superstar residency culture with two productions at Caesars Palace.
Having said all that, I support Dion’s absence of response on this one. Her record, and records, speak for themselves.
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