After an extremely difficult start to the year, Céline Dion will be honoured at the Billboard Awards later this month. To receive the Icon Award, she will give her first televised performance since the tragic deaths of husband René Angélil and her brother Daniel in January.René died on 14 January, aged 73, and 59-year-old Daniel passed away just two days later, both having sadly lost their battles with cancer, leaving Céline devastated. But, ever the professional, she has maintained the mantra that the show must go on – something she's keen to drive home at the award ceremony on 22 May.
© Photo: Getty ImagesCéline Dion will make her return to TV following her husband's death
Show producer Mark Bracco said: "Céline Dion has a huge repertoire of monster hits and she personally chose to perform [Queen's] The Show Must Go On as her ICON performance on the Billboard Music Awards. I think, at this moment in her life, the song has many meanings and is an amazing choice. "Céline, 47, undoubtedly deserves to be recognised as a musical icon; she's sold over 250 million records worldwide, had four US Billboard number one albums, 14 adult contemporary number one singles and is a four-time Grammy award winner.
© Photo: Getty ImagesRené Angélil died in January and just days later Céline's brother Daniel Dion passed away
She took a short break to mourn the losses of René and Daniel, but honoured her work commitments and returned to the stage in Las Vegas just a month later for her residency at the Colosseum.
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The superstar opened her show with a montage of photos, and received a standing ovation for her emotional performance of With One More Look at You/Watch Closely Now. Fighting back the tears, Céline explained: "Every time I closed my eyes I felt René on stage with me, whether he was seated in his seat right there, in the balcony, backstage with the kids. He's always on stage with me, and nothing will ever change that."
