celine dion niece dead© Getty Images

Celine Dion left heartbroken by tragic loss, shares rare personal message: 'Forever in our hearts'

The "All By Myself" singer thanked the late musician for his contributions to the industry

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
March 18, 2024

A week after the death of musician and Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen was announced, Celine Dion took to social media to share a sweet personal tribute of her own.

The American singer-songwriter was revealed to have passed away at the age of 74 in a statement from his wife Amy, although a cause of death has not yet been revealed.

One of his biggest hits was the song "All By Myself," his first single from his debut album as a solo artist in 1975, which became a worldwide top-ten hit.

The song was covered then by Celine, 55, in 1996 for her album Falling Into You, becoming another global hit and one of the Canadian songstress' signature tracks.

Alongside a picture of the late Carmen, Celine wrote: "I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of a great artist, the composer Eric Carmen.

"Eric, thank you for sharing your brilliance with the world, and giving me the chance to sing one of your most beautiful songs, 'All By Myself'. You gifted me with one of my most important songs, and gave me the opportunity to connect with my fans by reaching a new level of emotion."

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The singer recorded his solo breakout "All By Myself" for her Grammy-winning album "Falling Into You"

 She continued: "We will always remember you…you will be forever in our hearts.  With all my love, Celine xx…"

Fans celebrated the legacy left behind by Carmen and thereby Celine's own hit, and fellow songwriter Diane Warren, fresh off her 15th Academy Award nomination this past ceremony, left a sweet response to Celine's tribute.

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"I came to the studio with Eric the nite he heard it and remember how blown away he was by your spectacular performance of his spectacular song," she shared. "We [all] were. Eric was a genius songwriter, and my dear friend. Such a huge loss. Thank U for your kind words Celine."

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The Raspberries frontman passed away earlier this month

Carmen's wife of eight years, newscaster Amy Murphy, announced his passing, sharing that he had peacefully died in his sleep. Her statement reads: "It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen.

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"Our sweet, loving, and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend," she shared, and reflecting on his impact on music, she added: "It brought him great joy to know that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy."

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He achieved success when branching out into his solo career, acquiring multiple US Top 40 hits

Carmen rose to fame as the vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and pianist for the pop-rock group the Raspberries, which was highly successful in the early 1970s.

MORE: Celine Dion shares raw glimpse inside health battle and life away from the stage in epic comeback

After branching out with his solo career, the singer immediately hit it big with "All By Myself," which borrows elements from Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto.

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"Eric, thank you for sharing your brilliance with the world, and giving me the chance to sing one of your most beautiful songs, 'All By Myself'."

The song was a top-three hit in the United States and was one of his only successes in Europe, and Celine's cover of the track for her Grammy-winning 1996 album peaked at number four in the States and was a much bigger top-ten hit worldwide, especially in Europe. It also received critical acclaim for her soaring vocal stylings.

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