Céline News Archive (May, June, July 2001)

MONTREAL (AP) - Singer Celine Dion's infant son made a fuss during his baptism - to be expected of a 6-month-old - in front of about 250 family members and guests Wednesday.

"Little Rene-Charles wasn't cut out for a big ceremony like that because he cried quite a bit," said Michel Jasmin, a Quebec television host and family friend.

The boy had to be undressed to be immersed in the baptismal font and then dressed again, Jasmin told RDI, Radio Canada's all-news network.

The service at a chapel adjoining the Notre Dame Basilica in Old Montreal took place exactly six months after the birth of Rene-Charles.

The baptism followed the rites of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church, in keeping with the faith of his father, Rene Angelil. Melkite Christians follow Orthodox rites but are loyal to the pope.

While the 40-minute ceremony was long for the baby, Jasmin said it was touching to watch his parents comfort him. He said Dion took him in her arms and "almost instantly he stopped crying."

Hundreds of onlookers gathered outside the chapel for a glimpse of the family as they arrived for the service.

Dion wore a gray pant suit with pearls, and Angelil carried Rene-Charles, who was dressed in a white gown and cap.

"I'm here because it's Celine Dion," said Pierre Leblanc, 57, who arrived early for a good view. "She's the biggest singer in the world and she's a Quebecer. I think she well represents Quebec to the rest of the world."

Celine Dion's baby baptized in Montreal

MONTREAL (Reuters) - French Canadian pop diva Celine Dion baptized her six-month-old ``prince,'' Rene-Charles, Wednesday at a sober Catholic ceremony preceded by a publicity frenzy with all the glitter of a Hollywood premiere.

Dion and husband Rene Angelil, Quebec's equivalent of a royal family, arrived in a limousine at Notre-Dame Basilica, in an event broadcast on national television.

Some 250 friends and members of the family gathered inside Montreal's landmark church while a hoard of photographers and more than 1,500 excited onlookers cheered a radiant Dion, known for a string of hits including the theme song from the movie "Titanic".

Dion's infant son was baptized under the rite of the Catholic Greek Melchite faith, shared by Angelil, which means that he also received the sacrament of the confirmation and first communion as well as the baptism.

Montreal officials closed off the streets in the city's historic district and rolled out a blue carpet at the entrance to the church chapel.

A lavish but private party with guests was held later at Dion and Angelil's residence in Laval, north of Montreal.

Dion, 33, is on a three-year sabbatical from show business as she takes care of her young son. The popular singer has said she will make a comeback in a musical in Las Vegas in 2003.

The Quebec-born artist, who began her career singing in French, is famous for the hit as "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic".

The child, born on Jan. 25, was conceived through in vitro fertilization in New York.

The singer was recently named the world's best-selling female artist, with fans around the world snapping up more than 125 million albums in the 1990s.

Dion and Angelil, who is also her manager, were married in in Montreal in 1994. He has managed Dion's career since she began singing as a teenager in the town of Charlemagne near Montreal.

25 July 2001

Dion's little Rene a traffic-stopper

Baptism spurs vehicle ban near basilica
DEBBIE PARKES
The Gazette
It may be a private affair, but it's a public event. At least that's the way the city's public works department describes the baptism of Rene-Charles Angelil.

Streets will be closed around Notre Dame basilica in Old Montreal for this morning's baptism of the son of pop star Celine Dion and her manager husband, Rene Angelil. But not out of any desire for favouritism, said Andre Lessard, head of the public events section of the department.

Rather, it's a matter of public safety, he said. The same rules apply for any other event likely to attract large crowds - whether it be the funeral of a public figure or a visit from the pope.

"It always depends on how much public interest an event will elicit," Lessard said, explaining his division studies each case before making a decision.

And while the private security firm hired by Dion and Angelil was courteous enough to advise the city in advance of the baptism plans, the family was under no obligation to do so, Lessard added. Sometimes the city finds out about such things through news reports, he said.

Streets inside the area bordered by St. Laurent Blvd. and St. Francois Xavier St. to the east and west, and Notre Dame and St. Paul Sts. to the north and south, will be closed to motor vehicles from 8 a.m. to noon, Montreal Urban Community police say.

As well, the public works department is putting up barriers to keep cars off St. Sulpice St., between Notre Dame and St. Paul, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Lessard said.

Most of the costs related to the street closings will be paid through the police's and city's regular operating budgets, police and Lessard said.

But the city will bill the wealthy parents for the permit to close St. Sulpice St. and the lost revenue from nine parking meters - a grand total of $125.

23 July 2001

Celine's son a Greek Melkite like any other

Rene-Charles to receive a combined baptism, first communion, confirmation in Catholic ceremony

HARVEY SHEPHERD
The Gazette
Little Rene-Charles, the 6-month-old son of pop star Celine Dion, is just another Greek Melkite Catholic when it comes to the rites that will be used at his baptism Wednesday, says the priest who will preside.

"We give all Greek Melkite infants baptism, confirmation and first communion at the same ceremony," Msgr. Michel Sayde said yesterday.

The ceremony in a chapel of Notre Dame Basilica will be led by Sayde, vicar of Melkite Bishop Sleiman Hajjar of Canada and rector of St. Sauveur Melkite Cathedral in Montreal.

He will be accompanied by Roman Catholic priests Msgr. Yvon Bigras, rector of the basilica, and Msgr. Ivanhoe Poirier, who married producer Rene Angelil and Dion in December 1994.

Rene-Charles will be baptized according to the rites of the Melkite church, the church of his father, Rene Angelil.

Angelil has Lebanese and Syrian roots, like most members of the Melkite church. With about 38,000 members in Canada, the church has rites similar to those of the Greek Orthodox Church (which is what the word "Greek" in its name refers to) but is in full communion with the Vatican.

In Montreal, a number of Melkite and other Eastern-rite Catholic churches regularly worship according to their own rites in Roman Catholic churches.

Sayde said not all Melkite parents wait as long as six months before having a child baptized; that's left up to the parents. Whenever the rite takes place, it is combined with confirmation and first communion.

He said the actual rites also differ from those used by Latin-rite Catholics in several ways.

The child is baptized by what Sayde considers immersion; he is held over a basin of water and, although he is not actually plunged into it as in some Orthodox baptisms, the priest pours copious quantities of water over the child rather than just sprinkling him. The confirmation ceremony includes anointing with consecrated oil. For the first communion, the priest soaks a tiny morsel of consecrated leavened bread in wine, then puts it in the baby's mouth.

Among Catholics of the Latin rite, it is common to baptize children soon after birth, with first communion coming a few years later - in Quebec, generally when a child is in Grade 2 - and confirmation by a bishop about three years later.

But the timing of the rites is still under discussion even in the western church. The 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church says that, in the first centuries of the church, confirmation "comprised one single celebration with baptism. However, as infant baptisms proliferated through the year and there came to be more rural parishes, it became difficult for bishops to get to all baptisms.

"In the West, the desire to reserve the completion of baptism to the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two sacraments. The East has kept them united, so that confirmation is conferred by the priest who baptizes. But he can do so only with 'myron' (oil) consecrated by a bishop."

19 July 2001

The latest picture of René Charles isn't he cute! Well the word is out René Charles' baptism will take place next Wednesday, July 25th. Exactly 6 months after he was born, we could have known, Céline and René have a thing for dates and numbers :o) Read the article below

Rene-Charles will be baptized the next week. It is next Wednesday when Céline Dion and René Angélil will baptize their boy, Rene-Charles, in the Notre Dame De Basilica in Montreal. The parents chose the same place where they married in 1994 for this ceremony. The couple, the godmother and the godfather went to the basilica last Wednesday morning to prepare the event. Litte Rene-Charles was accompanied by his nanny. The ceremony, which will be chaired by Mgr Michel Saydé, will contain spoken words in French, Arabic and English, and will be carried out according to the rite Greek-melkite. It will start at 10 a.m.

15 July 2001

According to Voici magazine, René Charles will be baptized July 31st in the Notre Dame De Basilica in Montréal, Québec.

11 July 2001

Franco Dragone has been interviewed at Brussels while he was presenting his new concert "Europe" Cap there, and here are some of the questions which are related to Celine:

How is your work with Celine Dion going?

"We meet each other every six weeks. From the autumn, we will tighten our schedule because there will be a new album to prepare. Celine will present all her songs to me. In addition, I will shoot for her first video. It is really much of a job, but it's worthy when one works with people who have a professionalism and uncomparable talent."

Will she come to repeat in Louvière?

"Yes, I will work here for six months with this current spectacle. She will be here for only one month and half. On the other hand, we will work for four months with Las Vegas."

6 July 2001

Opposite to rumours we heard before, we now heared that René Charles' christening is going to be a very big event, which is going to take place this month in the 'Notre Dame De Basilica' in Montréal, Québec. So there's still hope for us, the fans, it could mean that we get to see new photographs and footage of Céline, René and René Charles.

You can now reach 'OTWC' through www.ontourwithceline.com it might be easier to rememer than our angelfire-adress :o) You can e-mail the webmasters at the following e-mail addy's:

Egbert: egbert@ontourwithceline.com
Suus: suus@ontourwithceline.com
Cindy: cindy@ontourwithceline.com

Besides that we'll be on vacation until July 15, in the meantime, keep voting for 'On Tour With Céline' at the top 100. Thanks, see you again soon :o)

3 July 2001

Warner Bros made a statement that Céline won't participate in the first Harry Potter movie 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. Those rumours where spread after sources assumed that James Horners' participation would also mean that Céline would be involved. Again this is not true :o(

27 June 2001

Recently, Céline finished the recordings for her upcoming english album. It is said that this album will contain more pop songs similar to 'That's The Way It Is' but there will also be some ballads. The release for the album is planned for November 2001.

Céline's return to the stage is planned for March 2003 in Las Vegas. The 90-minute show will be completely in english. But there are rumours that there also plans for a french version of this upcoming show which Céline will bring to Quebec (Canada), Belgium, France and Switzerland in 2004. The rumours say that 'Stade de France' is already rented for 2004 :o).

Last but not least, there's the news that Jean-Jacques finished up a new french album for Céline too. This album will be released in 2002 or 2003.

23 June 2001

Last thursday the Montréal Gazette had an article about René Charles' baptism. Read the article below.

Basilica Baptism For Dion

One thing is certain about the coming baptism of Rene-Charles, the baby of Celine Dion and her husband, Rene Angelil, it will be another lavish affair to remember. If the celebrity couple's 1994 wedding is any indication, the baptism of 6-month-old Rene-Charles at Montreal's Notre Dame Basilica next month will probably be right up there in terms of star-power and glitz. The guest list for the traditional Catholic ceremony is not complete, but might number more than 100 people, mostly celebrity friends and family members who attended the couple's spectacular wedding at the same church in December 1994.

The singer's publicity office in Montreal downplayed a Journal de Montreal story this week that quoted an unnamed Dion family member who said the baptism will probably take place at the church at the end of July.

"For now, we don't know what date and where the baptism will be," Murielle Blondeau, a spokesman for the singer, said yesterday. "Celine will baptize the baby, but it will strictly be for her family, it will be a private ceremony. That's what the family wants and we have to respect their wishes."

The newspaper report said the singer is a happy mother and is overjoyed that she's with the two loves of her life, Rene-Charles and husband, Rene.

The news of Rene-Charles's baptism at Notre Dame Basilica came as a shock to church officials. "As far as I'm concerned, it's not true and I'm responsible for all of the activities in the church," said Yoland Tremblay, a church administrator. "I don't have any kind of information, that's it, that's all." He said couples normally contact the church six months in advance to book a date for a baptism and no request has been received from the singer or her family. Dion's fairy-tale wedding seven years ago was attended by more than 500 guests, including former prime minister Brian Mulroney and his wife, Mila, Quebec singer Rene Simard and composer David Foster.

At the wedding ceremony at the Westin Mont-Royal Hotel, guests sipped champagne and dined on sushi. The main lobby staircase was covered with gold dust and rose petals and a bird cage with four white doves was placed there to complete the romantic effect.

22 June 2001

Well Céline's new album is definately growing more and more definate with all those new facts that keep coming up. This article from the Hollywood Reporter mentions that Christian Wahlberg and Anders Bagge, two musicians from Sweden are currently writing songs for several artists including Céline. Read the article below.

The founders of Murlyn Music Group have been producing and writing hits for such acts as Jennifer Lopez and 98? since 1997. Christian Wahlberg and Anders Bagge and their team of producers are on call to write new songs for Celine Dion, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Jay-Z, Ricky Martin and Whitney Houston. Now, with a new label and distribution deal with Universal Music Group, Wahlberg and Bagge are readying to take their Stockholm, Sweden-based music company global. The duo have just inked a three-year deal with Universal Music Group's Interscope Records for the United States and Polydor for international to launch full-service record label Murlyn Records.

19 June 2001

According to 'Jounal de Montréal' Céline is currently staying at her parents house in Rosemére. The article mentions that Céline, René and René Charles will stay there for a week, to make preparations for René Charles' baptism which is going to be at the end of July in the 'Notre Dame De Basilica' in Montréal, the same place where Céline and René got married in 1994. Céline will spend the whole summer in Quebec, we're not sure when she'll start her stay in Quebec but we assume it's going to be just before René Charles' baptism.

18 June 2001

The latest 'Céline Dion Eyes' promo-poster. BEAUTIFUL!!

12 June 2001

Just this afternoon we heard about this rumour that Céline might do the soundtrack for the first Harry Potter motion picture but there were serious doubts about that. Just now we've found this little news flash:

Friday's Boston Herald edition mentioned that Celine was offered a supporting role for a new Harry Potter movie that is currently in preparation. It doesn't say whether or not Celine has accepted or refused the offer.

According to showbizz.net, Celine's next album will be in English. Jacques Coco Letendre mentions that the preparation has already begun.

Is Céline going to act again? Those who saw her in 'Des Fleurs Sur La Neige' know that she's a very good actress. Wether she is singing or acting we think this Harry Potter movie is going to be a MAJOR succes judging to all those Harry Potter books which were sold the past year so it would definately be a very smart career move. And it's something she's never done before. They're rumours for now, but we get to hear more and more about it so it may be true. So we hope it is. Maybe we can see Céline in the movie theatres around the world next year!

CÉLINE OF RETURN FOR HARRY POTTER?

A rumour runs indeed as what Céline Dion would take part in the original tape of film HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER' S STONE. According to this rumour, the song would be entitled THE SERVANT BOY WHO LIVED and would have been written by James Horner and Will Jennings, these even which wrote the topic for TITANIC. Although all is possible in the world of the cinema, it is necessary to take this rumour with a coarse salt grain. The principal reason to doubt this rumour is that John Williams (JAWS, STAR WARS) is the type-setter appointed for HARRY POTTER, and not James Horner. Lastly, if the rumour is true, it will be confirmed by Warner Bros before a long time.

11 June 2001

Today the members of the Céline Dion International Fan Club received mail from the fanclub. They announce Céline's upcoming show in Las Vegas, the fanclub is very busy working on their own website which is going to be located at www.celinedion.com. Céline and René recently went to court to claim that domain-name. The envelope also included a postcard showing Céline, René and little René Charles. On the back:

Céline's First Mother's Day

For her very first Mothers' Day, Céline remained wisely in her Jupiter (Florida) home, in company of her four-month-old son René-Charles, her husband and her sisters Manon and Linda. To underline the event, her cook made a beautiful cake for her. As deeply attached to her family as always, our diva did not forget to give the traditional phone call to her mom. " When she called me, René-Charles was in her arms and he made a small sound. I then said: " Perfect, He wished me a happy day! I am happy ", tells Maman Dion while laughing. Thérèse Dion does not weary little babies. But that of Céline has something special. " I believed that I would never see Céline's children. After all, I was 41 years old when I had Céline. To be able to hold Rene-Charles in my arms is my greatest joy. It should be said that he is adorable ", specifies Dion grandmamma with sparkles in her eyes.

23 May 2001

Hi there Céline-fans, 'On Tour With Céline' now offers you, in cooperation with Bas Dijkhof's Céline, You're The Reason I Wake Up Every Day website:

CélineChat

Click on 'Chatroom' in our index or surf to www.celinechat.com to talk to us or to other fans from around the globe, we hope to meet you there soon!

22 May 2001

More and more sources mention that Céline will or is recording a new english album, this is an article from the LA Times:

Celine Dion Signs Deal to Perform in Las Vegas

Entertainment: The singer's three-year contract with Caesars Palace starts in 2003

By JEFF LEEDS, Times Staff Writer

Certain entertainers embody Las Vegas' glitz: Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and now, Celine Dion.

The Canadian singer has signed a contract to perform five nights a week at Caesars Palace hotel-casino for three years beginning in 2003. It's unprecedented for a pop superstar to agree to be anchored to one venue for such a length of time.

The deal, which sources say will pay the 33-year-old entertainer an estimated $45 million over the term of the contract, rivals the sum she could earn from a 40-date world tour before expenses. But it allows her, instead, to stay at home to care for her new child, born in January.

Analysts said the Caesars deal could spark interest in other unconventional live-concert deals at a time when record sales are essentially flat and record conglomerates are under fire for squeezing artists' royalties.

"Going forward, the value in music is probably going to come more from playing in live venues than from selling albums," said Michael Nathanson, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. "Harkening back to the Grateful Dead, they had a pretty cool model. They said, 'We don't have to sell a ton of records. We can tour like crazy, build a fan base and make money a different way.' I think it's intriguing."

But few musicians have the mega-wattage star power needed to draw a large enough audience to turn a profit on such a deal. Concerts West, a concert promotion firm owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz, is counting on Dion's global sales and Las Vegas' international tourism business to deliver constant sell-outs.

Caesars expects to spend $65 million to erect a 4,000-seat theater to house the production. Plans call for the promoter to price the tickets from $85 to $150, hauling in ticket sales of as much as $300 million over the contract. Dion will be prohibited from performing in any other concerts during the period.

"This is a new genre of live entertainment for an artist," said Concerts West co-Chairman John Meglen. "Everybody loves to go to Las Vegas. They can book their vacation around this thing."

The Caesars deal also marks an unusual experiment in marketing: Dion plans to release her next album on Sony's Epic label one year before her appearances at the casino, but she probably won't mount a major tour to promote it. Instead, the songs will be incorporated into the theatrical production supervised by Cirque du Soleil Director Franco Dragone.

Representatives of the singer, who has sold more than 37 million albums in the United States alone, said they doubt that would handicap record sales. "The Beatles haven't toured that much [lately] but they're still selling records," said Dion's husband and business partner, Rene Angelil.

Angelil said the singer would perform in a theatrical production in the style of such Las Vegas shows as "O" and "Mystere." He said Sony Music Chairman Thomas D. Mottola approved Dion's Las Vegas deal after seeing "O."

The deal also comes at a time when signing headliners is back in fashion among casino executives. Singer Wayne Newton signed a reported $250-million deal two years ago to perform exclusively at the Stardust Hotel and Casino for 10 years.

21 May 2001

A major Los Angeles paper has announced today that Céline has confirmed her Las Vegas plans and is in the studio recording a new english language album, set for release early 2002!

The album is to contain 12/13 brand new tracks, this time with a heavy pop genre, many 'That's The Way It Is' type songs and also many familiar Ballad type songs! A true mix of Celine's talents.

The album should also contain 2 songs written by Dianne Warren which were shortlisted for 'All The Way...A Decade Of Song', but didn't quite make it. One of them is the often mentioned 'Run Like A River'.

The album is expected to cover much new ground for Celine and of course we'll support her in everything she does! Well this the second time, this new album is mentioned, we'll try to find the source of this article for you. We hope this is true, if it is...we sure can't wait!

19 May 2001

If this article from the 'Hollywood Reporter' is really true Céline is going to make us, her fans, extremely happy. This article mentions that Céline's working on a new album! WOW!

DION WILL GO ON AT CAESARS, HAS ALBUM IN WORKS

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Celine Dion's hiatus from the music business is over. The Epic Records Group artist has accepted a three-year contract to perform at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas starting in March 2003 and is in the studio recording a new album. The show will be presented by Concerts West, and true to grand Las Vegas style, a $65 million, 4,000-seat theater is being constructed at Ceasars especially for Dion's show.

Under the deal, Dion is expected to net more than $100 million, sources said.

The show will feature Dion surrounded by a theatrical presentation directed by Franco Dragone, who mounted Cirque du Soleil's extravagant productions "Quidam," "O" and "Mystere."

The show will be produced by Dion and husband Rene Angelil's company CDA Productions Inc. in association with Dragone's company Creation du Dragon and Concerts West.

"We are committed to being an artist-friendly company," Concerts West co-CEO John Meglen said. "This is creating a new genre of live entertainment for a performance artist. ... This is representative of the kinds of commitments we want to make. We want to get with an artist and really (understand) what's in their heart and their soul with how to do it."

Last year, Dion and Angelil said they wanted to take time out from the business and focus on family life. The two became parents in January. While Dion will perform five nights a week, 40 weeks a year during her initial three-year Vegas stint, insiders close to the couple said Dion and Angelil agree that the immobility of the show will be more conducive to child-rearing than an on-the-road tour. In fact, Dion is already laying out what her dressing room/nursery at the venue will look like, Meglen said.

Concert tickets will range from $85-$150, Meglen said.

Concerts West is part of the Anschutz Entertainment Group.

17 May 2001

Official Press Release, source Céline Online

CELINE DION TO HEADLINE ‘ONE-OF-A-KIND’ THEATRICAL MUSICAL SPECTACULAR AT CAESARS PALACE

Music Superstar Joins with Franco Dragone, Sony Music and Concerts West to Form ‘Dream Team’ Alliance in Creation of Long-Running Musical Production.

LAS VEGAS (May 17, 2001) As part of an unprecedented alliance, Sony Music recording artist Celine Dion has accepted an offer to perform in an exclusive, extended engagement at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The unique production, which will be presented by Concerts West, will debut in March, 2003.

Ms. Dion’s performance will be the centerpiece of a spectacular theatrical presentation directed by Franco Dragone, creator of the enormously successful "Quidam," "O" and "Mystère." A brand-new 4,000-seat theatre, designed to resemble the Colosseum in Rome, is being constructed specifically for this concert engagement which is scheduled to run for a minimum of three years.

Ms. Dion, who gave birth to her first child on January 25th, was recently named the world’s best selling female artist, selling more than 125 million albums worldwide over the past decade.

Ms. Dion and her husband René Angélil’s company, CDA Productions Inc., will produce the show, in association with Franco Dragone’s company, Créations du Dragon (cq). Concerts West, an Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) company, will present the show.

"Concerts West is dedicated to creating this type of ‘one-of-a-kind’ production for audiences worldwide," said John Meglen, Co-CEO of Concerts West. "We are excited to team with Caesars Palace, which has a long history of hosting internationally renowned entertainment and events. We are so privileged to be associated with Celine Dion, René Angélil and Franco Dragone; three individuals we consider not only to be among the most talented in their fields but the most honorable partners any organization could have."

"This alliance brings together an entertainment ‘Dream Team’ in Celine Dion, René Angélil, Sony Music, Franco Dragone, Concerts West and Caesars Palace," said Thomas E. Gallagher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Park Place Entertainment Corporation, the parent company of Caesars Palace. "We have had a long and wonderful friendship with Celine and René. We are delighted to join them in this all-star coalition to create an extraordinary show that will combine the best in music and the best in theatre. We are particularly proud that the home for this remarkable experience will be at Caesars Palace."

"It was not only our great admiration for Celine as a performer but our tremendous respect for her and René as the people they are that led us to this partnership," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President of the Anschutz Entertainment Group. "Under the leadership of Concerts West, this ‘one-of-a-kind’ production will show how the synergies of the AEG affiliated companies create tremendous opportunities for our organizations and those we do business with."

Information will be available beginning Tuesday, May 22, at (877) CELINE-4 (877-235-4634) and online at www.caesars.com. An on-sale date and public ticket information will be announced at a later time.

Park Place Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest gaming company and owns, manages or has an interest in 28 gaming properties operating under the Caesars, Bally’s, Hilton, Grand and Flamingo brand names, with a total of 2 million square feet of gaming space, more than 28,000 hotel rooms and 57,000 employees worldwide.

Based in Los Angeles, Concerts West, Ltd. is one of the world’s largest producers and promoters of live music events and tours. Run by veteran tour promoters John Meglen and Paul Gongaware, the company’s primary focus is indoor arenas, which allows for an extension of artists’ tours and increased revenue by eliminating seasonality. Concerts West is and AEG Company.

The Anschutz Entertainment Group, Inc. (AEG) is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, the London Arena, the Great Western Forum (as exclusive booking agent for sports and entertainment programming), HealthSouth Training Center and the Kodak Theater (as operator); sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), the Manchester Monarchs (AHL), Redding Royals (ECHL), Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids (MLS), five hockey franchises operated in Europe and portions of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA); Envision, a naming rights and sponsorship company; Spring Communications, devoted to creation and marketing of live events for pay-per-view and other electronic media; Turnstyle Marketing, a full-service marketing and advertising agency; and Concerts West, a live entertainment promotion and touring company.

AEG is currently overseeing the development of the L.A. Sports and Entertainment District, a proposed 4 million square foot development featuring LA Live, a state-of-the-art live theatre, a 1,200-room convention “headquarters” hotel along with entertainment, restaurant and office space all adjacent to STAPLES Center. In addition, AEG is spearheading the creation of a national training academy that will include major facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, basketball and other sports in southern California.

13 May 2001

Céline is on the cover of 'France Dimanche' the headline says: "Her terrible fight, her little René-Charles' baptism even had to be posponed". Well this is a gossip magazine, again don't believe a thing until it's confirmed by Céline, René or Francine Chaloult (her press agent).

8 May 2001

Today we found an article on the Montreal Gazette Site telling us that the musical 'Notre Dame De Paris' written by Richard Cocciante and Luc Plamondon, is soon to be opened in Germany, The Netherlands and Spain. The song 'Live (For The One I Love)' on Céline's album 'All The Way...A Decade Of Song' was taken from that musical.

30 April 2001

Today we celebrate 'Queens Day' here in Holland, every year we celebrate the birthday of our Queen Mum on the 30th of April. This is also a very special day for Céline and René. Today, exactly 13 years ago, Céline won the Eurovision Song Contest, and as you may know, on that day that victory lead up to their first kiss and the start of their relationship. Congratulations Céline and René!!!