Celebrity

Celine Dion’s sweet friendship with Aussie music legend John Farnham 

The hidden gem in 'I Am: Céline Dion' we didn’t see coming.
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Céline Dion gave us everything we were expecting from her touching new documentary I Am: Céline Dion and more.

The My Heart Will Go On singer had us in complete awe as we witnessed the magic that can only be described in two words: Céline Dion. 

And she had us crying as she intimately shared her challenges with Stiff Person Syndrome — the rare illness that’s taking a toll on her legendary voice.

However, what we never expected was to have the curtains drawn on her friendship with none other than Aussie music icon John Farnham

 Céline Dion and John Farnham sing a duet in melbourne
Céline and John share a beautiful friendship. (Image: Getty)

JOHN FARNHAM: THE MUSE

Australians know John well as the voice behind the anthemic You’re the Voice and other ‘80s classics. In the documentary, Céline shares the moment she first heard John sing that song. 

“It was so powerful, his voice was incredible, so emotional,” she gushed. “I wanted to include that song [in my tour] so bad.”

She recalled thinking about where she could make it happen. “Where can I sing that song? Aha!” she said. “You want me to be in Australia? You’re gonna hear me sing that song. But never, I thought, that I was going to sing it with him.”

The two friends-to-be met for the first time in 2018 on the Aussie leg of her tour across Asia, Australia and New Zealand. 

Their first meeting, aired on The Project, was heart warming. John, with his characteristic modesty, thanked Céline for calling him a ‘good singer.’ 

And Céline, ever the fan, corrected him with a smile, “You’re not a good singer. You are the voice.”

Celine Dion and John Farnham on stage together in Melbourne looking happy
The two made Melbourne concert-goers very very happy indeed! (Image: Twitter)

JOHN AND CELINE DION: THE DREAM DUET

Then in Melbourne (and in true Céline-Dion fashion), the singer not only belted out You’re the Voice — she invited John to join her on stage for a surprise duet!

“I’ve wanted to sing John Farnham’s You’re the Voice on my tours for so many years, and it’s been so great to finally do it on this tour,” Céline wrote on Instagram after the legendary performance.

“I still can’t believe that I got to perform it with the one-and-only John Farnham! I will never forget this, the thrill of a lifetime. John, thank you for your incredible talent, you’re amazing. I love you!”

TWO ICONS, ONE HEARTFELT FRIENDSHIP

Céline has become the post child for Stiff Person’s Syndrome. (Image: Getty)

Both stars have faced their share of health battles recently. Four months before Céline revealed her shocking diagnosis, John shared that he had throat cancer. That was in August 2022.

In an interview with Sunrise, Céline opened up about their shared challenges. Neither she nor John can perform at the level they once did because of their health battles. 

“It’s prophetic that I performed [You’re] the Voice with him, then I lost my voice,” Céline shared.

“I tell you that, when I’m back on stage and I sing Help, it will be for you, John, for sure. Thank you for that gift.”

We’re not crying, you’re crying! Such a touching moment.

Watch their beautiful friendship and all the emotionally raw moments on I Am: Céline Dion, streaming on Prime Video now.

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