Celine Still Singing for America

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday September 25, 2001 12:05 PM EDT

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Yahoo Buzz
• E-mail

The attack on America has resulted in a call to action for semi-retired, French-Canadian pop diva Celine Dion. Not only was she and her rendition of "God Bless America" a highlight of last Friday night's "America: A Tribute to Heroes" TV event, but her agent announced on Tuesday that she'll be lending her presence and voice to help further the cause. This Friday, Dion, 33, will headline a five-hour show in Montreal for which proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross. She'll join nearly 200 Quebec artists, including members of the celebrated Cirque du Soleil troupe, in a "Quebec-New York" benefit at the Molson Centre, home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. She reportedly will sing her hit, "L'Amour Existe Encore" ("Love Still Exists"). Until this week, Dion had been partaking of a self-imposed, three-year sabbatical from show business in order to care for her 8-month-old son, Rene-Charles. The singer, who is married to her manager, Rene Angelil, has said that she plans her comeback in a musical in Las Vegas in 2003. Meanwhile, in related news, according to a study appearing Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, listening to music is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress during troubled times such as these. "People now are using music to help them deal with sadness and fear," said Dr. Anne Blood, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital. "We are showing in our study that music is triggering systems in the brain that make them feel happy." So, sing out, Celine.