Celine Dion explains why she wore a coat on 2024 Grammys stage

Dion surprised audiences when she appeared onstage at 2024 Grammys amid Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis

Celine Dion has opened up about her emotional appearance at the 2024 Grammys earlier this year.

In a video interview with Vogue’s “Life in Looks” series, the 56-year-old Canadian singer explained her decision to wear a mustard yellow coat on stage while presenting the Grammy for Album of the Year, which ultimately went to Taylor Swift for her 2022 album, Midnights.

“It made me feel better for a moment to hold onto this coat, to hide myself a little bit from all these little things,” Dion said about her fashion choice for the evening.

“It was very nerve-wracking, but at the same time, a big honour,” she told Vogue about her surprise appearance at the awards ceremony. “That magic. That excitement. To see the fans, to see the crowd. To see show business again.”

The “My Heart Will Go On” singer stunned viewers at the 66th annual Grammy Awards on 4 February when she walked onstage after being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome - an autoimmune and neurological disorder that causes rigidity in the torso and limbs. The “All By Myself” singer revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with the incurable, rare neurological disorder and subsequently cancelled the remaining dates of her world tour.

As she appeared onstage wearing a blush pink gown and caramel coat from Valentino’s spring 2024 haute couture collection, which was styled by Law Roach, Dion was greeted with a standing ovation from the audience. She was escorted onstage by her 23-year-old son, René-Charles Angélil, which Dion admitted helped give her the support she needed to present the award.

Céline Dion is escorted by son René-Charles Angélil onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards on 4 February 2024 (Getty Images)

“It took a lot, a lot out of me. But my son, René Charles - RC - came and gave me his support,” Dion said. “And to present the award - the album of the year - to Taylor Swift, it was an honour because she’s having the time of her life and I’m the one who’s presenting it to her.

“But it’s always very, very touching when you have a standing ovation,” she added.

Throughout her career, Dion has been hailed as a “true fashion icon” for her on-stage and off-stage looks. However, in a recent interview with Vogue France, the singer brushed off praise for her style, saying that she “wouldn’t go as far as saying that” about herself because it would be “very pretentious of” her.

Dion explained that her fashion sense has evolved from its humble beginnings, when her mother “mended [her] tights, sweaters, coats and mittens, all [her] little things for winter.”

The “I’m Alive” singer, who grew up with 13 brothers and sisters, explained how she was given her siblings’ “hand-me-downs” throughout her childhood. It wasn’t until she received her first paycheck for her paid television appearances that she was able to buy clothes for herself.

“With my first successes, I bought a house for myself and my husband, and for my parents and some family members too,” she said. Dion welcomed three children with her late husband René Angélil: René-Charles Angélil, 23, and 13-year-old twins, Nelson and Eddy.

“After my first album in English, I was able to buy clothes by designers, and I started to read fashion magazines,” she added.

Dion has since stuck by her own rule of buying her own designer clothes, explaining: “I have always bought everything myself. I didn’t want to borrow. It’s a form of respect. People pay to come and hear me sing, so I pay to buy myself clothes by designers.”