Celine Dion reigns ‘Immortal’ in Bee Gees tribute — PHOTOS
It was 20 years ago when Celine Dion joined with The Bee Gees to sing the hit “Immortality” that they had written for her. It was Sunday night during CBS’ tribute to The Bee Gees when, in a poignant segment, our The Colosseum at Caesars Palace headliner reprised the song for Barry Gibb, the last remaining member of the Australian hit-makers.
It was a remarkable and emotional moment during “Stayin’ Alive: Grammy Salute to the Music of The Bee Gees.” I know that there were tears in the audience when the show was recorded in February, and I’m betting that there were tears from her fans who watched the broadcast on Easter Sunday.
Celine recalled her own recent losses of her husband, Rene Angelil, and her brother, Daniel Dion, both of whom sadly suffered from devastating cancer, at the same time she paid her respects to Barry’s late brothers, Robin, Maurice and Andy. It was a heart-wrenching rendition of the hit, which Celine includes at The Colosseum.
“I sing it with love for Barry and in memory of Robin, Maurice and Andy, as well as for my beloved brother, Daniel, and my husband, Rene,” said Celine (Rene and Daniel died within days of each other in January 2016).
Celine performed “Immortality” against a video-screen backdrop that featured the late Gibb brothers singing the song from two decades ago. After the moving performance, she hugged Barry and said, “Thank you. I love you.”
“Saturday Night Fever” star John Travolta kept the mood upbeat when he raced onstage wearing that trademark white jacket with black trim and joked that it made him want to “strike a pose”— and he promptly re-created the look that’s known around the world.
Las Vegas regular John Legend, married to supermodel Chrissy Teigen, whose family lives here, joined with Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Andra Day, Tori Kelly, Little Big Town, Pentatonix and former Flamingo headliner Olivia Newton-John in the CBS special.
The show’s finale was a blockbuster with Barry performing a trio of The Bee Gees’ hits, including “Stayin’ Alive,” when the entire cast joined him onstage. It was a memorable night highlighted by our Caesars headliner as the immortal reigning queen of music.
The two-hour disco special was No. 1 in Nielsen ratings with more than 10.3 million viewers and, along with “60 Minutes,” put CBS atop all four networks Sunday.