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Celine's Titanic Ear Pain
05/03/2006 1:25 PM, E! Online
Celine Dion's heart may go on, but her ears are another story.
The Las Vegas headliner was forced to cancel nearly a week's
worth of gigs last month due to a rare ear disease called
labyrinthitis. The Titanic-voiced singer returned to the Caesar's
Palace stage Friday, though not necessarily with a clean bill of
health.
Rene Angelil, Dion's husband and longtime manager,
told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the problem began with a
viral illness and that fluid build-up in her inner ear led to severe
cases of vertigo.
A posting on the singer's official Website
last month informed ticket holders of the cancellation: "Celine
continues to recover from the virus she contracted last week which
spread to her inner ear. Medically known as viral labyrinthitis, the
condition causes nausea, dizziness, and general weakness.
"Her
doctor has prescribed medication to treat the associated irritations and
instructed her to rest for the next five days, so that the virus can run
its course."
According to the Review-Journal, the
Grammy winner, who has performed several times since returning, has told
fans that the condition could last anywhere "from a couple weeks to a
year."
Which means it may interfere with an important
milestone.
Next Sunday, Dion will celebrate the 500th
performance of her headlining show by giving back to the city, donating
the night's proceeds to the Celine Dion Foundation, which will in turn
disperse the money to 10 separate local charities.
"The
people of Las Vegas have been so good to us since we moved here," she
said. "By dedicating this special show to local charities and
contributing to their efforts to help the community, it gives us a
chance to say thank you in a very meaningful way. We're hoping to raise
a million dollars on May 7th, for these great organizations."
The Candian chanteuse ends her four-year, $100 million run in Sin City
in late 2007, though the stage won't be empty for long.
It
was recently announced that Cher, who not long ago finished up her
latest farewell tour, will be taking Dion's place at the Coliseum,
though like her predecessor, Cher will have a new space built
specifically for her show. She kicks off her run in 2008.
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