Celine DionShe is protesting against the use of her Oscar-winning song from a film about a sinking luxury liner.
The record superstar has a problem with Donald Trump And JD Vance She performed her signature song “My Heart Will Go On” at a campaign event on Friday. The song is, of course, the highlight of the 1997 blockbuster “Titanic.”
Dion posted her opposition to the use of the song after the Trump team played a video showing Dion singing the number live at a rally in Bozeman, Montana. Dion’s disavowal statement:
“Today, Céline Dion’s management team and her record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., became aware of the unauthorized use of the video, recording, musical performance and image of Céline Dion singing “My Heart Will Go On” at a Donald Trump/JD Vance campaign rally in Montana.
“This use is in no way authorized and Céline Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.
… and really, this song?”
The 1997 hit “Titanic” won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as four Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Kamala Harris’s campaign team released a video mocking Trump’s use of the song.
This is the first time Dion has protested the use of one of her songs for political purposes, but it is not the first time Trump has used a classic pop or rock song at his rallies without permission.
He has used samples from the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Linkin Park. He has played Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”, but also REM’s “Losing My Religion” and Linkin Park’s “In the End”, Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”. Most of the cases led to protests from the artists; the Stones threatened to sue in 2020.
Dion last performed at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last month, standing on a stage in the Eiffel Tower and singing “L’Hymne à l’amour” (“Hymn to Love”) by French favorite Édith Piaf. Her return to the stage in Las Vegas is still on hold.
John Katsilometes’ column appears daily in the A section. His podcast, “PodKats!”, can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
