Celine Dion’s Son René-Charles Angélil Has a Surprising Job

Celine Dion’s oldest son, René-Charles Angélil, was also bitten by the musical bug, but he’s taken a very different path from his iconic mother. While Dion’s diverse musical catalog, including the ever-popular “My Heart Will Go On,” has dominated the pop charts for decades, Angélil’s genre of choice is rap music. Performing under the alias Big Tip, Angélil began his musical endeavors in 2018 at just 17 years old. That May, E! News discovered his Soundcloud account containing several hip hop and R&B remixes, some of which had climbed to the top of the charts.

In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Angélil revealed that he hadn’t initially told Dion about his plans to release his music. “It’s kind of messed up, honestly,” Angélil admitted. “I played it to her for the first time (Wednesday). I just felt like keeping it on the low. But she loved it.” Although Dion was surprised to hear her son’s music for the first time, she was ultimately supportive. Angélil also addressed his decision to choose rapping over singing. “It’s the son of one of the greatest singers of all time trying to be a rapper. If I was trying to be a real vocalist, that would make sense. But a rapper? All the lyrics are about my personal experiences.”

Celine Dion may not have initially been aware of her son’s musical goals, but she quickly got on board. In January 2021, Dion even promoted René-Charles Angélil’s EP “CasiNo.5” on her Instagram stories. “I’m so proud of my son,” wrote Dion (via People). “My love for him is so strong, and it touches me deeply that one of his passions is also one of mine. TVEC. – Mom xx…” Unlike Angélil’s previous remixes, it seems that this project, released on Apple Music, did not achieve the long-lasting success his mother’s songs have enjoyed. It appears Angélil has not released music with the same enthusiasm in recent years.

Speculation suggests that Angélil’s minimal reach may be due to a desire to avoid being seen as a nepotism baby. In his comments to the Montreal Gazette, Angélil admitted that the “easy” route did not appeal to him. “My mom’s the greatest singer of all time and she’s got all these outlets,” he noted. “I could have been like, ‘Hey mom, I’m kind of into this music stuff, let’s do something about it.’ But I wanted to prove to myself that I’m able to do it.” He emphasized that making a name for himself was his top priority at the time. Nevertheless, Angélil did express openness to collaborating with Dion in the future.

Despite not having released new music or given interviews about his process recently, René-Charles Angélil made his way to the Grammy Awards in 2024. However, it was not to collect an award for Best New Artist or perform his material. Instead, Angélil appeared on stage to escort his mother, Celine Dion, to the Grammy microphone, as she continued to cope with the effects of stiff person syndrome. The devoted son provided support as Dion walked towards the microphone, holding onto his arm.

This moment was reportedly out of character for Angélil, who generally avoids public appearances. “I didn’t ask who was going to accompany her. When I saw her arm-in-arm with René-Charles, all confident with his little beard, it was totally crazy!” shared Dion’s sister, Claudette Dion, with Le Journal de Montreal (via Hello!). She added, “He’s an introvert, even if he loves music, he’s not someone who expresses himself much in public, so we knew he did it especially for his mother.” Claudette also likened Angélil’s protective nature to his late father, René Angélil, saying, “He was looking after her. A real René Angélil!” How heartwarming!