In the end, hard work and ambition pays off. Fans know celebrities for their craft and artistry but never the long hours of hard work they put in to achieve their dreams. Mega singers Celine Dion and Madonna, especially spent years perfecting their craft before achieving fame. From a young age, the two women knew they wanted to become huge superstars.
More importantly, they changed the face of pop music forever with their revolutionary styles. While Madonna promoted feminine sexuality, Celine Dion revived the power ballad. Both songstresses have redefined and shaped the music industry in fundamental ways. Despite their elite status, only one of these leading ladies makes the highest net worth.
Rags To Riches
It goes without saying that every celebrity has a backstory. Fans immediately believe that their favorite stars became an overnight success but that’s not the case. For instance, Celine Dion didn’t start off as the “Queen of Pop.” Rather, the international star and her family were poor back home in their native Quebec, Canada.
The Grammy-award-winning singer was born to a homemaker, Therese, and a butcher, Adhemar Dion, which differs greatly from her chosen profession. Furthermore, Dion had been the youngest in a family of 14 siblings. Of course, the young star stood out from her brothers and sisters as her powerhouse voice was realized after singing at her brother’s wedding. At the time, Celine Dion had only been five years old. Despite growing up poor, her parents made sure to cater to her craft. The homemaker and butcher owned a small piano bar where they allowed their young starlet to astound audiences with her voice. However, it wasn’t until age 12, that Dion caught the attention of music manager Rene Angelil, that her music career began.
After sending Angelil a song demo, Celine Dion went on to become a star. The international star recorded a handful of French albums and won several awards, before making it to the states in the 1980s. Her breakthrough record came with the release of her “Beauty and the Beast” single from the Disney film of the same name. Other noteworthy awards won by the artist include scoring an Academy Award for the Titanic song “My Heart Will Go On.” Additionally, she performed “The Power of a Dream” at the 1996 Olympic Games in Georgia, which only furthered her career. The “Ashes” singer went on to become one of the greatest singers of all time. Still to this day, she performs at several Las Vegas residencies. Clearly, her music transcends over time and space.
From Good Girl To Bad Girl
Celine Dion may have redefined the meaning of a Power Ballad, but Madonna changed the scope and feel of Pop music forever. The 62-year-old has also earned the elite title as “Queen of Pop”, making her one of the most trailblazing singers ever. Additionally, the Guinness World Records voted her as one of the best-selling-female-recording-artists-of-all-time. With such high recognition, many would think that Madonna started off with good fortune.
Contrary to popular belief, the “Vogue” singer also had a sort of “rags to riches” backstory. Similar to Celine Dion, Madonna grew up in a big family, having grown up as the youngest child among six siblings. Obviously, Madonna stood out from her huge family just as Celine Dion did. Additionally, the 62-year-old also got her start in Paris, France within the walls of a vaudeville revue ran by a mutual friend. Eventually, Madonna fell madly in love with singing. After moving to New York in 1977, Madonna made her first track “Everybody,” which helped her land a record deal with producer Mark Kamins.
Soon after, the star went on to become one of the greatest pop sensations ever. Madonna gained tons of notoriety for hits like “Borderline”, “Holiday” and “Lucky Star.” Not to mention, her 2003 MTV VMAs performance of “Like A Virgin” where she shared the unforgettable kiss with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, gave her career a mega boost. Clearly, Madonna’s not afraid to show her sexual poweress, which also made her a trailblazing star. Her sexuality may have caused quite the controversy in the 80s, but it also made her stand out from other artists at the time.
By the 90s, Madonna’s star power grew, as she went on to score several Grammy nominations, nine VMAS, and five Billboard Awards. She even got into the film industry, starring in films like Body of Evidence and Dick Tracy. Additionally, the star founded her own label Maverick Records, and published the best-selling book, Sex. Today, the star continues to perform worldwide, making hits like its nobodies business. No wonder Madonna has become the success she is today.
Who’s Cashing In More Money?
While both Madonna and Celine Dion have become two of the biggest female soloists in Pop history, only one of them cashes in bigger checks. Furthermore, Celine Dion and Madonna are known as savvy businesswomen.
According to sources, Celine Dion made $500,000 per show at her Las Vegas residencies from the years 2011 to 2019. On the other hand, Madonna reportedly makes $1.4 billion dollars from earned concert tickets. She even out beat Dion when Forbes voted her as the highest-earning-musician ever known. All and all the singers cashed in loads of checks, with Dion having a net worth of $800 and Madonna $880.
Madonna may have topped Celine Dion by a couple of millions of dollars, but ultimately, they make the same. That just goes to show that both superstars have rightfully earned the title as the “Queens of Pop.”