Celine Dion Shares Her Happiness

The first single to be released off Celine Dion's new CD is the title track, "A New Day Has Come." Other songs on her new CD include her rendition of "At Last," a gospel-tinged number first recorded by Glenn Miller in 1941, and "Nature Boy," a song originally recorded by Nat "King" Cole.

The CD is Dion's first studio album since 1997's Let's Talk About Love, which sold 28-million copies worldwide.

Dion says her new album "came naturally" and "is full of happiness." She says the CD was inspired in part by the birth of her son, Rene-Charles, and her own joy. "The gift of life is to be a mommy and sing about it."

"The last two years have been among the best of my life, as my husband and I have started a family and enjoyed our time together. This has made going back into the studio a vehicle to express my growth both personally and artistically," says Dion.

Because of her unwillingness to either leave her baby or tow him around the world at only 7 months old, the album's collaborators flew to her.

She says the baby will travel with her as she promotes her CD and develops her music. "I understand I have a career, but I didn't put a child on this earth to say, 'I wanted you but now I have to sing so you wait for mommy.' He's going with me everywhere, but instead of spending two days in Los Angeles doing 12 interviews a day, we'll spend four days doing six a day."

Dion is moving to Las Vegas next year. She starts a three-year, 600-show engagement there at the custom-designed Caesars Palace. The show will take place in the state-of-the-art 4,000-seat coliseum.

Asked whether she thought being on stage five nights a week could be exhausting, Dion says, "I'm like an athlete in showbiz going for the Olympics. I want to give the best of me to the fans."

Dion recently taped a CBS special in Los Angeles called Celine Dion: A New Day Has Come, as well. It will air on Sunday, April 7, 2002, and will be her first primetime appearance since the birth of her son. She will perform some of her greatest hits as well as new songs off her current CD. Special guests on the show include: Destiny's Child and Brian McKnight. She sings a BeeGees cover with Destiny's Child. R&B singer Brian McKnight sings a duet with her from Beauty & The Beast. The special airs at 8PM/ET in the U.S. and globally in the weeks following.

Dion has sold more than 140 million albums worldwide. She has won five Grammy Awards: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1992 for Beauty and the Beast, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album in 1996 for Falling Into You, and Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Performance in 1998 for My Heart Will Go On.

She also has two Oscars, one for her signature hit, "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic in 1998.

Her hit recordings include: "The Power Of Love," "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," "If You Ask Me To," "That's The Way It Is" and "Because You Loved Me."

To track Celine Dion's career and tour information, visit her Web site at celineonline.com. And visit VH1.com.