A look at Céline Dion's first foray into English Canada on her way to international fame

In English Canada, television has played a key role as a star maker for many of Canada's pop stars, but Quebec's star machine is entirely different. As CBC SRC TV & Radio Host Anne-Marie Withinshaw explains in the clip above, "the Quebec star system thrives because the Quebec population wants to bring up its own stars. It developed out of necessity to survive and thrive." The system is supported by the people's desire to hear music and see performances in their own language and the infrastructure of talk shows, magazines, radio shows, etc. is in place to make this happen.

And the most famous product of this system is none other than the diva herself, Céline Dion. In 1983, the teenage chanteuse was already famous in France and in her home province of Quebec, but she had yet to break into English Canada or become the international sensation we know and love today.

CBC Producer Cynthia Grech-Kirkbride likens hearing Céline sing for the first time to "the Gold Rush" and immediately booked the young singer for the upcoming Canadian talent showcase, Sounds Great. The special aired live from Epcot Center in Disney World in 1983 and as seen in the clip above, it featured some very special guests; a young Jim Carrey and of course, teenage Céline singing the song her mother wrote her in French, on an English special.

Grech-Kirkbride recalls that bringing Céline onto the show was strategic. While she wasn't sure how English Canada would respond to the French content, she knew that the singer's immense talent would help create a lasting impression of Canadian talent on an international stage, "It's a wonderful feeling to think that it may have just done one little thing to get her out there."

CBC SRC TV & Radio Host Rebecca Makonnen believes this concept of getting talent "out there" is exactly what the star machine entails; it's essential for singer-songwriters to get their name out there by being a guest on every show possible — including shows like Sounds Great. She also recognizes that Céline's success helped fuel the province's star system itself: "She thrived because of that star system but then, in turn, it thrived because of her."

"[Céline Dion] is the blueprint for any internationally successful Quebec artists on how to win an award and stay true to your roots."- Anne-Marie Withenshaw, host, Ici ARTV

Eight years after that TV special, Céline won Female Artist of the Year at the 1991 Junos. Withinshaw says that the vocalist's acceptance speech serves as "the blueprint for any internationally successful Quebec artists on how to win an award and stay true to your roots" because Céline accepted her award in English, but then turned to camera and thanked her home province in French.