AMAs 2015: Celine Dion Brings Audience To Tears With Emotional Tribute To Victims Of The Paris Attacks
Celine Dion and Jared Leto paid moving tributes to the victims of the horrific Paris attacks at the 2015 American Music Awards.
Celine brought the audience to tears with an emotional and powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s Hymne a l'Amour.
130 people were killed in the terrorist attack, including Universal Music Group employees Thomas Ayed and Marie Mosser, and merchandise seller Nick Alexander.
Copyright [Kevin Winter/Getty]
Paying a touching tribute to introduce Celine Dion’s performance, Jared said: “Earlier this year, my band was wrapping up a tour in Europe and we were looking for a good excuse to stop off in one of our favorite cities in the world, Paris. We played an impromptu show in a place called The Bataclan. It was beautiful, peaceful, and unforgettable.
“What a difference a day makes. Seven months later, on the evening of November 13th, 2015, that same venue, Bataclan, was under siege. One of a series of terrorist attacks on Paris that changed the world forever.
“129 innocent people died, 368 were injured, and another seven billion will forever be scarred by this horrific and senseless tragedy.”
Naming some of the victims, he went on to quote a Paris widower, saying: “Antoine Leiris was also at Bataclan and said, ‘Friday night, you took an exceptional life, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hatred.
Copyright [Kevin Winter/Getty]
“You’re asking for it, but responding with hatred and anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are. You want me to be scared, to view my countrymen with mistrust? You lost. We are just two now. My son and me. But we are stronger than all the armies in the world’.”
He added: “Tonight, we honour the victims of the unimaginable violence that has taken place in Paris and around the world. France matters, Russia matters, Syria matters, Mali matters, the Middle East matters, the United States matters. The entire world matters and peace is possible.”
Celine then took the stage to perform a gorgeous rendition of Edith Piaf‘s ‘Hymne A L’amour’, with images of Paris behind her.
