Celine Dion: People Hated My Blonde Pixie Cut

USMagazine, Friday, August 31, 2012, 5:45am (PDT)

Celine Dion is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the world, but according to the 44-year-old mother-of-three, her rare talent isn't the reason she's beloved by millions.

"It's not the voice, and I don't think it's the songs. I don't think it's the presence. But it could be the stability of my life," Dion muses in the September issue of Vegas magazine. "The craziest thing I've done is cut my hair blonde and short a couple of years ago. And people reached out to me saying, 'Celine, you're one of the most stable things we have in our lives. Don't do that. We want you the way you are.'"

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"I'm an open book," explains Dion, who wed her manager, Rene Angelil, 70, in 1994. "When Rene was sick [with throat cancer in 1999], I shared that. When I was having a hard time having kids, I shared it. We're normal. We struggle to have what we want sometimes. We have ups and downs. Suddenly that singing has meaning."

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Though she admits to having help, Dion begins her day like most working mothers. "I wake up and help feed my 23-month-old twins, Eddy and Nelson, and soon I'm covered in yogurt, strawberries, cereal, you name it," the Canadian star says. (Dion is also mom to son Rene-Charles, 11.)Despite her numerous awards and chart-topping albums, Dion believes her legacy will be the lessons she and Angelil instill in their three boys.

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"My kids give me the balance to live right. The hardest thing to find in life is balance. Especially the more success you have, the more you look to the other side of the gate. What do I need to stay grounded, in touch, in love, connected, emotionally balanced? Look within yourself. I think I am the luckiest woman," Dion tells Vegas. "I have a wonderful husband, I have three amazing kids. What am I looking for? I'm passionate about my fans and my shows. But my biggest reward in the success that is my life are my husband and kids."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Celine Dion: People Hated My Blonde Pixie Cut