Canadian music icon Celine Dion has criticized and mocked former US President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance for using her Oscar-winning song from Titanic at their rally. On Friday, just before Trump took the stage at a rally in Bozeman, Montana, a video of Dion performing her 1997 hit “My Heart Will Go On” was played on a large screen.
The day after the rally, Dion’s management team and record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., issued a statement on her behalf, clarifying that the use of the song was “in no way authorized.”
“Today, Celine Dion’s management team and her record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., became aware of the unauthorized usage of the video, recording, musical performance, and likeness of Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at a Donald Trump / JD Vance campaign rally in Montana,” the statement read, which was shared across all her social media platforms.
“In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” the statement continued. The final line of the statement, however, caught the attention of many online, as it took a jab at the campaign’s choice of music: “…And really, THAT song?”
Trump and His History with Artists
Dion recently returned to live performances, singing at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, her first appearance since revealing her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in 2022. Trump had criticized the opening ceremony after a sketch was perceived by some as a parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” although event organizers denied this claim.
Dion joins a list of artists, including Neil Young, Queen, and the Rolling Stones, who have previously objected to Trump using their music at campaign rallies. In 2020, the Rolling Stones even threatened legal action when Trump played “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Similarly, in 2019, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon sent Trump a legal notice, barring him from using Black Sabbath’s music in campaign videos.
It’s worth noting that US politicians are not always required to seek direct permission from artists to use their songs. Typically, campaigns can purchase licensing packages from music rights organizations that grant them legal access. However, in Dion’s case, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. stated that they did not authorize the use of her song by Trump’s campaign.
