(SOUNDBITE OF CELINE DION SONG, "MY HEART WILL GO ON")
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
One of the most recognizable voices in the world is returning to the stage. Celine Dion has announced a short residency in Paris beginning in September. This will mark her return to full-length concerts after announcing in 2022 she was battling a rare, neurological disorder that causes muscle spasms, including compressions on her vocal cords. But one of the most mighty voices in music will soon bring new magic to millions of listeners.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MY HEART WILL GO ON")
ELISA FURR: (Singing) You're here. There's nothing I fear. And I know that my heart will go on.
SIMON: Ah, but that's not Celine Dion. That is the mighty voice of Elisa Furr. She's a Celine Dion tribute artist in Las Vegas, and has headlined six different shows there, won competitions for her tribute talents, and has also toured the world to share her voice, which, of course, is inspired by Celine Dion's voice. Elisa Furr joins us from Las Vegas. Thanks so much for being with us.
FURR: Hi. How are you today?
SIMON: Well, we're just fine. How are you feeling about Celine Dion's return?
FURR: I'm so excited. This is just one of the biggest announcements of the decade, surely. There are millions and millions of people that are so excited for her comeback.
SIMON: What is it about Celine Dion - her voice, her presence, her everything - that captures so many people?
FURR: She doesn't sing at people. She sings to them and with them. She connects with them in a way that not a lot of artists do. She's also just fearless. She's so serious at times, but then she can also be so silly and self-deprecating, and she just resonates with so many people on so many of these levels.
SIMON: Does this boost interest in your own work, too?
FURR: You know, it does, and I'm grateful for it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TO LOVE YOU MORE")
FURR: (Singing) I'll be waiting for you, here inside my heart. I'm the one who wants to love you more.
SIMON: How do you do Celine Dion? 'Cause this is not an impersonation. It's a tribute. It's invoking her. How do you do it?
FURR: I still rehearse every single day, and I'll never stop watching her. I'll never stop learning little inflections. But the easiest thing for me to do is when I need to learn a new song, I sit down in front of my recording studio. I listen to each line, and then I go back, and I record myself over and over - sometimes 20 or 30 times - until I feel like I get it right. And I do every song that way. You learn how to try to stand like her, talk like her, make her cute facial expressions, the costumes, the wigs. And it's so important to pay respect to her. That's something that I really, really focus on.
SIMON: Do you practice that French Canadian accent?
FURR: You know, I do. And being from Arkansas, it's not the easiest thing to do.
SIMON: (Laughter) I was going to gently suggest you didn't sound like you were from Quebec, but yeah.
FURR: (Imitating French Canadian accent) Sometimes you can just kind of just put that little - that talk in there, you know?
SIMON: Yeah.
FURR: (Laughter).
SIMON: Oh, my gosh. What's your favorite song to bring to an audience?
FURR: I have two, "Power Of Love"...
SIMON: Oh.
FURR: ...And the song, "If You Asked Me To." I never, ever get tired of performing those two songs.
SIMON: "Power Of Love" is a favorite of mine.
FURR: Love it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE POWER OF LOVE")
FURR: (Singing) 'Cause I'm your lady, and you are my man.
SIMON: What first drew you to Celine Dion and her music?
FURR: I was performing in bars when I first moved here in 2001.
SIMON: Yeah.
FURR: And people talk all over you when you're in a bar. And I noticed when I started singing "My Heart Will Go On" that everybody got quiet, and I couldn't figure it out. It was like an anomaly. And after I would finish the "Titanic," people would walk up and put $20 bills in my tip jar. And I thought if it was because I kind of naturally sounded like her or they just loved the song so much. But as time grew on, I realized that we sounded a lot alike.
SIMON: When people watch your performance, they are watching a performance of someone they care deeply about, aren't they?
FURR: Absolutely. So the point is to be able to keep her music alive when she's not in the States or for people that can't go see the show for one reason or another. And just to bring joy to people. She brings so much joy to so many people in the world.
SIMON: Well, you bring joy to people, too.
FURR: Thank you. I try. It just - it found me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME")
FURR: (Singing) You're the one who held me up, never let me fall.
SIMON: Elisa Furr, a Celine Dion tribute artist in Las Vegas. And I understand it's your birthday?
FURR: That's right.
SIMON: Well, happy birthday to you.
FURR: Thank you so much.
SIMON: And you can find out more about Elisa Furr's performances on her website at tributetocelinedion.com. Thanks so much for being with us, and happy birthday.
FURR: Thank you so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME")
FURR: (Singing) Lifted me up when I couldn't reach. You gave me faith... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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