Italian singer Laura Pausini wrote: “My hands were shaking and my eyes were crying as I listened and saw my beloved Celine Dion.” Her appearance had been hotly anticipated, with crowds of fans waiting outside her hotel in the city in recent days. Dion has a big following in France. Her 1995 album D’eux is the best-selling French-language album of all time. Friday’s appearance was the second time that Dion, known for hits including My Heart Will Go On and It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, had participated in an Olympic opening ceremony, after Atlanta 1996. And her comeback performance came six months after a surprise appearance to present an award at the Grammys.