'No. 1 fan' sees Celine Dion 150 times
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | 4:57 PM ET
CBC News
A fan of Celine Dion says the singer's show in Winnipeg Monday night was one of her best — and Ramona Almirez would know: she's seen Dion perform 150 times.
Celine Dion performs to a sold-out crowd at Winnipeg's MTS Centre on Oct. 27. (CBC)Almirez, 62, is from California, but has followed Dion to concerts around the world, including her latest one in Winnipeg on Monday.
A scientist who has retired from Johnson and Johnson, Almirez says she's spending her nest egg to follow her passion for the Canadian songbird.
"The very first song I heard from Celine was The Power of Love. That was in 1992. And from then on, I got hooked," she said.
"It so happened I moved to the west coast from the east coast because of work, and then she started her show in Las Vegas, A New Day, which is just, you know, a hop for me from California to Las Vegas, and I have seen that show 119 times in Las Vegas. And enjoyed every single one of them."
'How could you not love her?'
Almirez estimates she's seen another 30 of Dion's concerts around the world. Yet she was still impressed with Monday night's concert at Winnipeg's MTS Centre to a sold-out crowd of 16,000.
"Last night's show, I would say, is one of the best in a long time," she said.
Ramona Almirez estimates she's seen Celine Dion perform 150 times at concerts around the world. (CBC)"Crowd participation was great," she said. "You could just feel the energy, which was good because Celine was a little under the weather last night, and so the energy the fans provided made it, you know, easier to go through the show."
A highlight in Almirez's years of following Dion was the 100th show she saw in Las Vegas, where she had cake and champagne with Dion backstage.
"She said, 'My No. 1 fan, Ramona, I love you, Celine.' And she put a kiss on the picture," Almirez said.
Almirez even has a tattoo on her wrist: Dion's initials and a rose, symbolizing the 15 roses she's received from Dion at the end of her shows.
Some might call the tour an obsession, but Almirez describes it as a passion.
"How could you not love her? Look at that face," she said with a laugh. Dion has another concert in Winnipeg Tuesday night — and Almirez will again be in the crowd.
