Celine Dion pays tribute to late Caesars executive

Celine Dion became a groundbreaking headliner in Gary Selesner’s tenure as president of Caesars Palace. She performed her first and final shows on the Strip, covering 16 years, in his tenure.

Selesner died Monday at age 71. He was the longest-running president ever at Caesars Palace. With characteristic warmth, Dion remembered her partner at the Colosseum on Friday morning.

“I am heartbroken to hear of Gary’s passing. He was not only a visionary leader at Caesars Palace but also an incredibly kind and caring man who believed in the power of music and the magic of live performance,” Dion stated in an email message from her manager John Nelson, himself a colleague of Selesner’s when AEG Presents booked the Colosseum.

Dion closed with, “His kindness, passion, and unwavering support will be deeply missed, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all of us who were fortunate enough to know him.”

During the Selesner era, Dion performed 1,141 shows in two residencies at the Colosseum beginning in March 2003. Selesner was in his post throughout Dion’s original production, “A New Day …” and later “Celine,” which closed in June 2019.

Dion has since been signed as a residency headliner at Resorts World Theater, with AEG Presents as exclusive booking partner. Her return to the stage has been uncertain after she has been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome.

Dion’s most recent public performance was at the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies in July. But there has been no word — in the face of rumors of her imminent return — of when she might be back on stage.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.