On July 4, 2014, Celine Dion invited Richard Dunn, at the Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the man who created a viral video by lip-synching to her version of the classic All By Myself, in a near empty Las Vegas airport.
On the same day, Celine also met Lance Bass and Michael Turchin.
The video prompted a video response by Dion and then the megastar invited Dunn and his family to one of her Las Vegas concerts and brought them all backstage.
Dunn said he still has a difficult time processing what has happened to him in the last month.
“Imagine if you whispered a joke to your best friend on Saturday night and it was kind of funny and then they told somebody else. And then the next day, CNN called and they want to interview you because your joke was just that funny,” Dunn told CBC’s Shift.
“That is what happened with this video. I whispered it to just a few friends and I have never looked back.”
During an official video of the meeting, Dion was effusive in her praise of Dunn’s video, making jokes of her favourite parts.
Dion was also treated to a brief musical interlude from Dunn’s daughter, who Dunn recalled “took centre stage.”
“[Dion] didn’t rush the time, it was so conversational and so warm and inviting. She is as personable as you would think she would be,” he said.
Dunn brought his wife, daughter, parents and inlaws to the meeting. He said Dion took care of tickets for her Las Vegas concert and other arrangements.
He also said they have not imposed any restrictions on him when discussing the meeting in the media.
“To say that I’m flattered is just a massive understatement that they have been so comfortable and confident with what I would do with this that they have allowed us free reign with the video and interviews and sending these pictures out,” he said.
The Dion meeting was not only the development for Dunn.
He has been given a book deal to write 30,000 words about how he shot the All By Myself video all by himself.
Dunn's decision to make the video was prompted when he was stuck at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. He was offered vouchers to be bumped off two consecutive Delta Air Lines flights.
He shot, performed and edited the video all by himself.
Even Dion wants to know one question: what’s next?
Dunn said he doesn’t have a concrete answer right now but he has his eye out for any opportunities.
“As much as I was ready for the opportunity to shoot a video that night in the airport, I can just tell people that I am ready, have been and will be, for the next opportunity,” Dunn said.
“I don’t think you can force it, I don’t think that you can plan what the next opportunity is, but I can guarantee that when I find myself in it and I recognize that I am in a situation that could be pretty funny, I will certainly be ready to take advantage of it.”
