Céline Dion Says People Told Her to 'Think Twice' Before Vegas Residency – But She's Glad She Didn't Listen

When Céline Dion began her Caesar's Palace residency, many people thought agreeing to the long-term gig was a Titanic-size mistake. 

"A lot of people, especially in the industry, they thought that it was a very, very high risk," Dion, 47, tells NBC News for an interview airing Tuesday evening. "Finishing my career here, it was the end of my career. I remember hearing that 'the boat is going to sink again.' " 

But audiences flocked to see Dion's first Sin City show when it opened in 2003 – raking in more than $400 million, per Variety, before it closed in December 2007. The crowds returned for her second Caesar's Palace residency when it opened in 2011, and they remained until she announced last year that she was taking a break due to husband René Angélil's ongoing health issues. 

Now, as she plans to return to The Colosseum for the first time in a year, she says she's happy she never listened to the haters. 
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"You take chances and you go for it, and you know what, I'm more than glad that we did it," says Dion, who paved the way for other singers, includingBritney Spears, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, to have their own residencies. 

In May, Dion told reporters her husband – who has served as her manager since she was a teen – was instrumental in her decision to return to the stage. 

"He wants me strong. He wants to see me again because I'm his favorite singer," she said. "So, he wants me out there, and I have to say that I'm ready."