Cape Girardeau natives meet their idol, Celine Dion, thanks to Oprah

Betsy Hogan doesn't normally spend her time Skyping with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" or rubbing elbows with Celine Dion, but for the past few days she's done both.

Hogan, 21, attends classes at Southeast Missouri State University. She and 13 fellow Celine Dion fans were invited to be audience members on "Oprah" when she interviewed Dion.

Hogan said she has loved Celine Dion since about age 7. She and Cape Girardeau native Amber Pennington used to sing Dion's songs together.

Hogan, Pennington and Angela Hiler, all from Cape Girardeau, have met other women around the world who love Celine Dion and formed a group that visits one another and meets for concerts.

When they found out in October that Celine Dion would be taping with Oprah, all 14 women wrote in to the show about their passion for the Canadian songstress.

"We just told our story of how all of us met and that we've been friends," Hogan said.

On Jan. 29, Hogan and the other girls talked to a representative with the Oprah show on Skype, a video messaging system used often by the show. The rep invited all the girls to the taping with Celine Dion on Wednesday. All the audience members were also allowed to attend a sneak preview of Dion's upcoming tour documentary, "Celine: Through the Eyes of the World."

"It was very, very exciting," Hogan said.

Though they didn't get to meet their idol during the show, the group found her outside the studio after the taping and got pictures and autographs.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" featuring the Celine Dion interview will air Wednesday. Check local listings for times.