Celine Dion, a native Canadian, is the youngest of 14 children. She grew up in a close-knit musical family in Quebec. At the age of 12, Celine Dion recorded a demo tape of a song she had written with her mother.

They sent the tape to the manager and producer Rene Angelil, who handled the career of popular French singer Ginette Reno. After hearing the tape and inviting Dion to perform for him in person, Angelil signed her immediately under the condition that he would have complete control over her career.

By the age of 18, Dion had recorded nine French albums and won numerous Felix and Juno awards. Dion recorded her first English language album, Unison, in 1990. Driven by the Top 5 single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," Unison sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.

Dion's real breakthrough into pop music stardom came in 1992, when she recorded the theme to Disney's hit animated feature Beauty and the Beast, a duet with Peabo Bryson. The song made it to Number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won both a Grammy and an Academy Award.

It was featured on her second English album, Celine Dion, which became her first gold record in the United States and sold more than 12 million copies internationally. Celine Dion quickly capitalized on her newfound fame, releasing the top-selling The Colour of My Love in 1993.

The album showcased the romantic power ballads that Dion had become known for, including "When I Fall in Love" and "The Power of Love," her first single to hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her next album, Falling Into You, which included the Number 1 hit "Because You Loved Me," won Grammy Awards for album of the year and best pop album.

The following year, however, would hold even greater glory for Dion, with the release of the blockbuster film Titanic, for which Dion sang the theme song, "My Heart Will Go On". By the time the film had raked in a record number of Oscar nominations, Dion's ballad had become ubiquitous on radio stations around the world.

While touring relentlessly and recording several albums, Dion was well-rewarded at the Billboard Music Awards in late 1998, where she won six awards. After a two-year hiatus, Celine Dion returned in March 2002 with A New Day Has Come, which topped the charts in more than 17 countries.

A year later, she began a much-hyped 36-month engagement at Caesars Palace, the famous Las Vegas hotel and casino. Dion simultaneously released the album One Heart, which did not fair as strongly as its predecessor.

While she no longer dominates the charts as she once did, Celine Dion remains a popular entertainer. Forbes magazine reported in June 2009 that the singer earned approximately $100 million in 2008, making her the second-highest earning musician on the magazine's list, after Madonna.