One of the best-selling artists of all time, Celine Dion was born into a Catholic family as the 14^th and last child. But she almost didn’t make it. Dion’s mother was happy that her 12^th and 13^th children — twins Paul and Pauline — were just about ready for school when she found out that she was once again pregnant. She was so upset that she visited a priest to see if she could do anything about the pregnancy. “He told her that she had no right to go against nature,” Dion said in a 2001 interview. “So I have to admit that in a way, I owe my life to that priest.”

Dion’s own attempts to start a family initially proved unsuccessful and she suffered four miscarriages. Through a series of In Vitro Fertilization, she eventually gave birth to a son and then nine years later, a set of twin boys. She cherishes her family above all else. “My success is my family,” she said in a 2012 interview with People magazine. “My life is to be a mom. It is what I enjoy the most. It is my most amazing reward. I will take a chance with my music. I don’t take risks with my family.”

By the time Dion was 18 years old, she had already recorded nine French albums and won numerous awards. Her breakthrough song was “Beauty and the Beast,” which she recorded for the animated movie of the same title in 1992. Celine ruled the charts in the 1990s with hits like “The Power of Love” and, of course, “My Heart Will Go On,” the iconic theme song from 1997’s Titanic.  She continues to have widespread success having recently established herself once again as a dual-language recording artist.

Here’s a song from Dion’s 2004 collaboration with photographer Anne Geddes called Miracle: A Celebration of New Life. The album was Billboard’s Top 5 International Bestseller in December 2004.

Coming Friday: “Celebrities Saved From Abortion: What the World Would Have Lost Without Justin Bieber.”

If you missed it Wednesday: “Celebrities Saved From Abortion: What the World Would Have Lost Without Andre Bocelli.”