Did you know Céline Dion is the youngest of 14?
The powerhouse vocalist grew up in a family of music. As she got older and more successful in her own career, many of her siblings stepped in to help the young star grow.
Her mother, Thérèse Dion, and father, Adhémar Dion, raised their large family in Canada. As a young girl, she was surrounded by live performances through her siblings.
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According to the singer's website, the whole family shared their passion for music, and they created a group to perform at local concerts.
Many of her siblings live private lives, although some have been part of her career in different ways.
Dion's siblings are Denise, Clément, Claudette, Liette, Michel, Louise, Jacques, Daniel, Ghislaine, Linda, Manon, Paul and Pauline.
Since many of her siblings stay mainly out of the spotlight, there is little public information known about them.
Others have had a little bit more public attention, mainly due to their roles in Dion's career.
For example, her brother Jacques was the co-writer of Dion's first song, "Ce n'était qu'un reve," which was released in 1981 in Quebec, Canada. Her mother also helped write that first song. Dion was only 12 years old at the time, according to her website.
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Her mother sent along a cassette tape of the song to René Angélil, according to the website, who would become Dion's manager and husband.
Dion's sister Pauline, who is the second youngest in the family along with her twin Paul, started Dion's fan club. The fan club she founded was called "Fan Club Céline Dion." It is now called "Team Celine" and is run by her record label.
Numerous of the Dion siblings are involved in Fondation Maman Dion, which began in 2006 and was founded by their late mother, Thérèse. The organization has a mission of fostering "the fulfillment, the development of self-esteem and the desire to succeed in school for young Quebecers between the ages of 5 and 16 who come from disadvantaged backgrounds," according to its website. Liette serves as a coordinator for the organization, according to its website, while Claudette is the current director general and spokesperson.
Their mother died when she was 92 years old in January 2020. Their father, Adhémar died in 2003 when he was 80 years old.
Another one of her sister's, Manon, worked as her personal assistant and hairdresser for a time. Her brother Michel worked with Dion as her assistant tour manager.
Dion and her family have stuck together through the tragedies that have happened throughout their lives.
In 2016, Angélil died after his long battle with cancer at 73. Just two days later, Dion's brother Daniel died of cancer at 59 years old.
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"René escorted my brother. It was perfect," Dion told People in May 2016. "He took him under his wings and he said, ‘You know, I’ll take good care of him.'"
In 2022, Dion publicly shared her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis.
During a recent interview on the "Today" show with Hoda Kotb, Dion talked about what it has been like living with the rare neurological disorder.
"It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx this way," the singer told Kotb in June 2024, while pushing her throat back with her hand to demonstrate.
"It can also be in the abdominal, can be in the spine, can be in the ribs," Dion said during the interview. "But it feels like if I point my feet, they will stay in a (stuck position), or if I cook — because I love to cook — my fingers, my hands, will get in a position."
"My feet — it's cramping, but it’s like in a position of you cannot unlock them," Dion continued.
After Dion went public with her diagnosis, her sister Claudette gave an update on her younger sibling's condition.
"She's doing everything to recover," Claudette told HELLO! Canada in August 2023. "She's a strong woman."
"It's an illness we know so little about," Claudette told the outlet."There are spasms – they're impossible to control. You know who people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It's a bit like that, but in all muscles," she said. "There's little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain."
