• Céline Dion is one of Quebec's most influential figures, and MTL Blog is here to tell you all about her humble beginnings and how she made it to where she is now.
• Warning: pictures of Céline as a child may make you feel like your heart cannot go on...
• Read all about our Québécoise queen's youth below!
• Visit MTLBlog for more headlines.

Céline Dion has spent the majority of her life in the limelight. But, unless you're a die-hard fan, you probably know very little about her humble beginnings. Well, MTL Blog is here to tell you all about them!

On her official website, we're told that "the Dion family was a humble one of modest means, but never lacked for love. The house was jam-packed with children, and Céline’s mom even had to lay her littlest one to sleep in a drawer." Céline is the youngest of 14 brothers and sisters, and their parents raised them on $165 a week when she was little.

Born in 1968, her music career started at the young age of 12. Music played a major role in the Dion family, which made the beginning of her musical career slightly easier, but I'd still call her a self-made woman since she knew what she wanted in life and she got it.

From growing up in an exclusively French-speaking household to now having numerous best-selling English-albums, this woman did not let anything keep her down. Céline's biography will inspire people of all ages to persevere in any circumstance if it means following their dreams.

By the sounds of it, all 14 siblings were blessed with musical talents, just like their parents. And they'd all sing in the family restaurant whenever the chance arose. Céline once told People Magazine that "I'd sleep on chairs in restaurants and bars while they sang," since she was the youngest of them all.

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By the age of five, Céline had been asked to sing at one of her brother's wedding. "When I started to feel the love and the warmth of the audience it got me. I said to myself, 'Really this is what I want to do all my life. I want to be a singer,'" she told CNN.

When she was 12 years old, Céline collaborated on her first official song with her mother and her brother Jacques called "Ce n'était qu'un rêve," which they all wrote together.

Only one short year after producing her first song, Céline sang on TV for the first time, on Michel Jasmin’s talk show, a Quebec talk show.

Her family sent René Angélil, who we know now was her long-time husband, one of Céline's recordings when she was 12 years old. René believed in Céline so deeply at this young age that he mortgaged his house to pay for the creation of her first album. He described her voice as one that you only hear every decade or two.

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By 1982, her music was becoming known in Canada and France, since her music at this time was still all in French.

"I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence," says Céline, who dropped out of school when she was a teenager.

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It was basically from that moment on that Céline chose to dedicate her entire life to her music career — and with much success.

Céline began learning English, and it wasn't before long that she was perfectly fluent. This meant she could start making music in English, which meant she could reach a much larger audience.

By 1986, she started dating her manager René without telling her family. Although many say not to mix love and business, it worked out well for these two.

They got engaged five years later, and their wedding was nothing short of spectacular, with Céline looking like true royalty.

Only a few years afterwards, Céline released two of her most successful English albums: Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997). By then, the whole world knew the sound of her voice.

At this point in time, she has released a total of 27 albums. If you ever need some motivation to get yourself to work, Céline is your gal to look to. She proves that if you follow your dreams and make things happen, your life will turn out exactly how you want it to.

Also, just in case you're money-orientated: Céline now has a net worth of $800 Million. There's a little more motivation for ya.

And, finally, Céline posted a video of herself over the years on her 50th birthday, so here the masterpiece is:

Here's to wishing this powerful woman many more years of love, success, and happiness!