Who are Céline Dion's parents? All about her childhood in Québec

Céline Dion is the baby of her very big family.

The singing sensation is the youngest of 14 children of father Adhémar-Charles and mother Thérèse Tanguay Dion, both of whom passed away. Adhémar died in 2003 and Thérèse died in 2020.

Although Dion didn’t have the easiest childhood — her family wasn’t rich and their living quarters in Québec were tiny, she has said — there was no shortage of love in their family.

“I grew up in a very, very, very small house,” Dion told Vanity Fair in 2012, adding that beds in their Canadian home were scarce for her siblings.

“My mum was brilliant enough to put a pillow in a drawer for a baby to sleep in,” Dion told the outlet. “We were safe and warm and taken care of. Three or four of us in the same bed was normal to us. We weren’t poor, but we never had money. I don’t know if that makes sense. We were given love and affection and support. What else did we need?”

Ahead of her documentary “I Am: Celine Dion,” streaming on Prime Video on June 25, learn about the singer’s upbringing and parents.

Thérèse Tanguay Dion

Céline Dion’s mother Thérèse died at age 92 on January 17, 2020. As reported by TODAY.com, the matriarch was known in Quebec as “Maman Dion.”

Dion shared news of her death at a Miami, Florida concert during her “Courage World Tour.”

“I must admit that I’m a little shaky today,” she told the audience. “My legs are a little wobbly. I’m pretty sure that you heard the news about my mom passing away early this morning.”

The singer added, “She was ill for quite a while and we knew she wouldn’t be with us for long. Two days ago, we got a call from the nurses, who were taking care of her so well, saying that her time was coming soon, very soon. So last night, I joined my brothers and sisters in Montreal and I spent the evening at her bedside. We told stories, we sang songs, we held each other and we said our goodbyes.”

Dion said the family was “pretty sure” their mom waited to pass until her family could come together. “And I also know that she wanted all of you to have the time of your life.”

Noting that Thérèse, who played violin, wrote her daughter’s first song, she added, “Music was such an important part of our lives. It’s because of her and my dad that I became a performer.”

On her website, Dion explained that her family loved music, even forming a musical group that held local concerts. “From her earliest childhood, Celine would join in,” her bio on the website says. “Thérèse swiftly noted her baby’s remarkable talent.”

In fact, Dion was only 12 when her mom and her brother Jacques helped her write the song “Ce n’était qu’un rêve.” ("It was only a dream.")

“And thanks to her mother, that dream would start to become a reality,” Dion's biography on her website says. “Thérèse sent a cassette of the song to impresario René Angélil.” On December 17, 1994, Dion married Angélil and they had three sons: René-Charles (born January 2001) and twin boys Nelson and Eddy (born October 2010).

In March 2018, when Thérèse turned 91, Dion wrote on Instagram, “Happy Birthday, Mom! You are an infinite source of comfort and inspiration. I love you.”

Adhémar-Charles Dion

Céline Dion’s father Adhémar-Charles Dion died on November 30, 2003.

In March 2019, Dion wrote on X, “Papa, I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have had a dad like you. You will always be my #1 fan. I love you!” with a childhood photo of herself and her dad.

The year before, Dion captioned a Facebook photo of the father and daughter embracing: “Papa, you would have been 95 years old today. I think of you and I love you.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com