The Singing Nun The Singing Nun Jeanne-Paule Marie "Jeannine" Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile", often credited as The Singing Nun in English-speaking countries), was a Belgian singer-songwriter and initially a member of the Dominican Order in Belgium as Sister Luc-Gabrielle. She acquired world fame in 1963 with the release of the French-language song "Dominique", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and other charts. She was born Jeanne Paule Deckers in Laeken in 1933, the daughter of a pâtisserie shop owner, and was educated in a Catholic school in Brussels. She was a
The Singing Nun the Second Vatican Council she released a song in 1967 defending the use of contraception called "Glory be to God for the Golden Pill" This led to an intervention by the Catholic hierarchy in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which resulted in one of her concerts being cancelled. Deckers released an album entitled "I Am Not a Star in Heaven". Her repertoire consisted of religious songs and songs for children. Despite her renewed musical emphasis, Deckers' career failed to prosper. She blamed the failure of the album on not being able to use the names by which she had become known, saying