Belgian singer-songwriter Jeannine Deckers, better known as The Singing Nun, was BOTD in 1933. Born in Brussels, she trained as an art teacher. In 1959, while teaching at a scout camp, she met 16 year-old Annie Pecher, who became her lifelong friend and probable lover. Somewhat confusingly, she decided to become a nun later, joining the Missionary Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Fichermont and taking the name Sister Luc Gabriel. While in the convent, she began writing and performing her own songs. Seeing a potential cash cow, her Mother Superior encouraged her to record an album. Her 1963 single Dominique became an international hit, hitting No 1 in the US and selling over two million copies. Deckers became a celebrity, giving several live concerts and performing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Increasingly in conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church, she left the convent in 1966 to become a lay Dominican. The following year, she released a song defending the use of contraception, Glory to God for the Golden Pill, alienating her conservative fan base and ending her career. Sued by the Belgian government for unpaid taxes, she attempted a comeback with a disco version of Dominique, which was a failure. Deckers lived with Pecher for 17 years, publicly denying rumours that they were lesbians. In 1985, they jointly committed suicide by drug overdose. Deckers was 51.