Biography
Born on 17 October 1933 in Belgium, Jeanine Deckers died on 31 March 1985 in Wavre, Belgium. Known professionally as Sister Luc Gabrielle at the Fichermont convent in Waterloo, Belgium, the guitar-playing vocalist secured a contract with Philips Records in 1961. The label’s Belgian division released her album Soeur Sourire, which enjoyed solid continental sales. Among its tracks, the French-language “Dominique”—a lighthearted homage to the founder of the Dominican order—resonated globally, climbing to number 1 in the United States over Christmas 1963. That same month the album itself topped the US charts, earning her the Grammy for Best Gospel or Religious Recording of 1963. Proceeds from these releases supported overseas missions. Although she performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, no comparable follow-up single emerged. A Hollywood biopic later starred Debbie Reynolds, its promotional imagery depicting Soeur Sourire on a scooter with an acoustic guitar. Secular attractions drew Deckers away from convent life in October 1966. Adopting the name Luc Dominique, she issued the contentious single “Glory Be to God for the Golden Pill.” With her companion Annie Pescher she later established a school for autistic children, yet in March 1985 the two died after ingesting a fatal combination of alcohol and barbiturates. They left behind an unpaid tax bill of $63,000 tied to earnings from her recording years, even though every cent had been directed to the convent.