Celine Dion Passed on What Became One of Faith Hill’s Biggest Hits in the 2000s

In 2001, Faith Hill had a massive crossover hit with “There You’ll Be”. Written by songwriter Diane Warren, “There You’ll Be” is part of the soundtrack for the Pearl Harbor film, starring Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett. “There You’ll Be” is the only hit single from the record.

“There You’ll Be” became an 11-week No. 1 single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. But the song almost went to another artist instead, namely Celine Dion. It was Dion who reportedly was first offered to sing “There You’ll Be”. But Dion, only a few years removed from her iconic “My Heart Will Go On” single for the Titanic movie, passed on singing “There You’ll Be”. 

Although Dion likely would have sounded great on “There You’ll Be”, it was fortuitous for Hill that Dion chose not to sing the song. “There You’ll Be” gave Hill a Grammy nomination for Female Pop Vocal Performance. One of Hill’s most successful songs, she only had one more No. 1 pop single after “There You’ll Be”. Following the success of this song, Hill released “Cry”. That song, the title track of her fifth studio album, became her final pop hit.

The Story Behind “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill

The chorus of “There You’ll Be” says, “In my dreams I’ll always see you soar above the sky / In my heart there’ll always be a place for you for all my life / I’ll keep a part of you with me / And everywhere I am there you’ll be / And everywhere I am there you’ll be.“

Years after “There You’ll Be” was released, Warren shared the serendipitous connection she and Hill have to “There You’ll Be”. In 2026, Warren worked with Audrey McGraw, Hill’s youngest daughter, whom Hill shares with her husband, Tim McGraw.

“It’s a crazy story, because when Faith Hill did my song ‘There You’ll Be’, which was nominated for an Oscar and it was a big hit, she was pregnant with Audrey,” Warren tells People.

Hill perhaps has Dion to thank for passing on the song. But she likely would not have been given the opportunity if not for “Breathe”. That song, out in 1999, became Hill’s first big crossover hit, making her not just a country star but a pop star as well. Unfortunately for Hill fans, after achieving massive success, Hill chose to retire from the spotlight. Her last solo song, “American Girl”, was released in 2012.

Photo by SGranitz/WireImage

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