While many of her famous songs are love songs, Diane says inspiration comes from all sorts of sources. "I don't even know how it happens. It's kind of magical, the inspiration part. But then you have to work at it. It's like your antennas are up. It's like you're receiving information, ideas."

For "Because You Loved Me," written for Celine Dion, Diane tapped into inspiration that may surprise you.

"That song was actually thanking my dad. My mom didn't believe in me and wanted me to be a secretary. My dad believed," Diane says. "He's the one who took me to publishers. He's the one who got me a subscription to Billboard magazine when I was 14. He just never stopped believing in my dream, so I wrote 'Because You Loved Me'—it was my way to thank my dad."