Rene Angelil, Celine Dion’s husband-manager, dies at 73
Posted January 14, 2016 4:48 pm.
Last Updated January 14, 2016 4:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rene Angelil, the husband and manager of international superstar Celine Dion, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.
Angelil is survived by his three children with Dion – Rene-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. He also had two adult children from previous relationships.
Angelil was born in Montreal in 1942. He was a pop singer in the 1960s, and a member of a pop rock group named “The Baronets”.
Prior to managing Dion’s career, he managed Quebec entertainers Rene Simard and Ginette Reno. In 1981, Angelil mortgaged his home to fund Dion’s first album, ‘La voix du bon Dieu.’ In 1994, he married Dion in an extravagant wedding that was broadcast live on television.
Angelil suffered a heart attack in 1992 at the age of 51, and was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998. He underwent a number of surgeries, including one in 2013 that involved removing parts of his tongue.
Angelil was also an avid poker player, and qualified for the 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.