Celine Dion, a famous Canadian singer, has spoken openly about the loss of her husband, René Angélil, and his suffering before his death. 

Celine Dion’s husband, René battled cancer for several years before succumbing to a heart attack at their Las Vegas home in January 2016. He was 73 years old at the time.

René Angélil was born on January 16, 1942, in Quebec, Canada. He was a talented music producer, talent manager, and also vocalist from Canada. He was Céline Dion’s manager as well as her husband.

René was a vocalist of the Baronets, a 1960s pop group, before moving on to managing musicians as time passed. He had an aptitude for poker, and he even competed for the 2005 World Series of Poker.

René had been previously married two times before encountering Celine Dion. The first wife of Rene was Denyse Duquette, to whom he was married for six years and had a son.

He had two children with his second wife, singer Anne Reneé, with whom he was married for nearly ten years before separating in 1986.

Their Genuine Love

After 21 years of being married and a constant struggle with throat cancer, Celine Dion had stated that her husband, Rene taught her everything about their relationship. 

She says that Rene is the first and only man she’s ever seen and the only man she’s ever loved or kissed. 

Celine too fell in love with him right away. She was 12 years old at the time, although not in a romantic manner.

But, she always adored the way he handled everyone in her life, especially Celine and her entire family.

Dion and Angélil tied a knot in 1994, and their love has stayed as sincere and genuine just like the day they got hitched.

Celine Dion – A Rising Star

Celine Dion’s voice is known for being both strong and highly gifted. Dion is the best-selling Canadian music artist of all time, as well as the best-selling French-language singer. 

Some elements of pop, rock, R&B, gospel, and classical music have all been included in her songs. She has achieved a lot of recognition and awards throughout her career.

Dion is also one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. Dion is recognized as one of the most successful singers in pop music. 

 She has five Grammy Awards under her belt, including Album and Record of the Year.

How Celine Dion met Rene Angelil

At the beginning of Celine Dion’s career, she always wanted to be a singer. Because of her beautiful voice, she was quite popular for her vocals.

Rene Angélil encouraged Celine to audition in Quebec when one of Celine’s 13 siblings gave him a recording of her singing while she was 12-years-old. 

Angélil must have been smitten since he requested Dion to do a live performance for him. Dion’s singing brought Angélil to tears, and he determined to make her a celebrity. 

Angélil even mortgaged his property to fund her record in 1981 and toured Canada, Japan, and Europe with the girl and her mother.

After attending a Michael Jackson show when she was eighteen, Dion informed Angélil that she aspired to be a celebrity like Jackson. 

Despite her confidence in her abilities, Angélil knew that in order to be sold internationally, she needed to adapt her appearance. 

Dion took a break from the limelight for a few months, undergoing dental surgery to enhance her looks, before being sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to improve her English.

In 1987, Dion and Angélil embarked on their first formal date while she was 19 years old, although both started a relationship about a year before that. 

Dion tried to conceal the fact and she did not tell anybody about their connection until the liner notes of her album The Color of My Love, which was released five years later. 

Because of their 26-year age difference, Angélil was always worried about what would people think or say regarding their relationship.

Rene Angelil’s Health

René Angélil experienced his first medical crisis within the couple’s early years dating. He was engaged to Céline Dion at the time, and Angélil suffered a heart attack in 1992.

Fortunately, there was “no trace” of the heart attack having long-term consequences. It’s difficult to determine how the heart attack affected the relationship.

Two years later, they eventually announced their engagement in 1991, despite the fact that their relationship was still a surprise to the rest of the world. Her mother, on the other hand, did not instantly approve of Rene. 

Dion’s mother, who accompanied her daughter around everywhere till she was 19, was originally concerned about her daughter’s increasing attraction to Angélil, a considerably older and twice-divorced man, but Dion was determined.

Then, the two exchanged vows on December 17, 1994, in a grandiose wedding ceremony at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, which was shown live on Canadian television.

Diagnosis of Celine Dion’s Husband, Rene Angelil

Angélil was stricken with throat cancer in 1998, and the couple’s life was turned upside down. Dion opted to take a break from her busy job to concentrate on her personal affairs and care for her husband.

In the year 2000, Angelil was confirmed cancer-free. In Las Vegas, the pair renewed their wedding vows in a Melkite Byzantine ceremony. 

Dion gave birth to son René Charles, the couple’s first baby, on January 25, after years of rigorous fertility treatments. 

The baby was baptized in July at Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, where the parents had married years before.

Last Goodbye

But cancer had returned, and it had wreaked havoc on Rene’s health. Finally, Céline Dion bid her husband, Rene Angelil, farewell on January 14th. 

Angélil is bereaved by his grownup children from his previous marriage, Anne-Marie, Patrick, and Jean-Pierre, as well as the couple’s three children, René-Charles, 14, and the 5-year-old fraternal twins, Nelson and Eddy.

After Celine Dion’s husband’s demise, Dion made it a point to honor and remember him. She offered an extraordinarily heartfelt tribute to her husband.

After accepting the Icon Award at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, Dion said, “René, this one’s for you.The show must go on.”

Celine Dion still cannot forget her husband. She had told several times that she dont want to find anyone else after Rene. She even made a memorial film depicting her emotional journey in December of that year.

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