Angélil died of throat cancer at the age of 73 on January 14.
Angelil started out as a singer in the 1960s, forming Montreal, Canada pop rock group The Baronets with his childhood friend Pierre Labelle. He went into management when the band split in the 1970s, and represented fellow Quebec entertainers Rene Simard and Ginette Reno, among other pop acts.
He won the Felix Award for Manager of the Year in 1987 and 1988, but his career really took off when he discovered Celine Dion as a pre-teen. Rene helped the French-speaking singer develop her signature sound throughout her teens and they fell in love, marrying in December, 1994. Celine, who is 26 years younger than her husband, became his third wife.
Angelil suffered a string of medical setbacks over the past two decades - he had a heart attack in 1992 and underwent cancer surgery in 1998. He also battled and beat throat cancer, but the disease returned in 2013, forcing him to undergo surgery again. The health crisis forced him to step down as Dion's manager, and in September, 2015, his wife revealed that Angelil's cancer was terminal.
Celine's 14-year-old son Rene-Charles made his mum proud at the funeral of his father Rene in Montreal, Canada yesterday by delivering a heartfelt tribute and a promise to live up to his dad's standards.
The teenager arrived at the Notre-Dame Basilica with his mother and twin brothers, Nelson and Eddy, and comforted Celine throughout the service, which was streamed online and telecast in Canada. The family were also joined by Angelil's adult sons Patrick and Jean-Pierre from a previous marriage.
The singer looked on proudly as Rene-Charles addressed the thousands of mourners first in French and then in English.
RIP Rene. She is going through a hard time now.be strong Celine Dion
ReplyDeleteWe love u Celine Dion! Pls be strong.
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