René Angélil, the husband of award-winning Canadian singer Celine Dion, died at the age of 73 after a long battle with cancer, Dion announced.
"It's with profound sadness that we are announcing that René Angélil, 73, died this morning at his Las Vegas home after a courageous battle with cancer. The family wishes to mourn in private," her website said. "Other information will be provided in the next few days."
The 73-year-old Angelil, who guided the French-Canadian singer to superstardom, "passed away this morning as his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer," a rep told People Magazine in a statement.Angelil, who was 26 years his wife's senior, had originally been diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999 and staved off the disease twice before.
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Celine Dion and Rene Angelil endured plenty of scrutiny because of their age difference and the Angelil's professional role in her life, but their marriage was strong.
The "All By Myself" singer returned to her residency in August after taking a year off to take care of her husband as he underwent aggressive treatments.
She told USA Today at the time of her return that Angelil's dying wish was to "die in my arms."
Sources close to the singer told the gossip site TMZ that the death was unexpected, since the businessman felt better in recent weeks.
During their high-profile courtship, the couple endured plenty of scrutiny because of their age difference and the Angelil's professional role in her life. But the romance proved to be as strong as the lyrics of a Dion ballad since their 1994 marriage.
He stepped down as her manager in June 2014.
Angelil leaves behind three children with Dion — René-Charles and twin 5-year-old boys Nelson and Eddy — and three other adult children from a previous relationship.
