Rene Angelil, husband of Celine Dion, dies in Nevada

[webfact]

Rene Angelil, husband of Celine Dion, dies in Nevada
SALLY HO, Associated Press
NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rene Angelil, Celine Dion's husband and manager, who molded her from a French-speaking Canadian ingénue into one of the world's most successful singers, died Thursday after a long battle with throat cancer, officials and family members said.

The 73-year-old Angelil died in the suburban Las Vegas home in Henderson he shared with Dion and their three children.

Angelil died of natural causes under the care of a doctor, Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said. No further investigation was expected.

A post on Dion's Facebook page said: "It is with deep sadness that we announce that René Angélil, aged 73, died this morning at her residence in Las Vegas after a long and courageous fight against cancer. The family wishes to live the mourning in privacy."

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada issued a statement saying he has always appreciated the couple's support because they took a risk on Las Vegas when Dion began her residency in 2002 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

"As a result, we in Las Vegas feel Céline Dion is one of ours," Reid said. "She has brought so much positive attention to our city. Her love affair with René and her family was something that was so admirable."

Calling Angelil an amazing showman and businessman, Caesars President Gary Selesner said it was impossible to overstate the impact he and Dion have had on the history of entertainment in Las Vegas and at Caesars Palace.

Dion's shows on Saturday and Sunday were cancelled.

Angelil was born in Montreal to a Canadian mother and Syrian father. He became the love of Dion's life and the linchpin for her huge success, guiding her career for most of her life.

Angelil was a former singer-turned-manager when he received an audio tape of Dion, then 12, from her mother.

"At that time I had been in the business for 20 years," Angelil recalled in a 1991 interview with The Associated Press. "In those 20 years, I had never heard or had a feeling come out of someone like this little girl I had in front of me. I had shivers all over, you know."

Dion has said he mortgaged his house to finance her first album. In time, Dion's voice would become one of the most popular in the world, recalling big-voiced singers such as Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston.

Initially, she sang only in her native French, and while she was a huge star in her native Quebec, it didn't translate to widespread international success. She had to learn English to gain success in the United States and other countries.

By the late 1990s and 2000s, her soaring voice had become dominant on the radio. The theme from "Titanic," the smash "My Heart Will Go On," has been her defining hit, and she has had other hits that have sold millions of copies around the world.

She and Angelil married in 1994 in an elaborate ceremony at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. He was constantly seen by her side.

In 2000, he was at the center of a high-profile extortion case.

Court records indicate that Angelil agreed to pay Yun Kyeong Kwon Sung $2 million in "hush money" after she claimed he fondled her in an elevator of the Imperial Palace hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Angelil's lawyer revealed the terms of the confidential settlement to a grand jury that indicted Sung and her husband on charges of extortion and bribery. Angelil acknowledged no wrongdoing and was never charged.

The Nevada Supreme Court in 2008 overturned the charges against Sung and her husband.

Angelil told the Las Vegas Sun in 2003 that he paid the money because he was worried about his wife's welfare as they struggled to conceive and that they didn't "need the stress."

Dion was public about her difficulty, revealing that she underwent procedures to eventually get pregnant with her children, Rene-Charles and twins Nelson and Eddy.

Angelil also had a son and daughter from his previous two marriages.

Angelil was first diagnosed with skin cancer while they were trying to conceive their first child. After he was born, and with Angelil on the mend, Dion retreated from touring and started the residency in Las Vegas so she could be more stable.

Dion said Angelil had talked about dying and even discussed his funeral plans.

"I'll say, 'You're scared? I understand. Talk to me about it.'" she told USA Today. "And René says to me, 'I want to die in your arms.' OK, fine, I'll be there, you'll die in my arms."
___

Mumbi Moody reported from New York City.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-15

[neverdie]

Their story is a bit creepy, especially the bit where he gets a video of her at age 12.

555555.

[JingerBen]

Their story is a bit creepy, especially the bit where he gets a video of her at age 12.

555555.

Creepy or not, it was a celebrity marriage that lasted a long time,.

They raised children together, and she stuck by her man until the end.

[Minnie the Minx]

R.I.P. Her heart, will go on.

[geriatrickid]

He was a boy band star back in the day. And my, what a dancer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4phB_8b9uqo

And for what it's worth, he was symbolic of the success of the first wave of Syrian "refugees". His father came from the catholic minority that fled persecution in Syria and Lebanon between the 20's and early 50's. They settled in Quebec where they became small shop owners specializing in retail and then entering the professions. It's quite a famous community. Dollarama, one of the largest dollar stores in North America, has its origins in the Rossy family who operated low end retail stars in Quebec. They were part of the original Lebanese immigrant community. Very different from the current immigrant community. The old timers got off the boart with nothing. No one gave them benefits or housing etc. They just worked hard, dealt with prejudice and became prosperous.

[Scott]

Inappropriate posts and replies removed.

[JHolmesJr]

R.I.P. Her heart, will go on.

….aaaaaannnnnddd oooooon!

RIP

[Calach]

He was still alive !?

[UnkleMoooose]

He was still alive !?

Until he died; yes.

[bark]

He was still alive !?

Yes.

And sadly so are you !

[Mr Money Bags]

He was still alive !?

Yes.

And sadly so are you !

Wow.

Seriously over the line......

You're Welcome!!

[Prbkk]

He was a boy band star back in the day. And my, what a dancer.

And for what it's worth, he was symbolic of the success of the first wave of Syrian "refugees". His father came from the catholic minority that fled persecution in Syria and Lebanon between the 20's and early 50's. They settled in Quebec where they became small shop owners specializing in retail and then entering the professions. It's quite a famous community. Dollarama, one of the largest dollar stores in North America, has its origins in the Rossy family who operated low end retail stars in Quebec. They were part of the original Lebanese immigrant community. Very different from the current immigrant community. The old timers got off the boart with nothing. No one gave them benefits or housing etc. They just worked hard, dealt with prejudice and became prosperous.

Nice version they did of Un Monde Sans Amour ( cover of Peter and Gordon song, c1965).

[snoop1130]

Condolences from Canada PM after death of Celine Dion’s husband René Angélil
Euronews

CANADA -- Tributes are being paid to René Angélil, the husband and ex-manager of Canadian singing star Celine Dion, who has died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer.

His death at home in Las Vegas was announced online by the award-winning vocalist.

The family have asked to be allowed to mourn in private and have said further information will be provided in the coming days.

Dion was discovered by the Canadian impresario when she was just 12 years old.

He said he had never heard such a beautiful voice and drove her career to stardom, reportedly mortgaging his home to finance the singer’s first album.

When French-speaking Dion was 18, Angélil instructed her to remake her image by changing her hair and capping her teeth, and enrolling in English school so she could record songs for the US market.

They married in 1994 and have three sons, René-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy.

Dion temporarily put her career on hold to support Angélil who has battled throat cancer for years.

She said he supported her later return to the stage.

Dion told Good Morning America in early 2015 that Angélil, who had throat cancer, had to eat with the help of a feeding tube three times a day, and was unable to talk or swallow.

Their marriage was initially opposed by Dion’s mother, not only because of their 26-year age gap but because Angélil had three children from two previous unions, the singer told media in 2013.

“I have to say that for my mom he was not the prince charming – the ideal prince charming. It was very difficult,” Dion told Access Hollywood.com in 2013.

The singer said her mother and family of 13 siblings came to approve of Angélil.

“She had no choice. Love won.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter for his tribute.

“My condolences to @CelineDion, and to the children, friends and loved ones of René Angélil on his passing,” he wrote.

In Angélil’s native Montreal, flags have been flying at half-mast

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/15/condolences-from-canada-pm-after-death-of-celine-dion-s-husband-rene-angelil/

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-15