Celine Dion's Husband Rene Angelil Dies At 73; Cancer Identified As Cause Of Death

Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil, who was been her mentor, manager and eventually became her husband, has died after years of battling against throat cancer. It has been noted that he is the one who is mostly responsible for Dion's highly successful worldwide carreer. The mentor-manager was 72, according to USA Today.

The news was confirmed on the singer's website on Thursday where a statement said that he died in their Las Vegas home. The statement read that he is now laid to rest "after a long and courageous battle against cancer. The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time."

Way before being known as the husband of Celine Dion, Rene Angelil was once a singer himself. He first had a career as a Canadian pop singer in the 1960s before he dove into the world of managing. Rene, who was a native of Montreal, discovered Dion when she was just 12 years old. He then went on to manage her career which became a global success.

According to Billboard, the two got married in December 1994. The couple have three children together: René-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. Dion's manager-turned-husband also has three children from his previous relationship who are all adults now.

The "Power of Love" singer announced in August 2014 that she was going to take an indefinite leave from her career due to her husband's health condition. Angelil was diagnosed with throat cancer and only had surgery in December 2013. "I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband's healing, and to do so," Dion said. "It's important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children."

Under her husband's wing, Celine Dion has sold more than 10 millions of albums, and has performed more than 900s shows for more than 2.6 million people since she began a Rene Angelil-orchestrated residency.