Celine Dion, the Canadian singing sensation, rose to fame in 1991 following the release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. She went on to become Canada’s best-selling recording artist and fans have been curious to learn more about her former husband, René Angélil.
In 1994, Celine married René, who was not only her husband but also had a successful career in the entertainment industry as a musical producer, talent manager, and singer. Born on January 16, 1942, in Montreal, Canada, René sadly passed away on January 14, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
René and Celine first crossed paths in 1980 when she was just 12 years old. He discovered her talent and began managing her career, even going as far as mortgaging his house to finance her first album in 1981. Their professional relationship blossomed into a personal one when Celine was 18, and they tied the knot eight years later, despite a significant 26-year age gap.
Before his marriage to Celine, René had been married to Denyse Duquette from 1966-1972 and singer Anne Renée from 1974-1980. The pair shared a strong bond, and René’s passing in 2016 due to throat cancer deeply impacted Celine.
Celine recently shared with fans that she is battling a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome, which affects her daily life. This revelation came after years of keeping her diagnosis a secret from the public. She expressed how her husband’s battle with cancer affected her own health struggle and that it was time to share her truth.
The couple welcomed three sons, Rene-Charles, Nelson, and Eddy, during their marriage. René also had a son, Patrick, from his first marriage, and two children, Anne-Marie and Jean-Pierre Angélil, from his second marriage, making him a father of six.
Celine’s upcoming documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, will be released on Prime Video on June 25, 2024, providing fans with a deeper insight into the life of the iconic singer.
