Celine Dion's husband has died

Las Vegas talk and lifestyle; Rikki Cheese, Megan Telles and Dao Vu host.

By: Joyce Lupiani

People magazine was the first to report that Celine Dion's husband, René Angélil, had died after a long battle with cancer.

Angélil, 73, passed away at his Henderson home with Celine Dion on Thursday morning.

Dion returned to the stage last year at Caesars Palace after taking a break to take care of her husband. At the time, she talked about how her husband wanted her to return to the stage because she loved to perform so much.

Caesars Palace and AEG released the following statement:

"We are incredibly saddened by the loss of our friend and partner René Angélil, Céline Dion’s husband, and our heart goes out to Céline and the family. It is impossible to overstate the impact René and of course Céline have had on the history of entertainment in Las Vegas and at Caesars Palace, with his audacious vision regarding her residency, now 13 years and counting. René was truly an amazing human being, showman and businessman, and over these many years became a loved and cherished member of the Caesars Palace family. On behalf of our owners, management and employees, we will forever be grateful for his love and friendship. On a personal note I will miss him greatly. There will never be another René Angélil."

- Gary Selesner, President, Caesars Palace

"We are heartbroken to hear this news, not only because René was a great friend and mentor and an extraordinary partner with us in these shows at Caesars Palace for the last 13 years, but even more because he and Céline were so devoted to each other; their relationship has been a model for us all. René was the most brilliant, generous and loyal partner one could have in business. And after the work was done, René as such a fun and joyful friend who loved to entertain, eat amazing meals, and tell great stories. There will never be another one like René."

- John Nelson, Senior Vice President, AEG Live Las Vegas

The news was also posted on Facebook.

C'est avec une profonde tristesse que nous vous annonçons que René Angélil, 73 ans, est décédé ce matin à sa résidence...
Posted by Celine Dion on Thursday, January 14, 2016

Angélil was Dion's manager before he became her husband. The couple had three children together -- Rene-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins named Nelson and Eddy. Angelil also had two adult children from a previous marriage.

Angélil stepped down as Dion's manager in 2014 after his throat cancer returned. His first battle with throat cancer began in 1998.

The Clark County coroner says that Angélil died as a result of squamous carcinoma of the floor of the mouth. His death was due to natural causes and no further investigation into his death is expected.

Dion returned to the stage on Aug. 27, 2015. In October, she announced additional shows for February, March, May and June. It has been announced that the performances on Jan. 16 and 17 have been canceled.

With heavy hearts, we regret to inform you that Celine performances on Sat, 1/16 & Sun, 1/17 have been cancelled. https://t.co/rwGwhCaQiH
— The Colosseum (@ColosseumatCP) January 14, 2016

Celine will return to The Colosseum on February 23 to resume performances.

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Celine Dion's husband has died

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