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'{{BLP more sources|date=August 2015}} {{Recent death}} {{Infobox person | name = René Angélil | honorific_suffix = [[Order of Canada|CM]], [[National Order of Quebec|OQ]] | image = René Angelil.jpg | caption = René Angélil in 2009 | birth_date = {{birth date|1942|1|16|df=yes}} | date_death = {{death date|2016|1|14|df=yes}}(aged 73 and 363 days) | birth_place= [[Montréal]], [[Québec]], [[Canada]] | occupation = Singer, manager, director | years_active = 1961–2014 | spouse = Denyse Duquette <small>(1966–72)</small><br />Anne Renée <small>(1974–80) (div.)</small><br />[[Celine Dion]] <small>(1994–2016)</small> | children = 6 |death_place = [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]|death_cause = Cancer|death_date = {{death date and age|2016|1|14|1942|1|16|df=y}}}} '''René Angélil''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|OQ}} ({{IPA-fr|ʁɛne ɑ̃ʒelij}}; born January 16, 1942 – January 14, 2016) was a [[Canada|Canadian]] singer and manager. He was the husband and former manager of singer [[Celine Dion]].<ref name="Gazette">{{cite news|title=Celine's son a Greek Melkite like any other: Rene-Charles to receive a combined baptism, first communion, confirmation in Catholic ceremony|last=Shepherd|first=Harvey|date=July 21, 2001|work=The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)|pages=A6|accessdate=2008-12-31}}</ref> ==Early life== Angélil was born in [[Montreal]], [[Québec]], [[Canada]], of a father of [[Syria]]n descent and a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] mother.<ref>[http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/medias/136411/a-voir-a-la-television-le-samedi-24-mars-carre-d-as À voir à la télévision le samedi 24 mars - Carré d'as] "Né dans le quartier Villeray à Montréal d'un père d'origine syrienne et d'une mère québécoise, le jeune Angelil était un leader"</ref> He is [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Melkite Catholic]] and studied at College Saint-Viateur (high school), in Outremont and at College André-Grasset (post secondary), in Montreal. ==Career== Angélil started out as a pop singer in the 1960s in Montréal, Angélil formed a pop rock group, "The Baronets", with childhood friends Pierre Labelle and Jean Beaulne. They were known as "Québec's [[Smithtones]]"{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} by the name of Les Baronnets. This group had some hits in the 1960s as {{YouTube|r6SC-s2I8cY|''"C'est fou, mais c'est tout"''}} (a translation of the [[Beatles]]' song "[[Hold Me Tight]]") catering to the Quebec market for translations of English-language pop hits from the [[United Kingdom]] or the [[United States]]. After the dissolution of the group, Angélil and best friend [[Guy Cloutier]] began managing artists. Together they managed the career of two successful Québec entertainers [[René Simard]] and [[Ginette Reno]], among many other pop stars of the time. They parted ways in 1981 to each become solo managers. At the end of 1980 (not long after being replaced as Ginette's manager) René heard [[Celine Dion]]'s [[demo tape]]. In 1987 and 1988, he won the [[Félix Award]] for Manager of the Year. In July 2008, Angélil was named the director for the reality television show ''[[Star Academie]]'''s fourth season, scheduled to start in February 2009.<ref>[http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/artsetspectacles/general/archives/2008/07/20080729-102729.html René Angélil prend la tête de l'académie], LCN, July 29, 2008</ref> ==Personal life== In 1966, he married his first wife, Denyse Duquette, with whom he had one son, Patrick Angélil, in 1968. In 1974, he married singer Manon Kirouac, called Anne Renée on the stage:{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} the couple had two children, Jean Pierre Angélil (born 1974) and Anne Marie Angélil (born 1977), whose husband is Quebec singer-songwriter Marc Dupré. On December 17, 1994, he married Celine Dion, whom he met when she was 12. Dion is 26 years younger than Angélil. Their son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, was born January 25, 2001. On August 18, 2009, the couple announced that Dion was pregnant with their second child; three months later it was announced that she had miscarried. On May 30, 2010, Celine Dion's representative announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant.<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hikMI53kNDcXDFT5WB7DFawBUxCw ] {{wayback|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hikMI53kNDcXDFT5WB7DFawBUxCw |date=20091118065000 }}</ref> On October 23, 2010, Dion and Angélil welcomed fraternal twin boys. The boys were named Eddy Angelil, after [[Eddy Marnay]], who produced Dion's first five albums, and Nelson Angelil, after [[Nelson Mandela]]. Angélil was a fan of [[National Hockey League|NHL]] hockey, and a good friend of former [[Colorado Avalanche]] president and general manager, [[Pierre Lacroix (ice hockey b. 1948)|Pierre Lacroix]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Fleury |first= Theo |authorlink = Theoren Fleury |author2=[[Kirstie McLellan Day]] |title= [[Playing with Fire (Autobiography)|Playing With Fire]] |publisher= [[HarperCollins]] |year= 2009 |page= 217 |isbn= 978-1-55468-239-3}}</ref> ===Illness=== Angélil suffered a heart attack in 1992 at age 51.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/08/13/celine-dion-husband-cancer_n_5675563.html |title=Celine Dion's Husband Rene Angelil Has Been Fighting Cancer, Heart Problems For Over 20 Years |website=Huffingtonpost.ca |date=2014-08-13 |accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> He was engaged to Celine Dion and staying with her at a Los Angeles hotel at the time. In April 1998, doctors in Dallas confirmed that a lump in Angélil's neck was a malignant cancer{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. He underwent surgery as Dion was booked for her Texas concert{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. He suffered from [[Esophageal cancer|throat cancer]] (resulting in Dion temporarily halting her career to be with him), but recovered{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. He appeared in the video for [[Simple Plan]]'s [[Save You (Simple Plan song)|"Save You"]] as a survivor of cancer.<ref>{{YouTube|ScfQDcFYUvQ}}</ref> In 2009, Angélil reportedly underwent a heart-related medical procedure to deal with "arterial blockage". The procedure had been "planned for months" and was "not heart surgery".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/norm-clarke/dions-husband-ok-after-heart-work |title=Dion's husband OK after heart work &#124; Las Vegas Review-Journal |website=Reviewjournal.com |date=2009-05-15 |accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> Angélil underwent another surgery December 2013 for throat cancer,<ref>{{cite web|last=Duke |first=Alan |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/13/showbiz/celine-dion-cancels/ |title=Celine Dion cancels shows as husband fights cancer |website=CNN.com |date=2014-08-14 |accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> with doctors even replacing parts of his tongue to give him the ability to speak{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. The following June, Angélil stepped down as Dion's manager to focus on his health. However, he was still involved in business decisions pertaining to his wife's career.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vlessing |first=Etan |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/celine-dion-has-new-manager-711347 |title=Celine Dion Has New Manager as Rene Angelil Steps Down |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |date=2014-12-06 |accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> In September 2015, Céline revealed that Angélil's cancer was terminal, and that he had only 'weeks' to live. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/32901/20150907/celine-dion-husband-rene-angelil-weeks-live.htm |title=Celine Dion: Husband Rene Angelil Has Only Weeks to Live : News |publisher=Realty Today |date=2015-09-07 |accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> Angélil was portrayed in an unauthorized TV [[biopic]] about Dion by [[Toronto]] actor [[Enrico Colantoni]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010387/ |title=WEtv movie ''Celine''|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> Died January 14, 2016 ===Extortion attempt=== Angélil was accused by Yun Kyeong Kwon Sung of sexual assault stemming from an incident in 2000 that took place in a [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] hotel. These charges were later investigated by Las Vegas police. Although Angélil eventually paid $2 million to settle, Angélil never admitted to doing anything wrong, always maintaining the settlement was to avoid negative publicity that might upset his wife [[Celine Dion]]. Yun and her husband, Ae Ho Kwon, were later arrested in 2003 and charged with trying to extort money from Angélil over a false [[rape]] claim. The couple were convicted in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0066119/|title=Rape Charge Dropped for Dion's Husband|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=2015-12-27}}</ref> ===Defamation suits=== In 2001, Angélil, along with his wife Dion, filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Quebec tabloid ''Allo Vedettes''' for printing a story alleging the couple paid $5,000 to rent out the swimming pool of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas so that Dion could sunbathe topless and René could go skinny dipping, allegations they strenuously denied{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. They later withdrew the case, saying it was not a priority in light of the terrorist events of [[September 11 attacks|9/11]]{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}. ===Death=== Rene Angélil passed away the morning of January 14th at his home in [[Las Vegas]] after a long and courageous battle against [[cancer]]. Aged 73. ==Gambling fame== Angélil was an avid [[poker]] player, having qualified for the 2005 [[World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions]], and finishing [[List of poker terms#I|in the money]] at the 2007 Mirage Poker Showdown event on the [[World Poker Tour]], a series of high-stakes tournaments. Angélil is also rumored to be a dedicated gambler away from the poker table. He reportedly gambled upwards of $1 million a week at [[Caesar's Palace]], and kept a line of credit for the same amount at [[Bellagio (resort and casino)|Bellagio]].<ref>{{cite news|author=NickMathiason|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2000106,00.html |title=Queen of Las Vegas brings her winning streak to Britain &#124; Business &#124; The Observer |publisher=Observer.guardian.co.uk |date= January 28, 2007|accessdate=2011-05-05 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://vegasblog.latimes.com/vegas/2007/02/ramblin_gambin_.html |title=Ramblin' Gamblin' Man: Rene Angélil |publisher=Vegasblog.latimes.com |date=2007-02-08 |accessdate=2011-05-05}}</ref> A frenzy of speculation as to how much Angélil spent in casinos was created when Jan Jones, former Las Vegas mayor and high ranking executive at Harrah's Communications, was quoted by a reporter from the London-based newspaper ''[[The Observer]]'' as saying, "Celine Dion's husband is a big gambler. He probably gambles $1 million in a week, but he can afford to." Caesar's Entertainment, owner company of Harrah's, later stated Jan Jones' allegations were without merit. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{commonscat-inline|René Angelil}} {{Celine Dion}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Angelil, Rene}} [[Category:1942 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Canadian Eastern Catholics]] [[Category:Canadian people of Arab descent]] [[Category:Canadian people of Lebanese descent]] [[Category:Canadian people of Syrian descent]] [[Category:Canadian pop singers]] [[Category:Celine Dion]] [[Category:Francophone Quebec people]] [[Category:French-language singers of Canada]] [[Category:Musicians from Montreal]] [[Category:Officers of the National Order of Quebec]] [[Category:People with cancer]]'