For almost 30 years, the Canadian singer Celine Dion was happy with her manager and producer Rene Angelil, whom she met in her early youth. The couple got married in 1994. Over the years of family life, several serious trials fell to their lot, including difficulties with the birth of children and the struggle with the serious illness of Angelil. In early 2016, Dion experienced a real tragedy when her beloved husband passed away.
Her Pygmalion
Celine grew up in a poor family with many children, surrounded by 13 older brothers and sisters. From early childhood, she dreamed of a career as a singer. In many ways, this choice was facilitated by performances in a small music bar owned by the girl's parents. The future star, in the company of brothers and sisters, often performed various musical compositions there. And at the age of 12 she composed her own song in collaboration with her mother and brother Jacques. Celine's family sent a recording of her creation to producer Rene Angelil, whose name was accidentally found on one of the music discs.
The man liked the performance of the young vocalist so much that he decided to make a star out of her. The future spouse Dion even mortgaged his own house for the promotion of his ward. As it turned out, Angelil was right. Already the debut album made the singer truly famous in her native country, and then her popularity only multiplied until it reached global proportions.
The romantic relationship between the singer and the producer began when the girl was 18 years old. For some time, they hid their romance from the public, fearing condemnation due to the 26-year age difference. In addition, Celine's parents opposed this union. After all, Angelil had two unsuccessful marriages and three children in the past. However, none of the beliefs of her relatives could shake the confidence of the enamored singer that she needed Rene. In 1991, the couple became engaged, and on December 17, 1994, their lavish wedding took place at the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. The ceremony was even broadcast live on Canadian television.
Joys and difficulties
In 1997, the singer came to long-awaited international success, when her legendary hit My Heart Will Go On, recorded as the soundtrack for "Titanic", topped the world charts and won numerous awards, including Golden Globe and Oscar. But very soon, the happy times in the life of Celine and her husband were replaced by serious trials.
In 1998 Angelil was diagnosed with throat cancer. His faithful wife threw all her strength into the struggle for the life and health of her husband. She put her super successful career on pause in order to constantly be with her beloved. Fortunately, in early 2000, the insidious disease receded. In honor of this joyful event, the couple even arranged a re-wedding ceremony in Las Vegas.
Now it was the turn for Celine to come to grips with her health. The fact is that she was treated for infertility for many years. In May 2000, the singer underwent another medical intervention and resorted to the IVF procedure. Already at the end of January 2001, the firstborn of the spouses was born - the son of Rene-Charles.
After a series of difficulties in Dion's life, a period of harmony and tranquility began. In 2002, she triumphantly returned to the stage with a new album, A New Day Has Come. The singer then signed a three-year contract to perform at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. However, the steady success of the show prompted its organizers to renew the contract with the singer. As a result, Celine's last concert in this format took place on December 15, 2007. Beloved husband and son took the stage to congratulate her on the completion of an important chapter in her creative life.
In May 2010, Rene Angelil informed his wife's fans that she was pregnant with twins. The long-awaited event came only with the sixth IVF attempt. Dion became a mother again on October 23, 2010 at the prestigious Florida Medical Center. The happy parents named their newborn sons Eddie and Nelson. The boys got their names in honor of the composer Eddie Marne and the politician Nelson Mandela.
Alone but not alone
In April 2013, the couple made a difficult statement about the return of Rene Angelil's illness. In December, the producer underwent surgery, and his wife again suspended her creative activity, devoting herself to caring for her husband. In August 2015, the singer returned to performing in Las Vegas. This decision was very difficult for her, since René's incurable disease had already entered the final stage. However, he managed to convince Celine that she needed to switch from constant worries about him to what she loved.
While the singer continued to perform, her husband was constantly nearby at their house in Las Vegas. In an interview, Dion spoke about Rene's main desire in the last months of her life. “I want to die in your arms,” her husband confessed to her. As before, the singer was ready to fulfill his last will. She said goodbye forever to the main love of her life on the morning of January 14, 2016 in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, two days later, fate gave the grief-stricken woman another blow: her brother Daniel died of the same disease.
Because of mourning, Celine interrupted her performances in Las Vegas. She returned to work only on February 23, amid enthusiastic shouts and applause from fans. Since then, her three wonderful sons remain the main joy and source of spiritual strength for the singer.
In January 2019, Dion was spotted at Paris Fashion Week with the young dancer Pepe Muñoz. Their behavior in public gave the journalists a reason to talk about the singer's new romance. However, Celine denied the rumors, emphasizing the friendly nature of relations with Muñoz. She admitted that she still misses her deceased husband: “I know that now he is alone, resting and always with me. I see him every day in my children. He gave me so much strength!"
