"Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning at his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer," according to a statement released by Team Celine on Celine Dion's Facebook page. "The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time."

Angélil has known Dion since she was 12. When he discovered her stunning voice, he decided to help launch the pop diva's career and later became her manager. The two married in 1994 and their love story has been idolized throughout the industry.

Angélil stepped aside as his wife's manager in June 2014 because of cancer. That August, Dion also put her career on a temporary hold to help him fight the disease. She returned a year later to sing again for a Las Vegas concert residency, partly thanks to Angélil's encouragement.

"I'm doing it for him. I'm doing it for my fans," Dion said in a March 2015 interview with ABC.

Angélil is survived by his wife Céline Dion and three children, René-Charles, 14, 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy and his adult children from a previous relationship, Anne-Marie, Jean-Pierre and Patrick.

The news of celebrity deaths has shaken the entertainment industry this week as legendary rock singer David Bowie and British actor Alan Rickman also passed away. All three died of cancer.

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