He managed some of the biggest music stars in Quebec and was considered the mastermind behind the province's most famous vedette, Celine Dion.

Rene Angelil died of cancer at his Las Vegas home Thursday morning. He was 73.

Angelil had been ailing for sometime, and a statement on Dion's Facebook page states he died after "a long and courageous battle against cancer."



Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning at his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer.... Posted by Celine Dion on Thursday, January 14, 2016

Angelil broke into show business as a pop singer – in the early 60's, Angelil and two childhood friends formed The Baronets. The Montreal-based trio had success translating British and American hits into French.

After the group split, Angelil stayed in the music industry, managing artists like Rene Simard and Ginette Reno.

But it was the voice of a young girl from Charlemagne, Que. that changed his life. Angelil discovered Celine Dion when she was 12-years-old. He mortgaged his house to bankroll her first record, a risk that paid off.

“I decided to go all the way and do what I thought was best for her, do everything right for her,” he has said.

Dion would become an international superstar, selling more than 220 million albums worldwide.

But their successful business relationship would develop into something more – the two were 26 years apart in age, but they adored each other and fans adored them. They were married in 1994 at Montreal’s Notre Dame Basilica. It was a wedding fit for royalty, with celebrity guests and adoring fans looking on.