Rene Angelil (R), who
discovered Canadian pop diva Celine Dion (R) and managed her career,
died Thursday at age 73 after a struggle with cancer (AFP Photo/Valery
Hache)
Montreal (AFP) - The funeral for Celine
Dion's husband Rene Angelil will take place next Friday at the
Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal where the couple married, a family
spokesman said. Angelil, who discovered the Canadian pop diva and managed her career, died Thursday at age 73 after a struggle with cancer.
In
1994, when she was 26 and he was twice her age, the couple married in
an extravagant wedding ceremony that was televised live in Canada, and
splashed all over glossy magazines.
Angelil's
funeral will unfold at the spot where, "21 years ago, he chose to marry
the one who will remain as the great love of his life, the artist for
which he had the most respect, the woman who gave him light and
happiness until his very last breath," a statement by the family
spokesman read.
Beginning
Thursday, a chapel at the basilica "will be open to the public to pay a
last tribute" to the Montreal native, whose body will be displayed, it
added. A large crowd is expected Friday for the funeral, including show business and political figures.
Meanwhile, a commemorative celebration will be held on February 3 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Following Angelil's death, Dion cancelled two previously scheduled performances there that had been set for this weekend.
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