A year of tragedy continues for the pop icon, just two days after Celine Dion lost her husband, Rene Angelil, her older brother has died.
Daniel Dion, 59, passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning, January 16, in Dion’s native Montreal. Daniel had been battling various forms of cancer, and his death was confirmed by the office of the singer’s publicist, Francine Chaloult.
Dion’s family paid tribute to the father-of-two, saying he will be remembered as “a gentle and reserved man of many talents”.
Mere days before Daniel Dion’s death, his sister Claudette told the Journal of Montreal “that it’s a matter of days or hours” to live. Adding, “It looks a lot like René, he had cancer of the throat, tongue and brain. Our family is very experienced.”
Daniel was the eighth of 14 Dion children, and considered the surviving patriarch of Dion’s large French-Canadian family.
Daniel Dion’s funeral will take place in a church in the family’s hometown of Charlemagne, several days after Angélil’s funeral at Notre Dame Basilica.
Dion canceled her Las Vegas shows following Angelil’s death, and has tentatively scheduled her return to The Colosseum for February 23. It is unclear if she will take more time following the subsequent death of Daniel.
