Celine Dion mourns her brother

BBC

The older brother of Canadian singer Celine Dion has died of cancer, two days after her husband also died.

Daniel Dion, 59, died on Saturday near Montreal, a statement by the singer’s spokeswoman said.

Ms Dion’s family paid tribute to the father-of-two, calling him “a gentle and reserved man of many talents”.

Her husband and former manager, Rene Angelil, died on Thursday aged 73. His death in Las Vegas came after two bouts with throat cancer.

Daniel Dion was the eighth of 14 children, and performed with his siblings in their parents’ piano bar in Quebec province.

He had been suffering cancer of the throat, tongue and brain, his sister Claudette told the Journal de Montreal newspaper (in French).

“He was ready, and isn’t suffering any more,” she said. “He was at peace.”

The funeral of Mr Angelil, who helped to launch Celine Dion’s career, will be held on Friday in the Notre Dame basilica in Montreal, where the couple married.

Dion recorded 25 studio albums and is the fifth-best-paid recording artist in the world, with a value of some $630m (£437m).

In 1999, her song My Heart Will Go On, from the soundtrack of the film Titanic, won two Grammy awards.