Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesCéline Dion's husband René Angélil was a very beloved man.
Hundreds of people lined up at Montreal's Notre Dame Basilica to pay their respects Thursday afternoon, and per the Montreal Gazette, Céline has personally been greeting family, friends and fans since doors opened at 2:30. Her mother Thérèse was seen arriving to the church early to stand with Céline in support. Sadly, the singer and her mother are also mourning the loss of Céline's brother Daniel, who died at age 59 (just days after René' lost his battle to cancer at the age of 73).
René's funeral will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at the basilica, the same church where he married Céline back in 1994. Per Céline's Facebook page, this will be live streamed, so that, "From anywhere across the globe, it will be possible to follow René Angélil's state funeral online tomorrow." The message was posted in both English and French.
René is survived by his and Céline's children, 14-year-old René-Charles and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy, as well as his adult children from a previous relationship, Anne-Marie, Patrick and Jean-Pierre.
Céline posted a touching and heartfelt tribute to her husband and longtime manager after he following his long battle with cancer. "He will be remembered as a gentle man, generous and kind, an unprecedented visionary, a modern Pygmalion, a Renaissance man," read a post on her Facebook page. "All who had the privilege of knowing him and of working closely with him, whether personally or professionally, salute a leader and a man of great intelligence and wisdom."
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Céline and her family during this difficult time.