René Angélil, husband of Céline Dion, has died, his rep confirmed to People today.

“René Angélil, 73, passed away this morning at his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer. The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment.”

Angélil, who guided Dion’s career as her manager and mentor, is survived by the couple’s three children – René-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy – and his adult children from a previous relationship, Anne-Marie, Patrick and Jean-Pierre.

Angélil battled three bouts of cancer. Dion said in an interview with the USA Today;

“We have asked [doctors] many times, how long does he have, three weeks, three months? René wants to know. But they say they don’t know…

I’ll say, ‘You’re scared? I understand. Talk to me about it’ … And René says to me, ‘I want to die in your arms.’ Okay, fine, I’ll be there, you’ll die in my arms.”

And the singer said she would keep a brave face until the end.

“You can have your shaking knees at the end, but when someone you love falls and needs help, it’s not time to cry. Afterwards, sure. But not yet.”

That’s love. (Photo, Pacific Coast News; via People)