Daniel Dion: Celine Dion's brother dies of cancer two days after her husband

Dion’s family pay tribute to the father-of-two

Celine Dion's older brother has died at the age of 59 (Getty Images )

The older brother of Canadian pop singer Celine Dion has died of cancer, just two days after the singer's husband died.

Daniel Dion, 59, died in the early hours of Saturday morning in Montreal after fighting cancer for several years.

Dion’s family paid tribute to the father-of-two, saying he will be remembered as “a gentle and reserved man of many talents”.

The news comes after the Canadian singer’s husband and former manager René Angélil died on Thursday in Las Vegas following two bouts of throat cancer.

After discovering Dion when she was 12 years old, Angélil worked as Dion’s manager for decades, eventually going on to marry her when she was 26 and later having three children with her.

Speaking to the Journal of Montreal days before Daniel Dion's death, his sister Claudette said he only had “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 Dion’s religious funeral will take place in a church in the family’s hometown of Charlemagne, several days after Angélil’s funeral at Notre Dame Basilica.