“Mom arrived very quickly in Montreal. She is 89-years-old and she is very strong. He is surrounded, the whole family together. We are with Daniel, day and night. It looks a lot like René, he had cancer of the throat, tongue and brain,” Celine’s sister Claudette told The Journal Of Montreal about her brother’s condition. “He is 59 years old, very young to be the end of life,” she added. Here are five things to know about Daniel:
1. Daniel lost his wife to cancer recently.
In 2015, Daniel’s wife Ghyslaine Bujold passed away from cancer at age 59, the same age Daniel is now.
2. He’s the father to three children.
Daniel and his late wife had three children: Vaine, Guillaume and Marie-Michele.
3. Daniel and Celine come from a very large family.
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer has 13 brothers and sisters. Daniel is 12 years older than Celine, as he is the eighth child in the family while Celine is the youngest.
4. They come from a very musical family.
After Celine made her singing debut at age five at her brother Michael‘s wedding, she and her siblings — including Daniel –performed in her parents’ small piano bar called Le Vieux Baril, “The Old Barrel.” For over 22 years Daniel earned his living while playing the piano, organ and even the accordion.
5. He ‘s a master craftsman in woodworking.
He trained as a craftsman and master cabinetry worker following high school, but eventually returned to his first love of music as his primary profession.
Our thoughts go out to Celine and her family during this incredibly difficult time.