On Friday (15Jan16) the singer's sister Claudette revealed to the Journal of Montreal that their sibling had just a "matter of days or hours" left to live as he suffered from throat, brain and tongue cancer. He was treated at a hospital in the Quebec city, and passed away on Saturday morning (16Jan16), Celine's publicist Francine Chaloult confirmed.
Claudette told the publication her brother's condition was very similar to that of Celine's late husband, Rene, who lost his battle with cancer on Thursday (14Jan16). "It's very painful. It's a matter of days or hours," she said. "It looks a lot like Rene, he had cancer of the throat, tongue and brain. Our family is very experienced."
Meanwhile, a source noted how hard it was for Celine, as she and her many siblings are "extremely close". The family released a statement after the sad news broke, noting that Daniel will be remembered as "a gentle and reserved man of many talents". A tribute for him will be held on 23 January (16), with a funeral service to be held several days later.
