Celine Dion spoke publicly for the first time since her husband, René Angélil, died from throat cancer in January.
The Canadian music icon paid tribute to Angélil on Wednesday night with a memorial at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Plenty of people were there to celebrate the life of Dion's late husband and manager, who helped her become one of the most famous singers in the world.
"I was never part of any of the meetings that he had where he had to say yes or no. He protected me from Day 1 to for the rest of my life, I am pretty sure of that," Dion said in a speech about Angélil.
The "A New Day" singer was joined on stage by her son with Angélil, René-Charles, as well as Angélil’s children from previous marriages, Patrick, Jean Pierre and Anne Marie, and his brother, Andre.
Though Dion didn't sing during the memorial event, her music played throughout the night. David Foster, longtime friend and collaborator of Dion's, also sang "The Color of My Love," which he performed at the couple's wedding. The performance left Dion understandably teary-eyed.
Other guests, such as Dion's agent and friends in the industry, shared memories of Angélil as well, describing him as a kind man who was devoted to his wife.
Angélil died at the age of 73 on Jan. 14 after "a long and courageous battle against cancer."
Thousands of fans gathered to pay their respects at Angélil's funeral, which took place a week after his death at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada, the same church where Dion and Angélil were married in 1994. Dion and her family stayed for seven hours to greet mourning fans at the public visitation.
At the viewing, Dion told People magazine, "The support we've received has been such a blessing."
Also on HuffPost:
