Celine Dion to Honor Late Husband With Las Vegas Memorial Tonight
About 1,200 people are expected to attend “Celebration of Life."
— -- Las Vegas will bid its final farewell to Céline Dion’s husband, René Angélil, with a special memorial at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace tonight.
The “Celebration of Life” tribute will feature a series of guest speakers celebrating Angélil’s life through stories and memories.
Speakers will include writer and musician David Foster, Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich and Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Foster will play “The Color of My Love” on piano -- the same song he played at Dion and Angélil's wedding reception in 1994.
Dion has overseen all the details for the event for her late husband, who died Jan. 14 after a long battle with throat cancer. She’ll reportedly be in attendance tonight, along with 15-year-old son René-Charles.
The event will feature a meaningful symbol of Dion and Angélil's love for one another. The couple had a tradition of holding hands before each performance, and when Angélil was too sick to be at the theater, a casting was made of his hand and set on a pedestal near the stage entrance. Before each show, Dion would grip the hand.
Tonight, each speaker will be invited to grip the hand or knock on the wood pedestal. And at the end of the memorial, the audience will also get the opportunity to come on stage and briefly touch the hand.
About 1,200 people are expected to attend “Celebration of Life,” which begins at 7 p.m. PT. The event will also be live-streamed ReneAngelilCelebrationofLife.com.