Gord Downie, the poetic lead singer of the Tragically Hip whose determined fight with brain cancer inspired a nation, has died. He was 53.
Downie died Tuesday night 91裸聊视频渨ith his beloved children and family close by,91裸聊视频� the band said in a statement on its website Wednesday morning.
In the wake of his diagnosis with glioblastoma 91裸聊视频� an incurable form of cancer 91裸聊视频� the musician became a symbol of perseverance in the face of his mortality.
91裸聊视频淕ord knew this day was coming 91裸聊视频� his response was to spend this precious time as he always had 91裸聊视频� making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss 91裸聊视频� on the lips,91裸聊视频� the statement said.
Statement -
91裸聊视频� The Tragically Hip (@thehipdotcom)
Downie spent the last chapter of his life raising funds for brain cancer research and advocating for the rights of Canada91裸聊视频檚 Indigenous Peoples.
91裸聊视频淕ord said he had lived many lives,91裸聊视频� said the statement, which was attributed to the Downie family. 91裸聊视频淎s a musician, he lived 91裸聊视频榯he life91裸聊视频� for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, son, brother, husband and friend. No one worked harder on every part of their life than Gord. No one.91裸聊视频�
Downie, one of Canada91裸聊视频檚 most revered singer-songwriters, penned a steady stream of 1990s rock radio staples including 91裸聊视频淣ew Orleans Is Sinking,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淏low at High Dough,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淐ourage (For Hugh MacLennan),91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淎head By a Century91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏obcaygeon.91裸聊视频� While Hip albums released in the 2000s didn91裸聊视频檛 produce nearly as many hits, the band hung on to its unofficial status as Canada91裸聊视频檚 favourite rock band.
While the Hip was frequently described as quintessentially Canadian, Downie had dismissed the suggestion that he set out to celebrate his homeland in song.
91裸聊视频淚 haven91裸聊视频檛 written too many political lyrics,91裸聊视频� he said in an interview with The Canadian Press in 2014. 91裸聊视频淣or have I written any pro-Canada lyrics, any kind of jingoistic, nationalistic cant91裸聊视频�. That stuff doesn91裸聊视频檛 interest me and I don91裸聊视频檛 even know if I could write that if I tried because I don91裸聊视频檛 really feel it.
91裸聊视频淪ocial causes are quite obvious. Music brings people together. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in.91裸聊视频�
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The last chapter of his career found Downie using his time in the spotlight to focus more attention on the issues facing Indigenous communities in Canada.
In the aftermath of the shocking May 2016 announcement that Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer the band said it would mount a tour 91裸聊视频� which many assumed would be the Hip91裸聊视频檚 last.
Interest was off the charts and tickets sold out nearly immediately. Despite conflicting with its coverage of the Summer Games in Rio, the CBC broadcast the last show of the tour live, in the Hip91裸聊视频檚 hometown of Kingston, Ont., and thousands of fans also attended public viewing parties across the country to experience the band91裸聊视频檚 swan song.
An impassioned Downie led the group through a nearly three-hour set and acknowledged the country91裸聊视频檚 enthusiastic support.
91裸聊视频淭hank you, people, for keeping me pushing and keeping me pushing,91裸聊视频� he said from the stage, which prompted a 91裸聊视频淕ordie!91裸聊视频� chant from the audience.
He used the national platform to call for more attention to the inequities faced by Indigenous Peoples, particularly in the North.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e in good hands, folks, real good hands,91裸聊视频� Downie said in reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
91裸聊视频淗e cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what91裸聊视频檚 going on up there. And what91裸聊视频檚 going on up there ain91裸聊视频檛 good. It91裸聊视频檚 maybe worse than it91裸聊视频檚 ever been, so it91裸聊视频檚 not on the improve. (But) we91裸聊视频檙e going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help.91裸聊视频�
There will never be another one like you, Gord. Rest in peace my friend.
91裸聊视频� Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau)
About two months later, Downie released the multimedia solo project 91裸聊视频淪ecret Path,91裸聊视频� which recounted the life of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died in 1966 after running away from a residential school in northern Ontario.
91裸聊视频淪ecret Path91裸聊视频� won three Juno Awards in April 91裸聊视频� best adult alternative album, songwriter of the year for Downie, and best recording package of the year for its presentation with a graphic novel. While Downie didn91裸聊视频檛 attend the Juno festivities, he appeared in a pre-recorded acceptance speech during the telecast.
91裸聊视频淔irst Nations have many, many stories like this one,91裸聊视频� he said in reference to Wenjack91裸聊视频檚 experience being separated from his family and put in a residential school.
91裸聊视频淢y dream would be that this record with Jeff Lemire91裸聊视频檚 drawings might help people. Might give teachers something to help teach our young ones.91裸聊视频�
In June, Downie was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada for his work in raising awareness of Indigenous issues. He was also set to be honoured by the Order of Canada along with his bandmates for 91裸聊视频渢heir contribution to Canadian music and for their support of various social and environmental causes.91裸聊视频�
The Tragically Hip91裸聊视频檚 last release, 91裸聊视频滿an Machine Poem,91裸聊视频� won the Juno for rock album of the year and the band also took home the group of the year prize, which was its third time winning the award among 11 nominations.
The Hip91裸聊视频檚 modest beginnings can be traced back to 1984 in Kingston, where Downie co-founded the band with four high-school friends 91裸聊视频� including guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986 when saxophonist David Manning left the band.
The early years were a slog as the Hip graduated from local university campus shows to dive bars like the Toucan, where they played on a stage tucked in the back corner of the venue91裸聊视频檚 basement.
A small but loyal fan base began to form just as their self-titled debut EP hit record stores in 1987. While not one of the Hip91裸聊视频檚 most-loved releases 91裸聊视频� and one the band didn91裸聊视频檛 touch during their career-spanning final tour 91裸聊视频� it offered a sliver of insight into Downie91裸聊视频檚 songwriting and performance potential.
Downie91裸聊视频檚 reputation for adding monologues to songs during live performances was started with a memorable performance of 91裸聊视频淗ighway Girl,91裸聊视频� which fans nicknamed the 91裸聊视频渄ouble suicide rant91裸聊视频� version. Part of the mid-song rant would later make up the lyrics of the song 91裸聊视频淟ocked in the Trunk of a Car.91裸聊视频�
But it was the live 91裸聊视频渒iller whale tank91裸聊视频� version of the fan favourite 91裸聊视频淣ew Orleans Is Sinking,91裸聊视频� off the band91裸聊视频檚 1989 followup 91裸聊视频淯p to Here,91裸聊视频� that cemented Downie91裸聊视频檚 legacy as a unique live performer always capable of surprising an audience.
The legend of the band91裸聊视频檚 thrilling concerts grew as rock radio stations devoured the Hip91裸聊视频檚 output of one hit album after another. 91裸聊视频淩oad Apples91裸聊视频� in 1991 produced favourites like 91裸聊视频淟ittle Bones,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淟ong Time Running91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频漈hree Pistols,91裸聊视频� and the next year the record 91裸聊视频滷ully Completely91裸聊视频� introduced another slew of soon-to-be classics including 91裸聊视频淎t the Hundredth Meridian,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滷ifty Mission Cap91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淲heat Kings.91裸聊视频�
Stories of the Hip91裸聊视频檚 unusual ability to attract huge crowds wherever they played in Canada gradually began to trickle south of the border and the band got its biggest chance to break through in the United States in 1995, thanks to a fellow Kingston native. Dan Aykroyd introduced the Tragically Hip as musical guests on 91裸聊视频淪aturday Night Live91裸聊视频� to play two songs off 91裸聊视频淒ay for Night,91裸聊视频� which was released six months earlier.
The band won over pockets of fans in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere but never got as big internationally as they were back home, where they collected 16 Junos, a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame, and immortalization on a postage stamp in 2013.
While playing sold-out shows to adoring audiences, Downie also sought out opportunities to stretch himself creatively outside the confines of the Hip.
He dabbled in acting with roles as a police officer in 91裸聊视频淭railer Park Boys: The Movie91裸聊视频� and as a recovering cancer patient in the drama 91裸聊视频淥ne Week.91裸聊视频� Prior to 91裸聊视频淪ecret Path91裸聊视频� he had cultivated several other solo projects, starting with the album 91裸聊视频滳oke Machine Glow91裸聊视频� in 2001, released with a companion book of poetry; 91裸聊视频滲attle of the Nudes91裸聊视频� in 2003; and 91裸聊视频淭he Grand Bounce,91裸聊视频� credited to Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles, in 2010.
In 2014, Downie recalled the thrill of performing for a different kind of audience 91裸聊视频� at a country music festival 91裸聊视频� in support of a side project with the Sadies.
91裸聊视频淚n this country, perhaps with a certain identity trailing you around, it91裸聊视频檚 hard to be miscast,91裸聊视频� Downie told The Canadian Press.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 hard to play a gig where you might get the hook, where you might be booed gloriously off the stage. I don91裸聊视频檛 mean that to sound immodest91裸聊视频�. (When) you91裸聊视频檙e kids, it91裸聊视频檚 the thing you91裸聊视频檙e most afraid of, but it91裸聊视频檚 the thing you miss, just the sort of lack of approval.91裸聊视频�
Staunchly dedicated to his environmental side projects, Downie was a devoted board member of the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper advocacy group, helping to raise money for the cause through benefits.
After his diagnosis, he lent his name to brain cancer research with the Gord Downie fund at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
Downie91裸聊视频檚 final public performance was in February as a surprise guest during a Blue Rodeo concert at Toronto91裸聊视频檚 Massey Hall. Singer Jim Cuddy introduced Downie before he joined the band in a rendition of their 1992 hit 91裸聊视频滾ost Together,91裸聊视频� alongside members of the Sadies. As the song finished Downie kissed and hugged his fellow musicians, waved to the audience and left the stage.
Late last month, Downie surprised fans by announcing he would be releasing a new solo album of 23 original songs produced with long-time collaborator Kevin Drew.
91裸聊视频淚ntroduce Yerself91裸聊视频� is slated for release Oct. 27 with each song written about a specific person.
