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 鈥渨ith his beloved children and family close by,鈥� the band said in a statement on its website Wednesday morning.
In the wake of his diagnosis with glioblastoma 鈥� an incurable form of cancer 鈥� the musician became a symbol of perseverance in the face of his mortality.
鈥淕ord knew this day was coming 鈥� his response was to spend this precious time as he always had 鈥� making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss 鈥� on the lips,鈥� the statement said.
Statement -
鈥� The Tragically Hip (@thehipdotcom)
Downie spent the last chapter of his life raising funds for brain cancer research and advocating for the rights of Canada鈥檚 Indigenous Peoples.
鈥淕ord said he had lived many lives,鈥� said the statement, which was attributed to the Downie family. 鈥淎s a musician, he lived 鈥榯he life鈥� 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.鈥�
Downie, one of Canada鈥檚 most revered singer-songwriters, penned a steady stream of 1990s rock radio staples including 鈥淣ew Orleans Is Sinking,鈥� 鈥淏low at High Dough,鈥� 鈥淐ourage (For Hugh MacLennan),鈥� 鈥淎head By a Century鈥� and 鈥淏obcaygeon.鈥� While Hip albums released in the 2000s didn鈥檛 produce nearly as many hits, the band hung on to its unofficial status as Canada鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 written too many political lyrics,鈥� he said in an interview with The Canadian Press in 2014. 鈥淣or have I written any pro-Canada lyrics, any kind of jingoistic, nationalistic cant鈥�. That stuff doesn鈥檛 interest me and I don鈥檛 even know if I could write that if I tried because I don鈥檛 really feel it.
鈥淪ocial causes are quite obvious. Music brings people together. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in.鈥�
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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 鈥� which many assumed would be the Hip鈥檚 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 Hip鈥檚 hometown of Kingston, Ont., and thousands of fans also attended public viewing parties across the country to experience the band鈥檚 swan song.
An impassioned Downie led the group through a nearly three-hour set and acknowledged the country鈥檚 enthusiastic support.
鈥淭hank you, people, for keeping me pushing and keeping me pushing,鈥� he said from the stage, which prompted a 鈥淕ordie!鈥� 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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in good hands, folks, real good hands,鈥� Downie said in reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
鈥淗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 what鈥檚 going on up there. And what鈥檚 going on up there ain鈥檛 good. It鈥檚 maybe worse than it鈥檚 ever been, so it鈥檚 not on the improve. (But) we鈥檙e going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help.鈥�
There will never be another one like you, Gord. Rest in peace my friend.
鈥� Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau)
About two months later, Downie released the multimedia solo project 鈥淪ecret Path,鈥� which recounted the life of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died in 1966 after running away from a residential school in northern Ontario.
鈥淪ecret Path鈥� won three Juno Awards in April 鈥� 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 didn鈥檛 attend the Juno festivities, he appeared in a pre-recorded acceptance speech during the telecast.
鈥淔irst Nations have many, many stories like this one,鈥� he said in reference to Wenjack鈥檚 experience being separated from his family and put in a residential school.
鈥淢y dream would be that this record with Jeff Lemire鈥檚 drawings might help people. Might give teachers something to help teach our young ones.鈥�
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 鈥渢heir contribution to Canadian music and for their support of various social and environmental causes.鈥�
The Tragically Hip鈥檚 last release, 鈥滿an Machine Poem,鈥� 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 Hip鈥檚 modest beginnings can be traced back to 1984 in Kingston, where Downie co-founded the band with four high-school friends 鈥� 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 venue鈥檚 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 Hip鈥檚 most-loved releases 鈥� and one the band didn鈥檛 touch during their career-spanning final tour 鈥� it offered a sliver of insight into Downie鈥檚 songwriting and performance potential.
Downie鈥檚 reputation for adding monologues to songs during live performances was started with a memorable performance of 鈥淗ighway Girl,鈥� which fans nicknamed the 鈥渄ouble suicide rant鈥� version. Part of the mid-song rant would later make up the lyrics of the song 鈥淟ocked in the Trunk of a Car.鈥�
But it was the live 鈥渒iller whale tank鈥� version of the fan favourite 鈥淣ew Orleans Is Sinking,鈥� off the band鈥檚 1989 followup 鈥淯p to Here,鈥� that cemented Downie鈥檚 legacy as a unique live performer always capable of surprising an audience.
The legend of the band鈥檚 thrilling concerts grew as rock radio stations devoured the Hip鈥檚 output of one hit album after another. 鈥淩oad Apples鈥� in 1991 produced favourites like 鈥淟ittle Bones,鈥� 鈥淟ong Time Running鈥� and 鈥漈hree Pistols,鈥� and the next year the record 鈥滷ully Completely鈥� introduced another slew of soon-to-be classics including 鈥淎t the Hundredth Meridian,鈥� 鈥滷ifty Mission Cap鈥� and 鈥淲heat Kings.鈥�
Stories of the Hip鈥檚 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 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� to play two songs off 鈥淒ay for Night,鈥� 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 鈥淭railer Park Boys: The Movie鈥� and as a recovering cancer patient in the drama 鈥淥ne Week.鈥� Prior to 鈥淪ecret Path鈥� he had cultivated several other solo projects, starting with the album 鈥滳oke Machine Glow鈥� in 2001, released with a companion book of poetry; 鈥滲attle of the Nudes鈥� in 2003; and 鈥淭he Grand Bounce,鈥� 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 鈥� at a country music festival 鈥� in support of a side project with the Sadies.
鈥淚n this country, perhaps with a certain identity trailing you around, it鈥檚 hard to be miscast,鈥� Downie told The Canadian Press.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to play a gig where you might get the hook, where you might be booed gloriously off the stage. I don鈥檛 mean that to sound immodest鈥�. (When) you鈥檙e kids, it鈥檚 the thing you鈥檙e most afraid of, but it鈥檚 the thing you miss, just the sort of lack of approval.鈥�
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.
Downie鈥檚 final public performance was in February as a surprise guest during a Blue Rodeo concert at Toronto鈥檚 Massey Hall. Singer Jim Cuddy introduced Downie before he joined the band in a rendition of their 1992 hit 鈥滾ost Together,鈥� 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.
鈥淚ntroduce Yerself鈥� is slated for release Oct. 27 with each song written about a specific person.
