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