Though they were lumped together because of their work on Indigenous issuesMaracles work on which, of course, far outstretched Downies more recent foraymany wondered if the timing had more to do with health concerns. The press and the music industry were largely baffled; among his peers, and especially among non-Hip fans, it remains a beloved and influential record. It was a Terry Fox story with a twist: a story where the protagonist completes his goal before the disease gets the better of him. ~ MacKenzie Wilson HOMETOWN Amherstview, Ontario, Canada BORN February 6, 1964 Similar Artists Gord Downie & The Country of Miracles The Tragically Hip Hayden Joel Plaskett Rheostatics Dan Mangan Matthew Good Matt Mays Arkells Wintersleep He died Tuesday night surrounded by his children and family, according to a statement on the band's website. Meanwhile,Secret Pathcomprised not just a record, but a graphic novel and animated film as well, all of which werebased on the tragic, but largely unknown, story of Chanie Wenjack, an indigenous 12-year-old boy who froze to death trying to escape the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School. In June 2020, the Tragically Hip and manager Jake Gold announced that they were undertaking an "archaeological dig" to select music and memorabilia from the band's archives for future release. It's the . Gord Downie's not-so-Secret Path to truth and reconciliation Everything about itthe music, the film, the band, his performancemakes you want to pay attention By Michael Barclay October 22,. Downie could at least boast that he had a family connection to hockey royalty, in Sinden. A month later, Downie launched his Secret Path project. Downie spent his final months speaking out in support of Indigenous people, declaring: "Canada is not Canada. Fifty Mission Cap,for instance, recounts the story of Toronto Maple Leafs hero Bill Barilko, who died in a plane crash months after winning the Stanley Cup. Then came Downie's diagnosis, which created a wave of nostalgia and celebration even as people prepared for his passing. Just a few close friends on a starry night in front of a campfire. At the end of their set that night, the whole place stood up and clapped and it was undeniable if you were in the room that night that this was something special.". Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip (Photo by Aven Hoffarth) One of the best things about Gord Downie was his thoughtfulness. [36], Downie toured with the band in summer 2016 to support Man Machine Poem, the band's 13th studio album. During his final months, Downie chose to say goodbye in his own unique wayand he let fans bid the beloved band farewell, too. As a musician, he lived "the life" for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. In 1995, a particularly successful year for the Hip, the band opened for both Page and Plant and the Rolling Stones, and performed on Saturday Night Live. In the latter part of the decade, he pushed the band to record two albums with Bob Rockwho produced albums by the likes of Metallica and Michael Bubleand he helped broaden the bands sonic palette. The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund is a registered charity. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Those tender offerings touched his heart and he takes them with him now as he walks among the stars.. The album consists of ten songs. Gord Downie, the lead singer for the beloved Canadian alt-rock bandthe Tragically Hip, died Tuesday at the age of 53. Nonetheless, someone piped up. Gord Downie was given sufficient time to pen his own obituary, and that is exactly how it should be. Over and over and over and over again., Thank you everyone for all the respect, admiration and love you have given Gord throughout the years, his family wrote following his death. Colin James is also featured in the episode. His third solo effort, The Grand Bounce, was released in 2010. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular artists in Canadian music history.[2]. Thank you for all the help and support over the past two years. Canadian rock legend Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip died at the age of 53 from brain cancer. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. " Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) October 18, 2017. Gord Downie, troubadour of Canada, charmed and challenged a nation After a long battle with cancer, the Tragically Hip frontman died among his family on Tuesday night. As could anyone who watched him command 40,000 people at any given outdoor appearance during the 1990s, singing songs that were summer soundtracks for an entire generation. Paused. When you have five children, its hard to remember all the details, said Edgar. He was a board member of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. "That's kind of our job, to make sure that it's in place going forward, because I do think that he had an oversized impact on this country. Downies privacy was put to the test in 2015, when the Huffington Post ran a story about how his Toronto home had recently sold for under the asking priceunheard of in the citys real estate market. Comments are welcome while open. If anything, the Hip's lack of success in the U.S. has only made Canadians more protective of them. Gord Downie's brother Mike describes what the Tragically Hip's front-man went through to keep pushing his projects ahead during his final struggle with a terminal brain tumour. He sang about Canada, but disavowed nationalism, his songs exploring heavy topics like David Milgaard's wrongful conviction (Wheat Kings) or Canada's treatment of First Nations (Now the Struggle Has a Name). Gord Downie Memorial site? He died on October 17, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Gord Downie is the late lead singer and songwriter of rock giants The Tragically Hip. [citation needed], In Kingston, Mayor Bryan Paterson issued a statement, laid a wreath in Springer Market Square near City Hall, and signed a condolence banner. And Then There Was David Lindley, See the Beths Deliver Refreshing 'Expert in a Dying Field' Mini-Set on 'CBS Mornings', The YSL Case Is Stretching Fulton County's Justice System to Its Breaking Point, Trump Promises to Continue Presidential Campaign if Indicted, Then Delivers a Snoozy CPAC Speech, NBA 'Investigating,' Team Suspends Ja Morant After Allegedly Flashing Gun on Social Media. His godfather was Harry Sinden, who was then a real-estate developer with Edgar, and who would go on to become the Stanley Cup-winning coach of the Boston Bruins and lead Team Canada to victory in the 1972 SummitSeries against the Soviet Union. I think that everyman quality matters.. More recently, he and other members of the band appeared in the episode of Trailer Park Boys entitled "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys", in which he is harassed while eating a bologna sandwich at a singles dance. [77], In August, Downie's Twitter account was reactivated, and began posting a series of teaser photographs of handwritten song lyrics, accompanied by numbers that appeared to be a calendar countdown to the date of October 15. What few knew in 2015, however, was that Downie and Usher had separated, promptingthe sale of the house. You do it for the company but I'm genuinely shocked by the themes and things you touch based on the music you're singing to. or somewhat similarly minded mainstream artists like John Mellencamp. Everyone whose family has ever been cursed with cancer projected stories onto the tale of a man who chose to stare down a terminal diagnosis and take the show on the road. Michael Barclay is the co-author of Have Not Been the Same, and the author ofThe Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. "[58] Canadian MP Tony Clement called upon the government to consider holding a state funeral for Downie, stating "I think he matters that much to Canadians. Gordon Edgar Downie was born in Kingston on Feb. 6, 1964, and spent his formative years in nearby Amherstview. The Hip, as they're often called, won 16 Juno awards (the most of any band) and received a raft of other honours, including the Order of Canada. That's who influenced me as a poet.". Its telling, though, that the album on which he makes the most Canadian referencesthe album on which one song starts with an actual loon callis also their most commercially successful: 1992s Fully Completely. Gord said he had lived many lives. It's a story that gripped Downie, even as he struggled with the brain tumour that was killing him. Gord Downie, the Tragically Hip frontman who united a diverse array of music lovers with his commanding stage presence and Canadiana-laced lyrics, has died, Gord Downie remembered by fans, Canadians far and wide, Remembering Gord Downie: Watch our Olympic montages set to Tragically Hip songs, 'Words cannot express our sorrow': Northern Ontario First Nations mourn passing of Gord Downie, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It was a rare piece of celebrity news about Downie, who had steadfastly shielded his four children and Laura Usher, his wife of 23 years, from the public eye; the lone exception was in 2012, when Downie talked openly about Ushers bout with breast cancer. Near the end of the CBC special, Chanie Wenjack's sister, Pearl, talks to the camera as she looks out over the woods. Gord Downie: In my mind, there's always a TV flickering away in the corner of every song. Though he wasn't afraid to go it alone as a solo artist, Downie's legacy will always be tied most closely with the Tragically Hip. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Over three decades, the Tragically Hip released 14 studio albums, the majority of which topped the Canadian album charts and were eventually certified Platinum (their first three LPs all went Diamond). His death was announced on the Tragically Hip website, stating quote: Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by. I wouldnt say its given me a stigma, but its something thats always stayed with me, not actually being from Kingston. His outsider status became part of his public identity: the poet in the bar band; the rock star slumming it with indie kids whilecozying up to intelligentsia; the artist with a commercially successful cushion who thrived on continuing to challenge himself with new collaborators and varied disciplines like dance, painting, and acting. Downie said growing up on the shores of Lake Ontario had an impact on the way he viewed the environment, which led him to support the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper as a board member and to pay for renewable energy at his Toronto home. Author Joseph Boyden, who invited them, said their motivation was to "initiate a guerrilla act of love for a people who are so thoroughly underrepresented but now, somehow, overexposed for only their shortcomings. Yet, with the exception of certain, mostly border cities in the U.S. and pockets of support in western Europe, the Hip rarely made an impact outside Canada, continuing to play smaller venues like the House of Blues stateside while they sold out hockey arenas north of the border. It's not easy and, what can you say, there's a lot of pain without really going back and digging it up.". Related "Ahead by a Century" was the single most-played song on Canadian radio on the day Downie's death was announced. Downie died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. It was brave . 1. Gord said he had lived many lives. Editors picks Gord Downie is the late lead singer and songwriter of rock giants The Tragically Hip. He saw it as something that I think made sense to him as his life was coming to an end.". A documentary film, Long Time Running, about the Tragically Hip's summer 2016 cross-Canada farewell concert tour, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017. That included only three live shows, in Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, and appearances at the Ottawa WE Day event and Haydens Dream Serenade concert in Toronto. Downiejoined a punk band called the Slinks; their friendly competitors at the school were a Grade 13 group called the Rodents, featuring bassist Gord Sinclair and guitarist Robbie Baker. The final concert was released on DVD under the title A National Celebration on December 24, 2017. [21] He was also a part of the Swim Drink Fish Music club, a project that unites artists and environmentalists in a music club to raise money for Waterkeeper organizations in Canada. Its focus is on youth learning and combining Cree education with the contemporary world. It's the main take-away of almost everybody who worked with him,. Their self-titled debut EP arrived in 1987 while their first LP, Up to Here, followed in 1989. He was the son of Lorna (Neal) and Edgar Charles Downie, a travelling salesman, later a real estate broker and developer. It had more in common with Neil Youngs 1975 ramshackle fan favourite album Tonights the Night than, say, anything that would have a life on classic-rock-radio playlists. In 2018, two recordings by Downie, "The East Wind" and "At the Quinte Hotel", were released on the compilation album The Al Purdy Songbook. They're writing all the music and I'm writing all the lyrics and we're coming up with some neat stuff. The backing musicians, credited as the Goddamned Band, consisted of indie rock band the Dinner Is Ruined, Josh Finlayson of Skydiggers and singer-songwriter Julie Doiron. He published his first poetry and prose collection alongside the album and under the same title. I know an 85-year-old with boy trouble. "For Gord, his way of experiencing the world is to write about it. Before his passing, Gord Downie took this country on a profound journey. Downie was reluctant at first; he told the Toronto Star he felt like a dilettante. You are sitting on a project that might change the cultural landscape of First Nations for decades to come . CBC broadcaster and musician Tom Power called them "Canada's local band." [25][26] The fund is a part of Downie's legacy and commitment to Canada's First Peoples. Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie performs with band members Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and Rob Baker at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to kick off the bands latest Man Machine Poem tour in light of Downies brain cancer diagnosis, in Victoria, B.C., Canada July 22, 2016. The band won its first Juno (Most Promising Group) on the strength of that album and solidified its hold on the Canadian music scene with the next three albums: 1991's Road Apples, 1992's Fully Completely and 1994's Day for Night, all of which went multi-platinum or diamond. Downie recorded the latter album, produced by Drew, across two four-day sessions in January 2016 and February 2017, with much of the final product assembled from first takes. Following the release of Man Machine Poem and the Tragically Hips final concert, Downie continued to work. The band's propulsive, muscular rock, coupled with intense live performances and Downie's cryptic, literary lyrics, allowed the band to attract a diverse fan base that included party animals and armchair philosophers alike. During their live shows, Downie would notably ad-lib lengthy stories in the middle of songs. Tragically Hip front-man Gord Downie's brother Mike talks about the CBC documentary 'Finding The Secret Path.' "Patrick and I are comfortable with the word legacy. Canadian rock legend Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip died at the age of 53 from brain cancer. "The Barenaked Ladies? After the final cross-country tour, all 17 Hip recordings (including box sets and live concerts) were back on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart as sales and downloads skyrocketed. Gord knew this day was coming his response was to spend this precious time as he always had making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss on the lips. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Not surprisingly, Downie has cited all those as key influences, as well as David Byrne, Van Morrison and, yes, Jim Morrison; Downie sang a few Doors tunes . Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest like Gord himself. The interview with Patrick and MikeDowniefromThe National, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. He also called Downie "the greatest frontman this country has ever produced.". Gord Downie, the lead singer of the Tragically Hip, died Tuesday night surrounded by his loved ones. And for him that missing piece became very obvious. Gordon Edgar Downie CM (February 6, 1964 October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. [74], Arjun Sahgal, an oncologist with the Sunnybrook Hospital who had been involved in treating Downie after his cancer diagnosis, lauded Downie's strength and courage in continuing to tour, make music and use his fame to publicize both cancer awareness and indigenous reconciliation issues, and called Downie "a Terry Fox in the modern day".[75]. Fans would often tear up at newly poignant lyrics written decades ago: "No dress rehearsal / This is our life" in Ahead by a Century and "I've got to go / It's been a pleasure doing business with you" in Scared. [37], The tour was profiled in the 2017 documentary film Long Time Running, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. Each night, Downie took to the stage dressed in metallic leather suits and feather-adorned hats, performing hits from the Tragically Hip's entire discography. Nickelback? [16], Also in 2014 Downie appeared as a guest vocalist on "The Art of Patrons", a song from Fucked Up's album Glass Boys.[17]. Also, a series of music videos for all the songs on the album were created by Canadian artists and released on YouTube. In December, the Assembly of First Nations honoured his work on reconciliation by endowing him with a Lakota spirit name: Wicapi Omani, or man who walks among the stars. In June, he and the band were named to the Order of Canada; Downie received his early, alongside activist Sylvia Maracle. [49] They had four children. But neither video nor radio was responsible for the bands rapid ascent: it was their live performances, where Downies unusual charisma electrified everyone who piled into either biker bars or student pubs to see them. The cause was terminal brain cancer. Downie was born in Kingston and grew up in nearby Amherstview playing hockey and music. "Growing up, he always felt that there was something missing," says Mike. That's really compelling to me." The statement was released via the band's official Twitter. He was on a fishing trip. With seven solo albums to his name, Downie's own music refutes definition, renowned for its adventurous poetry . This was a man inviting us to his own wake. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 Downie "was a great communicator," Gold said. That same summer, the Tragically Hip released a new album, Man Machine Poem, and embarked on a lengthy Canadian tour that culminated in an emotional final show:a hometown gig at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Imagine if they were part of us and we them, how incredibly cool it would make us? There was no left turn in Downies career greater than his first solo album, 2001s Coke Machine Glow, compiled of songs his Hip bandmates had rejected and works culled from an accompanying book of poetry by the same namewhich set sales records in a corner of the publishing industry where 10,000 copies might as well be 100,000. Gord was my friend, but Gord was everyone's friend, it's who we were, our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had." "He loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life." "We are less as a country without Gord Downie in it." [10] When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. The group gigged around Canada throughout the Eighties and eventually earned a record contract after then-MCA president Bruce Dickinson caught them live in Toronto. Interiors remain as they were left and in some cases stocked with goods. All Rights reserved. His family announced the news in a statement published on the Canadian band's . [62] Additionally, several National Hockey League teams and players, as well as the league itself, paid tribute to Downie through social media, owing to the high popularity of the Tragically Hip's music among Canadian professional hockey players. [20] With Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Downie helped work on a cause to prevent a cement company from burning tires for fuel. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Audience Relations, CBC P.O. [6] In an interview with Canadian music journalist Steve Newton, Downie noted that the Tragically Hip's early setlist was originally drawn to bands such as The Yardbirds and The Stones, a decision that was made because the Hip wished other Kingston bar bands would also play the genre.