![]() (But) we’re going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help."Ībout two months later, Downie released the multimedia solo project "Secret Path," which recounted the life of 12−year−old Chanie Wenjack, who died in 1966 after running away from a residential school in northern Ontario. It’s maybe worse than it’s ever been, so it’s not on the improve. "He 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’s going on up there. and thousands of fans also attended public viewing parties across the country to experience the band’s swan song.Īn impassioned Downie led the group through a nearly three−hour set and acknowledged the country’s enthusiastic support. Despite conflicting with its coverage of the Summer Games in Rio, the CBC broadcast the last show of the tour live - in the Hip’s hometown of Kingston, Ont. Interest was off the charts and tickets sold out nearly immediately. And he used 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 - which many assumed would be the Hip’s last. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in." That stuff doesn’t interest me and I don’t even know if I could write that if I tried because I don’t really feel it. "Nor have I written any pro−Canada lyrics, any kind of jingoistic, nationalistic cant. Toronto Mayor John Tory tweeted that the Toronto sign will be lit in red and white and dimmed Wednesday evening in honor of Downie."I haven’t written too many political lyrics," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press in 2014. Tributes to the late singer poured in on social media. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest - like Gord himself." When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. "Gord's command of language was profound. "The Tragically Hip's music invited us to explore places we had never been - from Mistaken Point to Churchill - and helped us understand each other, while capturing the complexity and vastness of the place we call home," the statement said. "He was the frontman of one of Canada's most iconic bands, a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country. "For almost five decades, Gord Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada," Trudeau said. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statementthat touched on Downie's role as an influencer on Canada's culture. He was known for championing the causes of the country's indigenous people, social justice and the environment. "If you're a musician and you're born in Canada it's in your DNA to like the Tragically Hip," Green said.ĭownie also released five solo albums from 2001 to 2016, which only increased fans' adoration of him.Īnd as much as Canada loved Downie, he loved it back. "This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us," the band said at the time in a statement.īorn in Kingston, Ontario, Downie loved playing hockey and became a lifelong fan of the Boston Bruins, which was strengthened by his godfather, Harry Sinden, serving as the team's coach and general manager.īut he loved music and songwriting even more.įormed in 1984, the Hip, as the band is commonly called, became one of Canada's premiere groups with hits such as "Wheat Kings," "Bobcaygeon" and "Ahead by a Century."Ĭity and Colour's Dallas Green told The Canadian Press in June 2016 that Downie was "the gold standard - the way he writes and cares about music and the way he cares about the song." Tragically Hip toured in summer 2016 as a way of dealing with the singer's diagnosis. The singer announced last year he had been diagnosed in December 2015 with terminal brain cancer. ![]() "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. "Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by," the statement read. ![]() ![]() The statement was released via the band's official Twitter account and posted on its website. Gord Downie, frontman of the Canadian rock band Tragically Hip, has died, his family said in a statement Wednesday.
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