Post navigation Stations in other formats, such as contemporary hit radio, adult contemporary or country music, typically did not suspend their normal playlists, but still added some Tragically Hip songs to the day's rotation. Gord did not rest from working for the issues he cared about, and his commitment and passion will continue to motivate Canadians for years to come He will be sorely missed.. Thank you for all the help and support over the past two years. [14] [38], In September 2016, Downie announced he would release a new solo album, Secret Path in October. No one. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Downie was not able to attend the ceremony due to his illness which had not yet been made public. [29], In May 2016, Downie and his bandmates received honorary degrees from Queen's University. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Downie also appears in the Trailer Park Boys movie The Big Dirty, in which he and Alex Lifeson play a pair of police officers. A young drummer in Grade 9, Johnny Fay, watched with interest. It was, in a way, a very Canadian approach to celebrity. [34] The tour's final concert was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on August 20 and was broadcast and streamed live by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on television, radio and internet. His godfather was future Boston Bruins coach and general manager Harry Sinden, and Downie enjoyed the national pastime as both a die-hard Bruins fan and a goalie who took his B-level team to a provincial championship. [7], On December22, 2016, Downie was selected as The Canadian Press's Canadian Newsmaker of the Year and was the first entertainer selected for the title. By 2016, when he released his Secret Path project to address the legacy of residential schools, he decided that his celebrity was now his best asset: he knew he had the countrys attention after the Hips farewell tour, and the reluctant nationalist used it to focus specifically on an issue he felt was a glaring stain that could not be washed out of Canadas history. The band was big enough in the mid-'90s to organize Another Roadside Attraction, a travelling music and arts festival that included a mix of Canadian acts (Rheostatics, Eric's Trip) and international stars (Midnight Oil, Wilco) all hand-picked by the band. [8] Originally, the band covered popular British rock songs from the 1960s. He also called Downie "the greatest frontman this country has ever produced.". Roy Tee/Hollandse Hoogte/Redux Gord Downie, the lead singer for the beloved Canadian alt-rock. Tragically Hip front-man Gord Downie's brother Patrick on why he and his brother Mike are working so hard to preserve the singer's legacy. The album was raw, experimental and far removed from the rock radio world the Hip inhabited: droning organs, atonal guitar screeches and accordions competed for sonic space with Downies vocals atop opiated folk-country songs. [15] I am planning a trip to Kingston, Ontario in the next few days and was hoping to find a site to pay my respects to Gord. Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by. The Downie residence was the only one where the Hips gold record was nowhere to be seen; the elder Downies couldnt remember the name of his high-school punk band. "Then for him to say, 'Look at this, this is our country too. Canadian Icon Gordon "Gord" Edgar Downie February 6th, 1964 - October 17th, 2017 We lost a true Canadian icon, talented poet and musician. Gord Downie passed away a year ago on October 17, 2017. . [60], Downie was widely mourned in Canada. "She said, I wouldnt go to the lobby of my building to see Frank Sinatra. In a 1991 profile of the Hip, a reporter from the Kingston Whig-Standard visited all the band members families. Downie was born on Feb. 6, 1964, in Amherstview, Ont., just slightly west of Kingston, to Lorna and Edgar, a travelling salesman turned real estate developer. Its focus is on youth learning and combining Cree education with the contemporary world. Cate Blanchett Suits Up and Gets Down in Sparks New Music Video, Taylor Swift Plots a Seventies Powder Party (Not That Kind) in Lavender Haze Behind-the-Scenes Video, Miley Cyrus Reviving the Backyard Sessions for Endless Summer Vacation Special, SST Records Producer Glen Spot Lockett Dead at 72, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, There Were Sidemen. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Downie had an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, which he discovered after a seizure in December 2015. In the remote north, in a land where the many not born there dare not go. Those tender offerings touched his heart and he takes them with him now as he walks among the stars.. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, son, brother, husband and friend. Published Oct 20, 2017 Following Gord Downie 's passing on Tuesday (October 17), Canadians are still grieving the loss of their beloved Tragically Hip frontman. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. He usually started with a "Hello," and often ended with a variation on "Good night, music lovers," but what would happen in between was anyone's guess. 'Just seeing all those unguarded, real moments with Gord, that always just, that always gets me.'. Canadian radio stations responded heavily to Downie's death, with early figures indicating the band's radio airplay on October 18 increased 1,500 percent compared to a normal day. In front of an intimate crowd of 6,700 inside Kingston's K-Rock Centre, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Downie thanked the audience "for keeping me pushing" and used the opportunity to call for action on Indigenous issues. Comments are welcome while open. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. Gordon Downie (known widely as Gord Downie) was born in Amherstview, Ontario, and raised in Kingston, Ontario, along with his brothers Mike and Patrick, and sisters Charlyn and Paula. Canadian rock legend Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip died at the age of 53 from brain cancer. [63] The Toronto Maple Leafs honoured Downie with a moment of silence before their game on October 18, during which the retired-jersey banner for Bill Barilko whom Downie had written about in the Tragically Hip song "Fifty Mission Cap" was lowered from the rafters of the Air Canada Centre. Thank you everyone for all the respect, admiration and love you have given Gord throughout the years those tender offerings touched his heart and he takes them with him now as he walks among the stars. They're writing all the music and I'm writing all the lyrics and we're coming up with some neat stuff. 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. Do the work. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths, Trudeau said on Wednesday. It was a moment that helped Gord finally get at something that had been nagging at him for years. No one. 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. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 It was brave . His family released the following statement: Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family. [1][54][55] The surviving members of the Tragically Hip made the news of his death public the next morning, by sharing an official statement from his family on their website:[54]. "You know, I feel enough pain without having to go back and see some of the images, or hear the music and things like that. [9], Downie began pursuing a solo career with the release of Coke Machine Glow in 2001. [51] They were not divorced at the time of Downie's death and had remained close friends. In a trailer for Introduce Yerself, he noted that every song was about a single person. His most famous Canadian collaborations are with Richard Terfry (better known as Buck 65), Dallas Green of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, the Sadies and Fucked Up. [52] Under the stage name Kaya Usher, she released her own debut album as a singer, All This Is, in 2021 with the participation of two of their four children, and some of the tracks feature Usher performing with a guitar that had once belonged to Downie. Are you sure? Then I understood his reasoning, not the least of which was doing it for the guys, which was really lovely, and I thought, Of course. He was the son of Lorna (Neal) and Edgar Charles Downie, a travelling salesman, later a real estate broker and developer. Another 11.7 million watched a CBC broadcast of the concert, with hundreds of viewing parties held in public parks, squares, movie theatres, bars and restaurants across Canada. And their support hasn't gone. [49] They had four children. Where some get lost. Hey all! Before his passing, Gord Downie took this country on a profound journey. Downie spent his final months speaking out in support of Indigenous people, declaring: "Canada is not Canada. 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. ", Mike says he hopes the film makes it clear that this idea, "meant a lot to this guy, he wasn't chasing causes around, this was really important. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. A guerrilla act of love to show the rest of the country what strength and artistry, grace and humour the Cree possess." "His main focus was the release of Secret Path," says Gord's brother, Patrick Downie. The final concert was released on DVD under the title A National Celebration on December 24, 2017. He rarely granted interviews, and generally eschewed red-carpet jaunts for events like the Juno Awards. [20] With Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Downie helped work on a cause to prevent a cement company from burning tires for fuel. His family and managers said future releases are planned, including solo material and unreleased work with the Hip. As a musician, he lived "the life" for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. Your father is now buried. Then came Downie's diagnosis, which created a wave of nostalgia and celebration even as people prepared for his passing. With seven solo albums to his name, Downie's own music refutes definition, renowned for its adventurous poetry . Word of mouth about the band spread throughout Kingston and eventually to Toronto. [73], In the wake of Downie's death, CTV rescheduled the planned broadcast premiere of Long Time Running, a documentary film by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier about the Man Machine Poem Tour of 2016, from November 12 to October 20. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 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. Do the work. 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. [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. Bob Berg/Getty. [53], Downie was the godson of Harry Sinden, a former hockey coach, general manager and president of the Boston Bruins. Today Bodie is an authentic, intact ghost town. We want to hear it. On the evening of October 17th, 2017, Downie passed away at the age of 53. There were a few others there, though, most of whom knew enough to respect the privacy of the cancer-stricken man who had travelled hundreds of kilometres to disappear. Even when he stepped outside the Tragically Hip, Gord Downie loved to make rock records, first and foremost. Downie had cameo appearances in Men with Brooms, in which the Tragically Hip play a curling team. At Queen's University, Downie's alma mater, flags were lowered to half-mast following news of his death. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. "That there wasn't a whole country, you know, we hadn't figured out what that missing piece was. in which the Tragically Hip are shown as a local band practising in the main character's garage. Downie kept storytelling at the center of both records. It's there all the time, tuned in to Fox News. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest like Gord himself. Gordon Edgar Downie CM (February 6, 1964 October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. The 15-show Man Machine Poem tour, especially its final concert, became a cultural event, as Downie's dire prognosis prompted an outpouring of support from people across the country who had the rare opportunity to celebrate a much-loved Canadian before he was gone. [64], Residents of the Ontario village of Bobcaygeon, which Downie had written about in the song of the same name, held a candlelight vigil for him the night after his death;[65] a large public gathering also took place at Springer Market Square in the band's hometown of Kingston. But the new 150 years can be years of building an actual nation. Mike says it was partly out of a sense of guilt, partly out of shame, but mainly because, like him, there were so many people in Canada that didn't know the dark history of residential schools. I think thats all part of what appeals to Canadian fans. A Kingston hospital diagnosed the 52-year-old singer with primary glioblastoma, an aggressive and terminal brain cancer. No one., Downie was diagnosed with brain cancer in December 2015, but didnt reveal his disease publicly until May 2016. [39] The album was accompanied by a graphic novel on which he collaborated with Jeff Lemire,[39] and an animated television film which aired on CBC Television. There can be a certain darkness in the lyrics, in some ways that reminded me of reading and listening to Leonard Cohen or Robertson Davies. 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. When you have five children, its hard to remember all the details, said Edgar. He was the poet who once asked, When are you thinking of disappearing? It would be the last time. ~ 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 Meanwhile, the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund was started to "start a new relationship with Indigenous Peoples.". The band even has its own postage stamp and a street named after it, Tragically Hip Way, in Kingston, Ont. [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. Outside his work with the band, Downie released five solo albums his first, Coke Machine Glow, arrived in 2001 and collaborated with an array of artists including Buck 65, Fucked Up, Dallas Green, Alexisonfire and the Sadies. In the middle of the set, Downie made a plea for reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous peoples, calling out the Prime Minister by name. Not a word. Years later, when he decided to be more vocal, he made sure he did his homework, studying casework, speaking at hearings, relying on research and science rather than his celebritymuch like his old friend Sarah Harmer, another Waterkeeper supporter. See where those sparks land. "His big heart served him well," Patrick Downie said of his brother Gord. To get in there in the way Gord would, just to kind of work your way through it and stay active," Patrick explains when asked how difficult it's been to see all those moments with Gord again in the documentary. Clockwise from left: Gord Downie, guitarist Gord Sinclair, guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Paul Langlois and drummer Johnny Fay. ET. 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. 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. Thank you everyone for all the respect, admiration and love you have given Gord throughout the years those tender offerings touched his heart and he takes them with him now as he walks among the stars. Bobcaygeon, meanwhile, is a summer sing-along named for a sleepy town in East-Central Ontario, though the lyrics also grapple with the 1933 Christie Pits riot, during which Torontos Jewish community clashed with so-called Swastika clubs. Tragically Hip: Canada Waves Goodbye to a National Treasure. As a musician, he lived "the life" for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. His death was announced in a statement from his family . ", After his final appearances with the Tragically Hip, Downie released Secret Path, a multimedia project that tells the tragic tale of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died of exposure and hunger in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ont. 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. 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. 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. "The first time we heard him open his mouth, we just went, holy shit. [18] This marked his last public appearance before his death. Gord Downie was a haunting presence around Toronto in 2017: singing Lost Together with Blue Rodeo at Massey Hall, taking in a PJ Harvey show, embracing Drake at a Raptors game, posing with Bobby Orr. That's really compelling to me." or somewhat similarly minded mainstream artists like John Mellencamp. Editors picks 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. The poet whose metaphors had inspired generations of rocknroll fans had nothing more to saywith words, anyway. It's the . In a tribute to Downie at the Juno Awards ceremony, Sarah Harmer, Dallas Green and Kevin Hearn performed a medley of the album's title track with the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon". Memorial has been sponsored successfully. And for him that missing piece became very obvious. He died Tuesday night surrounded by his children and family, according to a statement on the band's website. [4][5] In Kingston, Downie attended the downtown high school Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where other members of the Tragically Hip also attended. I think I take my nanas approach," he once admitted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in attendance and the Toronto Police Department summed up the events magnitude with a simple tweet: Dear world, Please be advised that Canada will be closed tonight at 8:30 p.m. Have a #TragicallyHip day.. 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 . I see stuff and I ," Patrick says, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing his thought. READ MORE: Gord Downie calls out to Justin Trudeau during Tragically Hip's final show of tour. Downie, who won two Junos for the 10-song solo album, thought of the Secret Path music, concerts and film created with artist Jeff Lemire as his legacy project. Over more than thirty years and across fourteen studio albums, Downie and his band of brothers built a legacy as the essential Canadian rock band. 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. He delivered frenetic dance moves or stream-of-consciousness rants in ways that suggested he was channelling the music. It's a story that gripped Downie, even as he struggled with the brain tumour that was killing him. It was viewed by an estimated 11.7 million people. 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. He is known for Jumper (2008), One Week (2008) and Ararat (2002). The Tragically Hip formed in 1983 at Queen's University, named after a sketch in former Monkees member Michael Nesmith's long-form music video "Elephant Parts," and were soon playing the Kingston bar scene. The entire band valued their privacy, but Downie even more so: perhaps because of the adulation directed his way, but also because of the way he was raised. Downie could at least boast that he had a family connection to hockey royalty, in Sinden. Downie died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on October 17, 2017, at the age of 53 in Toronto. Throughout his career, Downie seemed unfiltered on stage. Gord said he had lived many lives. As with the blanket ceremony, the emotion and pride on his face was palpable. I think if I put myself out there like that, on the line, and make people emotionally connect with me, I feel like I couldnt ever do it again, because Id get bored or I just couldnt summon the same amount of emotion. Everyone was prepared for the funeral at any moment. Terfry composed the track and with the help of Charles Austen, his co-writer, decided Downie's vocals would be the best fit for their song. Gord was the fourth of five children: older siblings Mike, Charlyn and Paula, and younger brother Patrick. Wenjack was to 2016 what Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi was to 2015: a tragic symbol who launched a Canadian conversation about compassion and collective reckoning. Then sit back and see what happens, because its not like you can control it. On February 2, 2017, Downie joined Blue Rodeo onstage at Massey Hall for a performance of Blue Rodeo's song "Lost Together". Shut up until its time to do it again. [78] On September 21, it was confirmed that Away Is Mine, an album comprising the last songs Downie recorded in his lifetime, will be released on October 16. [citation needed]. 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. "[59] The House of Commons observed a moment of silence. [7], In 1984, at age 20, Downie formed the Tragically Hip with Rodents's members Rob Baker and Gord Sinclair, another younger Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute alumnus, Johnny Fay, and saxophonist Davis Manning. Copyright 2023 St. Joseph Communications. In a genre prone to clich, outright nonsense and occasional misogyny, Gord Downie wrote lyrics that dipped in the same well as Al Purdy, Raymond Carver, Northrop Frye, Timothy Findley, Hugh MacLennan and others; he would even quote those writers directly in his lyrics. Last night, Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by, his familywrote in a statement. The emotional strength that Patrick and Mike have shown is inspiring, but they add that they're driven to keep their brother's legacy alive with projects like Finding the Secret Path because of what it means to others. A childrens choir sang The Stranger, the opening track from Secret Path. But the bands greatest accomplishment may be transcending their status as a key Canadian cultural touchstone to an integral part of the countrys identity. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. 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. 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. He stoked the fire until sparks came out. Sit down. Tragically Hip front-man Gord Downie's brother Mike talks about the CBC documentary 'Finding The Secret Path.' 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. Downie died on October 17, 2017 at the age of 53. Nickelback? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He eventually joined a band that did punk covers, and was in a group called the Filters. 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. [33], In December 2015, shortly after attending his father's funeral, Downie was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. When you hear the songs, clearly it was affecting him. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. In 2014, Downie released an album with the Sadies called And the Conquering Sun. 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. But things were much quieter now. 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. He released his second solo album, Battle of the Nudes, in 2003 before returning to the studio with the Tragically Hip. All Rights reserved. 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. 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. Video clips dont do justice to the energy in the room generated by a performer who communicated more with a flick of the finger than anyone elses high kicks. Following the release of Man Machine Poem and the Tragically Hips final concert, Downie continued to work. A month later, Downie launched his Secret Path project. Those were the private reasons. [30] In December 2017, Downie was again named Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for the second year in a row, in recognition of the public reaction to his death. The Tragically Hip announced his diagnosis on their website on May 24, 2016. Gords command of language was profound. [citation needed], Downie died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on October 17, 2017, at the age of 53 in Toronto. 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. Gordie doesnt like to be the centre of attention, added Lorna. "This is not to take away from anything he did on that farewell tour with the [Tragically] Hip, but this is what he really wanted to see to the end. Gord, I always wanted to ask you: how do you get the energy to make it so real every day?