
The band's 2012 album, Now for Plan A, was lyrically influenced by Downie's wife and her overcoming breast cancer.ĭownie also produced three solo albums since 2001, as well as a collaboration with fellow Canadian indie darlings The Sadies.ĭownie is survived by his wife and four children. They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 14 Juno awards, the equivalent of the Grammy in Canada. Gord Downie has opened up about his terminal brain cancer for the first time, saying he. Nine of their albums have reached number one in Canada. WATCH: Gord Downie talks about his terminal brain cancer and how its impacted his memory Oct 13, 2016. Since then they have released 14 studio albums, two live albums, one EP and 54 singles. Their first self-titled EP was released in 1987 and their breakthrough debut full-length album, Up to Here, was released in 1989. While at university, he met Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fray, and they formed The Tragically Hip, which started out as a cover band. Downie grew up loving rock musicīorn in Amherstview, Ontario, Downie said he "always had a keen ear for music" and while all the other kids were spending their allowance on baseball trading cards, he was buying records "from the fathers of rock 'n' roll". He said his "Secret Path" project was aimed at Canada's decades-long government policy of requiring aboriginal children to attend residential schools, where physical and sexual abuse was often rampant. "God knew this day was coming - his response was to spend his 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," the Downie family said in a statement.ĭuring his final show, Downie called out to Mr Trudeau, who attended the concert, to help fix problems in Canada's Aboriginal communities.Ī few months after that concert, Downie released a solo album with an accompanying graphic novel and animated film inspired by the tragedy of state-funded church schools that Canadian Aboriginal children were forced to attend from the 19th century until the 1970s.
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Downie later said that he needed six teleprompters during the concert series so he would not forget lyrics.īut through it all, Downie remained the consummate showman, rocking out on stage in distinctive leather suits.
