Gord Downie, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter Gord Downie, front man for the iconic Canadian band The Tragically Hip, lost his battle with cancer last night passing away at the age of 53.

Most Americans have never heard of The Tragically Hip. For whatever reason the band never resonated in this country though not for lack of trying as they appeared at Woodstock 99.

But for nearly thirty years, The Hip were a mainstay of Canadian music with Downie serving as its conscience. Such was their impact on Canada that following Downie's diagnosis of a rare brain cancer as that the CBC took the extraordinary step of broadcasting the band's final concert from their hometown of Kingston, Ontario to the entire country commercial free in August 2016. The concert was also aired in bars and in outdoor facilities from coast to coast to coast. It is estimated that more than a third of Canada's population was watching the show. As I wrote at the time, "God only knows how much longer Gord Downie has on this Earth. But how many of us get the chance to participate in our own wake much less lead the choir? In Gord Downie's case, he had a nationwide audience."

As it turned out he would live just under 14 months. In that time he would release a solo album and graphic novel called Secret Path which documented the plight of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year old boy who died while trying to escape an Aboriginal residential school. Few non-Aboriginal people in Canada were more outspoken about the plight of Native Canadians than Downie. His final solo album Introduce Yourself will be released later this month. He certainly made the most of his time.

I must admit I wasn't a huge fan of The Hip, but one song which has long resonated with me was "Ahead By a Century". In fact, it was this song which closed The Hip's final concert last year. R.I.P.