That led to a record deal with MCA and the release of the self-titled 1987 EP, says the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, to which the group was inducted in 2005.ĭownie's evocative lyrics didn't break out into the mainstream, however, until Up to Here, the group's first full-length album, was released in August 1989. John's to Attawapiskat First Nation to Vancouver since the Tragically Hip began playing the Kingston, Ont., bar scene in 1983.ĭownie and The Hip - now also including Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay, Rob Baker and Paul Langlois - swiftly ascended from playing cover songs for Queen's University students, following a gig at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern three years later. His music has given him a chance to bear witness to that, travelling from St. 'Where I go and the people I've met, underlying everything is that commitment to finding the common good.'ĭownie's performance has always been characterized by his energy and his dance moves. 'You write about what you know,' he told CBC's Wendy Mesley in 2012. The Tragically Hip's frontman has long established himself as one of the country's greatest songwriters, his lyrics giving a voice to Canada's land, its history and, at times, its official winter sport. 'What we in The Hip receive, each time we play together, is a connection with each other with music and it's magic and during the shows, a special connection with all of you, our incredible fans.' 'I love this country'

'This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us,' group members said in their statement. The details of that tour should be released later this week, according to the band. 'In privacy along with his family, and through all of this, we've been standing by him.'ĭuration 3:32 Featured VideoCanadians are sending messages of support to The Tragically Hip frontman, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancerĭownie, 52, and Laura Leigh Usher have four children.ĭespite the diagnosis, The Hip announced it will 'dig deep' and hit the road together this summer. 'Since then, obviously, he's endured a lot of difficult times, and he has been fighting hard,' the band said in their letter to fans. PHOTOS | Gord Downie: Hip frontman, freestyling lyricist and Canada's troubadourĭownie was diagnosed with the disease in December and has since undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.CBC audience invited to share their thoughts about Gord Downie, the Tragically Hip.Gord Downie's 'incurable' brain cancer won't keep him from singing, his doctor says.Tragically Hip announces tour dates after singer Gord Downie's cancer diagnosis revealed.The band posted the news of Downie's illness on its website and the band managers released more details about it - an aggressive, incurable form of cancer called glioblastoma - at a news conference at Sunnybrook Hospital later in the day. Gord Downie, the lead singer and lyricist of the iconic Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, announced Tuesday he has terminal brain cancer, but still plans to join his bandmates of more than 30 years for a summer tour.

Gordon downie family