Sad day for Canadians- Matt Duchene October 18, 2017 Tough to find someone who represented Canada as much as you. Locker rooms around the NHL played Tragically Hip music, and many players commented on the loss. The hockey world reacted strongly to the death of Downie, who wrote the song 'Fifty Mission Cap' about Bill Barilko, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1951 and then died in a plane crash that offseason. And he wanted to make it better,'' Trudeau said in Ottawa.ĭownie is survived by his wife and four children. 'He loved every hidden corner, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life. 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.'' Trudeau also said in a written statement that 'Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada. 'I thought I was going to make it through this, but I'm not. We all knew it was coming, but we hoped it wasn't,'' said Trudeau, his voice breaking. 'We are less as a country without Gord Downie in it. While Canadian musicians Drake, the Weeknd and Justin Bieber have made waves internationally, The Tragically Hip built a huge following of die-hard homegrown fans.Īn emotional Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wept in Parliament while talking about Downie on national television in a statement to reporters. Many hockey locker rooms played the music of the Tragically Hip on Wednesday after the death of lead singer Gord Downie. 'Ahead by a Century'' and 'Bobcaygeon'' are among the best known songs. Since The Tragically Hip's first album in 1987, the band has provided a soundtrack for the lives of many Canadians. He's going to take us where we need to go.TORONTO - Gord Downie, who made himself part of Canada's national identity with songs about hockey and small towns as lead singer and songwriter of iconic rock band The Tragically Hip, has died at age 53 after a battle with brain cancer.Ī statement on the band's website said he died Tuesday night 'with his beloved children and family close by.'' The statement did not give a cause of death, though he had been diagnosed earlier with brain cancer. 'You know, Prime Minister Trudeau's got me. It may be worse than it's ever been,' Downie said. He called on the prime minister to address Canada's historical mistreatment of its Indigenous people and to 'get 'er done.' He also asked the audience to hold Trudeau to account and commit to acknowledging and fixing the problems.

Tragically Hip's Gord Downie calls out to Trudeau during final show of tour That we were trained our entire lives to ignore.'ĭownie took two separate opportunities to address the need for decolonization. Real good hands,' Downie said on Saturday, as the camera showed Trudeau in the crowd at the Rogers K-Rock Centre, clad in a Hip T-shirt. 'He cares about the people way up north. He also showed his esteem for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and called on the crowd to hold the PM to account. People across the country are praising Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie for using his televised concert in Kingston, Ont., to campaign for Canada's North.

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