Dominic Chan/ WENN.com
Gord Downie has passed away at the age of 53.
The Tragically Hip confirms frontman Gord Downie passed away last night with his children and family close by.
Downie, the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, also released five solo albums: Coke Machine Glow (2001), Battle of the Nudes (2003), The Grand Bounce (2010), And the Conquering Sun with The Sadies (2014) and Secret Path (2016).
The Downie family released a statement via The Tragically Hip Twitter:
Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by.
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.
Gord said he had lived many lives. As a musician, he lived “the life” for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, som, brother, husband and friend. No one worked harder on every part of their life than Gord. No one.
We would like to thank all the kind folks at KGH and Sunnybrook, Gord’s bandmates, management team, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the help and support over the past two years.
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.
Love you forever Gord.
The Downie Family.
The Tragically Hip announced in MAy 2016 that Downie had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. Doctors at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center confirmed the same day that it is a glioblastoma, which had responded favorably to radiation and chemotherapy treatment but was not curable.
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, are a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of lead singer Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. They have released 14 studio albums, two live albums, one EP, and 54 singles. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts.
They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 16 Juno Awards.
