Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986 when saxophonist David Manning left the band. The Hip's modest beginnings can be traced back to 1984 in Kingston, where Downie co-founded the band with four high-school friends, including guitarist Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay. The Tragically Hip's last release, "Man Machine Poem," won the Juno for rock album of the year and the band also took home the group of the year prize, which was its third time winning the award among 11 nominations. He was also set to be honoured by the Order of Canada along with his bandmates for "their contribution to Canadian music and for their support of various social and environmental causes." In June, Downie was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada for his work in raising awareness of Indigenous issues. Might give teachers something to help teach our young ones.'' "My dream would be that this record with Jeff Lemire's drawings might help people. "First Nations have many, many stories like this one," he said in reference to Wenjack's experience being separated from his family and put in a residential school. While Downie didn't attend the Juno festivities, he appeared in a pre-recorded acceptance speech during the telecast. "Secret Path'' won three Juno Awards in April, best adult alternative album, songwriter of the year for Downie, and best recording package of the year for its presentation with a graphic novel. (But) we're going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help."Ībout two months later, Downie released the multimedia solo project "Secret Path," which recounted the life of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died in 1966 after running away from a residential school in northern Ontario. It's maybe worse than it's ever been, so it's not on the improve. "He cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what's going on up there. "We're in good hands, folks, real good hands," Downie said in reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He used the national platform to call for more attention to the inequities faced by Indigenous Peoples, particularly in the North. "Thank you, people, for keeping me pushing and keeping me pushing," he said from the stage, which prompted a "Gordie!" chant from the audience. Despite conflicting with its coverage of the Summer Games in Rio, the CBC broadcast the last show of the tour live, in the Hip's hometown of Kingston, Ont., and thousands of fans also attended public viewing parties across the country to experience the band's swan song.Īn impassioned Downie led the group through a nearly three-hour set and acknowledged the country's enthusiastic support. Interest was off the charts and tickets sold out nearly immediately. And he used the spotlight to focus more attention on the issues facing Indigenous communities in Canada. In the aftermath of the shocking May 2016 announcement that Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer the band said it would mount a tour, which many assumed would be the Hip's last. So my function in anything I do is to help bring people closer in." That stuff doesn't interest me and I don't even know if I could write that if I tried because I don't really feel it. "Nor have I written any pro-Canada lyrics, any kind of jingoistic, nationalistic cant. "I haven't written too many political lyrics," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press in 2014. While the Hip was frequently described as quintessentially Canadian, Downie had dismissed the suggestion that he set out to celebrate his homeland in song. Downie, one of Canada's most revered singer-songwriters, penned a steady stream of 1990s rock radio staples including "New Orleans Is Sinking," "Blow at High Dough," "Courage (For Hugh MacLennan)," "Ahead By a Century" and "Bobcaygeon." While Hip albums released in the 2000s didn't produce nearly as many hits, the band hung on to its unofficial status as Canada's favourite rock band.
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