Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
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Newfoundland band Hey Rosetta added: “Slapped awake by news radio this morning – we love you Gord Downie, and we owe you magnificently”.
Downie, 52, who has been recognized as one of Canada’s greatest songwriters, was diagnosed in December and has been “fighting hard”, the band said on its website and its Facebook page.
Downie and the other members of the band – Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay – are planning a 2016 farewell summer tour to honour Downie and the band’s legacy.
Perry says there’s a very wide spectrum of possible outcomes for patients with the type of brain cancer Downie has.
The decision falls in line with the Tragically Hip’s persona, which has been to stay largely outside the spotlight, except when on stage.
The statement continued: “In privacy, alongside his family and through all of this, we’ve been standing by him”.
We’ve chose to do another one.
Downie has not only been one of the most charismatic frontmen in rock and roll for nearly 30 years, he’s also been a mentor to many Canadian artists. “We are all richer for having seen them tonight”.
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The Tragically Hip has always made Canada seem less like a country and more like a neighbourhood. Two singles have been released thus far with titles that may have foreshadowed today’s announcement,”Tired as Fuck” and “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind”. They’ve released 12 albums, 9 of them reaching number 1 in Canada.
