The lead singer of legendary Canadian band The Tragically Hip announced this morning that is has terminal brain cancer.
Advertisement
“He’s endured a lot of difficult times, and he has been fighting hard”, the band’s statement reads.
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.
“This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us“, said the band, which has been together for more than three decades and has won several Juno awards. Their first full-length album, “Up to Here”, in 1989 turned them into bona fide rock stars with hits including “Blow at High Dough” and “New Orleans Is Sinking”.
Perry says there’s a very wide spectrum of possible outcomes for patients with the type of brain cancer Downie has.
Further details about the tour are expected to be released over the coming week.
The Tragically Hip can trace its origins to the Kingston, Ontario bar scene in 1983. On the band’s lone live album, Live Between Us, Downie introduces the song “Grace, Too” by thanking the opening act: “This one is for the Rheostatics”.
Advertisement
Downie, 52, is beloved from coast to coast, known for his energetic onstage performances and true dedication to Canada. Following today’s announcements, there will be no interviews granted pertaining to matters of health.
