User:CurranL/Gord Downie
EDITOR'S NOTE: MY ADDITIONS TO THE ARTICLE WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED BY BOLDED, ITALIZIED, AND UNDERLINED TEXT
It should also be noted that my contributions include Gord Downie's aliases in the right-side bar under picture.
Gord Downie | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Gordon Edgar Downie |
Also known as | Gord, Downie, Wicapi Omani |
Born | Amherstview, Ontario, Canada | February 6, 1964
Origin | Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
Died | October 17, 2017 Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1] | (aged 53)
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, lyricist |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums |
Years active | 1983–2017 |
Website | www |
Gordon Edgar Downie CM (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. Downie was the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from their formation in 1984 until his death in 2017. Downie is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular artists in Canadian music history.[2]
In addition to his career with the Tragically Hip, Downie has released seven solo albums: Coke Machine Glow (2001), Battle of the Nudes (2003), The Grand Bounce (2010), Secret Path (2016), a collaboration with the Sadies, And the Conquering Sun (2014), Introduce Yerself (2017), and Away Is Mine (posthumously in 2020).[3]
He achieved his first number 1 hit solo album posthumously, a few days after his death in October of 2017 with Introduce Yerself. His family and managers have stated that future releases beyond 2020's Away Is Mine are planned, including both solo work and his unreleased work with The Tragically Hip.
Early life
[edit]Gordon Downie was born in Amherstview, Ontario, and raised in Kingston, Ontario, along with his brothers Mike and Patrick, and sisters Charlyn and Paula. He was the son of Lorna (Neal) and Edgar Charles Downie, a travelling salesman, later a real estate broker and developer.[4][5]
In Kingston, Downie attended the downtown high school Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where other members of The Tragically Hip also attended.[6] In high school, Downie was the frontman for a band called the Slinks performing at the KCVI Variety show and rivaling older members Rob Baker and Gord Sinclair's band the Rodents.[7]
After graduating high school, Downie attended Queen's University where he majored in film studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and Science in 1986.[8]
Career
[edit]The Tragically Hip
[edit]In 1984, Downie formed The Tragically Hip with, Rodents' members, Rob Baker and Gord Sinclair, another younger Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute alumnus, Johnny Fay, and saxophonist Davis Manning.[9] In 1986, Manning left the band as guitarist-vocalist Paul Langlois joined.[10]
Originally, the band covered popular British rock songs from the 1960s, performing in small venues around Ontario[11][12] In an interview with Canadian music journalist Steve Newton, Downie noted that The Hip's early setlist was originally drawn to bands such as The Yardbirds and The Stones, a decision that was made because The Hip wished other Kingston bar bands would also play the genre.[13] Downie often said that the first time they realized they were famous was when they first walked out of Baker's basement jam.[14]
The Tragically Hip quickly became famous once MCA Records president Bruce Dickinson saw them performing at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and offered them a record deal.[15]
Solo Career
[edit]Downie began pursuing a solo career with the release of Coke Machine Glow in 2001. He published his first poetry and prose collection alongside the album and under the same title.[16] The backing musicians, credited as the Goddamned Band, consisted of indie rock band the Dinner Is Ruined, Josh Finlayson of Skydiggers and singer-songwriter Julie Doiron.[17][18] He released his second solo album, Battle of the Nudes, in 2003 before returning to the studio with the Tragically Hip. His third solo effort, The Grand Bounce, was released in 2010. Both it and Battle of the Nudes are credited as Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles.[19]
Collaborations
[edit]In addition to his solo works, Downie collaborated with several fellow Canadian and international artists. His most famous Canadian collaborations are with Richard Terfry (better known as Buck 65), Dallas Green of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, the Sadies and Fucked Up. Terfry collaborated with Downie on the song "Whispers of the Waves" off the album 20 Odd Years. Terfry composed the track and with the help of Charles Austen, his co-writer, decided Downie's vocals would be the best fit for their song.[20] In 2008, Downie appeared as a guest vocalist on City and Colour's single "Sleeping Sickness".[21] In 2014, Downie released an album with the Sadies called And the Conquering Sun. He commented on working with the Sadies, saying, "I enjoy getting together with those guys; it's a whole other universe. They're writing all the music and I'm writing all the lyrics and we're coming up with some neat stuff. You do it for the company but I'm genuinely shocked by the themes and things you touch based on the music you're singing to. That's really compelling to me." The album consists of ten songs.[22]
Also in 2014 Downie appeared as a guest vocalist on "The Art of Patrons", a song from Fucked Up's album Glass Boys.[23]
On February 2, 2017, Downie joined Blue Rodeo onstage at Massey Hall for a performance of Blue Rodeo's song "Lost Together".[24] This marked his last public appearance before his death.
In other media
[edit]Downie had cameo appearances in Men with Brooms, in which the Tragically Hip play a curling team. Downie also made a cameo appearance in the 2008 indie drama Nothing Really Matters, directed by Jean-Marc Piché. Downie also appears in the Trailer Park Boys movie The Big Dirty, in which he and Alex Lifeson play a pair of police officers. More recently, he and other members of the band appeared in the episode of Trailer Park Boys entitled "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys", in which he is harassed while eating a bologna sandwich at a singles dance. Downie was also featured in the sitcom Corner Gas in the episode "Rock On!" in which the Tragically Hip are shown as a local band practising in the main character's garage. Colin James is also featured in the episode. Downie also appeared in Michael McGowan's 2008 film, One Week. A documentary film, Long Time Running, about the Tragically Hip's summer 2016 cross-Canada farewell concert tour, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017.[25]
Philanthropic work
[edit]Environmentalism
[edit]Downie was heavily involved in environmental movements, especially issues concerning water rights. He was board member of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.[26] With Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Downie helped work on a cause to prevent a cement company from burning tires for fuel.[27] He was also a part of the Swim Drink Fish Music club, a project that unites artists and environmentalists in a music club to raise money for Waterkeeper organizations in Canada.[28]
The Great Moon Gathering
[edit]In February 2012 in Fort Albany, Ontario, Downie and the Tragically Hip played at the Great Moon Gathering, a yearly educational conference that takes place in various communities along Northern Ontario's James Bay coast. Its focus is on youth learning and combining Cree education with the contemporary world.[29] The venue was small and not typical of the band. Author Joseph Boyden, who invited them, said their motivation was to "initiate a guerrilla act of love for a people who are so thoroughly underrepresented but now, somehow, overexposed for only their shortcomings. A guerrilla act of love to show the rest of the country what strength and artistry, grace and humour the Cree possess." In addition to the Tragically Hip's performance, Downie sang a song with a local band, Northern Revolution. The song "Goodnight Attawapiskat" from the album Now for Plan A was a result of this trip.[30]
Indigenous affairs
[edit]On October 13, 2016, Downie and his brother Mike, along with the Wenjack family, announced the founding of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.[31][32] The fund is a part of Downie's legacy and commitment to Canada's First Peoples.[31] Chanie Wenjack was a young indigenous boy who died trying to escape a residential school,[33] who became the centre of Downie's Secret Path project. The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund is a registered charity.
At the Assembly of First Nations in Gatineau, Quebec, on December 6, 2016, National Chief Perry Bellegarde honoured Downie with an eagle feather, a symbol of the creator above, for his support of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Bellegarde also bestowed on Downie an honorary aboriginal name, Wicapi Omani, which is Lakota for "man who walks among the stars".[34]
Downie took to Parliament Hill on July 2, 2017, to speak out for Canada's young Indigenous people, likening it to the same kind of pain young people suffered in the now defunct residential schools.[35] As a result of Downie's contributions to the cause of Indigenous Reconciliation, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.[36] Downie's Order of Canada received backlash as members of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation advocated that a time of reconciliation, a "white rockstar" should not be the prominent topic in the discourse.[37]
Awards and recognitions
[edit]In May 2016, Downie and his bandmates received honorary degrees from Queen's University. Downie was not able to attend the ceremony due to his illness which had not yet been made public.[8]
On December 22, 2016, Downie was selected as The Canadian Press' Canadian Newsmaker of the Year and was the first entertainer selected for the title.[38] In December 2017, Downie was again named Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for the second year in a row, in recognition of the public reaction to his death.[39]
Downie, along with his Tragically Hip bandmates, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on June 19, 2017, for "their contribution to Canadian music and for their support of various social and environmental causes".[40]
In December 2017, Percy Hatfield, the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) representing Windsor—Tecumseh introduced the bill Poet Laureate of Ontario Act In Memory of Gord Downie to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It was passed in December 2019, establishing the Poet Laureate of Ontario.[41]
Cancer diagnosis and farewell tour
[edit]In December 2015, shortly after attending his father's funeral, Downie was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. The Tragically Hip announced his diagnosis on their website on May 24, 2016.[42][43] Doctors at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre confirmed the same day that it was a glioblastoma, which had responded favourably to radiation and chemotherapy treatment but was not curable.[44]
Downie toured with the band in summer 2016 to support Man Machine Poem, the band's 13th studio album.[42] The tour's final concert was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on August 20 and was broadcast and streamed live by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on television, radio and internet. It was viewed by an estimated 11.7 million people.[45]
The tour was profiled in the 2017 documentary film Long Time Running, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. The final concert was released on DVD under the title A National Celebration on December 24, 2017.[46]
Secret Path
[edit]In September 2016, Downie announced he would release a new solo album, Secret Path in October.[47] The album was accompanied by a graphic novel on which he collaborated with Jeff Lemire,[47] and an animated television film which aired on CBC Television. He also performed a few live shows to support the album, with supporting musicians Kevin Drew, Charles Spearin, Dave Hamelin, Kevin Hearn and Josh Finlayson.[48]
At the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018, Downie posthumously won two Canadian Screen Awards for the television version of Secret Path. The program won the Donald Brittain Award for Best Political or Social Documentary Program[49] and Best Music in a Non-Fiction Program.[50] At the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019, two additional awards were won by Gord Downie's Secret Path in Concert, the CBC Television broadcast of Downie's 2016 Roy Thomson Hall performance of the album.[51]
Introduce Yerself
[edit]In September 2017, Downie announced what would be his final solo double-album titled Introduce Yerself; it was released on October 27, 2017, ten days after Downie's death.[52][53][54]
At the Juno Awards of 2018, the album won the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, Downie and Drew won Songwriter of the Year for "A Natural", "Introduce Yerself" and "The North",[55] and Downie won the Artist of the Year. In a tribute to Downie at the Juno Awards ceremony, Sarah Harmer, Dallas Green and Kevin Hearn performed a medley of the album's title track with the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon".
Personal life
[edit]Downie was married to Laura Leigh Usher,[56] herself a breast cancer survivor.[57] They had four children.[58] Downie and Usher separated in 2015 before Downie's cancer diagnosis.[59] By individuals in Downie's circle, he was known as a quiet and cerebral man, showing interests in family, music, and hockey.[60] In Downie's later years, he became a close friend with famous hockey player Bobby Orr, often making appearances at Bruins games together.[61][62]
Downie was the godson of Harry Sinden, a former hockey coach, general manager and president of the Boston Bruins.[63]
Death and reactions
[edit]Downie died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on October 17, 2017, at the age of 53 in Toronto.[64][65][66] The surviving members of the Tragically Hip made the news of his death public the next morning, by sharing an official statement from his family on their website:[65]
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, son, 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.
— The Downie Family, a statement on the Tragically Hip website [67]
Upon hearing the news, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a tribute statement on his official website.[68] Later in the day, he held a press conference at Parliament Hill at which he tearfully remembered Downie as "Our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had—and not just loved it in a nebulous, 'Oh, I love Canada' way. He loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life."[69] Canadian MP Tony Clement called upon the government to consider holding a state funeral for Downie, stating "I think he matters that much to Canadians."[70] The House of Commons observed a moment of silence.[71]
Downie was widely mourned in Canada.[72] Several prominent Canadians, including actors Ryan Reynolds and Seth Rogen, Toronto mayor John Tory, singer k.d. lang and the rock group Rush, remembered Downie on Twitter.[73] Additionally, several National Hockey League teams and players, as well as the league itself, paid tribute to Downie through social media, owing to the high popularity of the Tragically Hip's music among Canadian professional hockey players.[74] The Toronto Maple Leafs honoured Downie with a moment of silence before their game on October 18, during which the retired-jersey banner for Bill Barilko – whom Downie had written about in the Tragically Hip song "Fifty Mission Cap" – was lowered from the rafters of the Air Canada Centre.[75]
Residents of the Ontario village of Bobcaygeon, which Downie had written about in the song of the same name, held a candlelight vigil for him the night after his death;[76] a large public gathering also took place at Springer Market Square in the band's hometown of Kingston.[citation needed]
In Kingston, Mayor Bryan Paterson issued a statement, laid a wreath in Springer Market Square near City Hall, and signed a condolence banner. Kingston Transit buses displayed "GORD, WE'LL MISS YOU" on their electronic destination signs, alternately with the regular route number and name display.[citation needed]
Canadian radio stations responded heavily to Downie's death, with early figures indicating the band's radio airplay on October 18 increased 1,500 percent compared to a normal day.[77] Most rock radio stations dropped regular programming to shift to an all-Tragically Hip format for the day,[78][79] and some further announced that they would continue the all-Hip format through the weekend until the morning of 23 October.[80] Several stations, including CHEZ-FM in Ottawa, CFRQ-FM in Halifax,[78] CJRQ-FM in Sudbury,[80] CJQQ-FM in Timmins, CKEZ-FM in New Glasgow and CIKR-FM in the Tragically Hip's hometown of Kingston[81] dropped their regular names to temporarily rebrand themselves as "Gord FM".
Stations in other formats, such as contemporary hit radio, adult contemporary or country music, typically did not suspend their normal playlists, but still added some Tragically Hip songs to the day's rotation. "Ahead by a Century" was the single most-played song on Canadian radio on the day Downie's death was announced.[82]
CBC Radio preempted some of its regular programming in favour of a Downie tribute special hosted by Rich Terfry;[83] although news of Downie's death broke just 20 minutes before airtime, CBC Radio One's entertainment magazine show Q dropped its planned lineup in favour of a live Downie tribute special.[84]
In the wake of Downie's death, CTV rescheduled the planned broadcast premiere of Long Time Running, a documentary film by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier about the Man Machine Poem Tour of 2016, from November 12 to October 20. CBC Television broadcast his solo Roy Thomson Hall concert of Secret Path on October 22.[85]
Arjun Sahgal, an oncologist with the Sunnybrook Hospital who had been involved in treating Downie after his cancer diagnosis, lauded Downie's strength and courage in continuing to tour, make music and use his fame to publicize both cancer awareness and indigenous reconciliation issues, and called Downie "a Terry Fox in the modern day".[86]
Posthumous archival releases
[edit]In 2018, two additional recordings by Downie, "The East Wind" and "At the Quinte Hotel", were released on the compilation album The Al Purdy Songbook.[87] A different recording of "The East Wind" appeared on The Grand Bounce, and "At the Quinte Hotel" was previously released in video form, but never previously in an audio recording.
In June 2020, the Tragically Hip and manager Jake Gold announced that they were undertaking an "archaeological dig" to select music and memorabilia from the band's archives for future release.[88]
In August, Downie's Twitter account was reactivated, and began posting a series of teaser photographs of handwritten song lyrics, accompanied by numbers that appeared to be a calendar countdown to the date of October 15.[89] On September 21, it was confirmed that Away Is Mine, an album comprising the last songs Downie recorded in his lifetime, will be released on October 16.[90] The album is co-written with Josh Finlayson, a frequent colloborator, and is accompanied with an acoustic version of all the produced tracks. Also, a series of music videos for all the songs on the album were created by Canadian artists and released on Youtube.[91]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]Year | Album | CAN[92] |
---|---|---|
2001 | Coke Machine Glow | 26 |
2003 | Battle of the Nudes | 33 |
2010 | The Grand Bounce (with the Country of Miracles) | 8 |
2014 | And the Conquering Sun (with the Sadies) | n/a |
2016 | Secret Path | 4 |
2017 | Introduce Yerself | 1 |
2020 | Away Is Mine | 3 |
Compilations
[edit]Singles
[edit]- "Vancouver Divorce" (2001)
- "Chancellor" (2001)
- "Pascal's Submarine" (2003)
- "Figment" (2003)
- "Sleeping Sickness" by City and Colour (2008)
- "The East Wind" (2010)
- "The Dance and Its Disappearance" (2010)
- "Crater" (with the Sadies) (2014)[93]
- "The Stranger" (2016)
- "Introduce Yerself" (2017)
- "Hotel Worth" (2020)
Music videos
[edit]- "Chancellor" (2001)
- "Pascal's Submarine" (2003)
- "11th Fret" (2003)
- "The East Wind" (2010)
- "Crater" (2014)
- "The Stranger" (2016)
- "Secret Path" (documentary and full animated film) (2016)
Music videos for Away is Mine (2020)
[edit]- "Hotel Worth"
- "Useless Nights"
- "I Am Lost"
- "About Blank"
- "River Don't Care"
- "The Least Impossible"
- "Traffic Is Magic"
- "Away Is Mine"
- "No Solace"
- "Untitled"
References
[edit]- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYTobit
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Canadians mourn singer Gord Downie". October 18, 2017 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ "Gord Downie- Albums". Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ Barclay, Michael (October 18, 2017). "Remembering the life and legacy of Gord Downie (1964 – 2017)". MacLean's. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Edgar Charles Downie Obituary". The Whig Standard. 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Newton, Steve (Writer on music),. Gord Downie. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-4549-2904-8. OCLC 1045505964.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Newton, Steve (Writer on music),. Gord Downie. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-4549-2904-8. OCLC 1045505964.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Queen's remembers Gord Downie". Queen's Gazette. October 18, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ^ Newton, Steve (Writer on music),. Gord Downie. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-4549-2904-8. OCLC 1045505964.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Tragically Hip". 2010 Canada Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
- ^ "The Tragically Hip – Canadian Music Hall Of Fame". Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Newton, Steve (Writer on music),. Gord Downie. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-4549-2904-8. OCLC 1045505964.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Newton, Steve (Writer on music),. Gord Downie. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-4549-2904-8. OCLC 1045505964.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Barclay, Michael, 1971-. The never-ending present : the story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. Toronto, ON. ISBN 978-1-77305-207-6. OCLC 1031367622.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Tragically Hip Biography". Starpluse.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ Wilson, MacKenzie. "Gordon Downie Biography". Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ "Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles The Grand Bounce". Pop Matters, by Ross Langager 19 May 2011
- ^ "The self-explanatory Gord Downie". Toronto Star, Ben Rayner 7 June 2010
- ^ "Gord Downie – The Grand Bounce". Gord Downie. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "NME Videos". Nme.com. October 9, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ McKay, Conor. "City And Colour: 'Sleeping Sickness'". NPR.org. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Khanna, Vish. "Gord Downie Sheds Light on Collaborative Album with the Sadies". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ Damian Abraham, "How I Learned to Love the Tragically Hip and Still Be Punk". Noisey, August 9, 2016.
- ^ "Gord Downie is 'Lost Together' with Blue Rodeo as he joins band onstage at Toronto show". CBC News, 3 February 2017.
- ^ "The Tragically Hip to debut tour doc, Long Time Running, at the Toronto International Film Festival". Q, 25 July 2017.
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- ^ "Media Alert: Lafarge denied: Cement company's motion for leave to-appeal denied in alternative fuels case". Newswire. CNW. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
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- ^ Boyden, Joseph (February 29, 2012). "North of the 52nd with the Tragically Hip". Maclean's. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ^ Woods, Allan (August 24, 2016). "Gord Downie and the Hip gone fishin' in northern Ontario". The Toronto Star. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund". DownieWenjack.ca, 13 October 2016.
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- ^ "AFN honours tearful Gord Downie". CBC News, 10 December 2016.
- ^ "Downie takes to Parliament Hill to speak out for Canada's Indigenous Peoples". TBNewsWatch.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "The problem with Gord Downie's Order of Canada | CBC Radio". CBC. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
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- ^ Friend, David. "Gord Downie chosen as Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year". Global News. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
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- ^ "Gord Downie appointed to Order of Canada". CBC News. June 19, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ "'His legend lives on': Ontario to get poet laureate in memory of Gord Downie". CBC News. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Courage, my word: Tragically Hip's Gord Downie reveals terminal brain cancer diagnosis". CBC Music. CBC. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie has terminal cancer, band plans tour 'for Gord'". CBC News. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ "Gord Downie underwent surgery for 'incurable' brain cancer, his doctor says". CBC News, 24 May 2016.
- ^ Noronha, Charmaine. "Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip holds final show". The Associated Press. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "Tragically Hip to release documentary and farewell concert film in December". AXS. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ a b "Gord Downie to release solo album, graphic novel next month". CTV News, September 9, 2016.
- ^ "What happens next", The Globe and Mail, January 5, 2017.
- ^ "Canadian Screen Awards 2018: Maudie, Anne, Kim's Convenience win top prizes". CBC News, March 11, 2018.
- ^ "2018 Canadian Screen Awards honour national media". CTV News Toronto, March 6, 2018.
- ^ "Gord Downie's Secret Path, Amazing Race and CBC News among Canadian Screen Awards winners". CBC News, March 26, 2019.
- ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (October 18, 2017). "Gord Downie, a Canadian Rock Legend, Sings Goodbye". The New York Times. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Gord Downie to release solo album Introduce Yerself in October". The Globe and Mail, September 27, 2017.
- ^ Wong, Jessica (September 27, 2017). "Gord Downie to release new solo album Introduce Yerself". CBC News.
- ^ "Early Junos Go to Gord Downie, Grimes, Alvvays and More". Exclaim!, March 24, 2018.
- ^ ""Tragically Hip's Gord Downie has terminal cancer"". News 1130. May 24, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ ""Gord Downie Wife: Singer's Interview About Wife's Cancer Will Tear You Apart"". Huffington Post. May 25, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ ""Gord Downie says family life influenced new solo disc"". CTV News. June 6, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "If Secret Path 'is the last thing I do, I'm happy': What happens to Gord Downie next". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ "Harry Sinden on his godson, the late Gord Downie - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ^ "Harry Sinden on his godson, the late Gord Downie - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ^ "Bobby Orr, Tragically Hip's Gord Downie watch Senators face Bruins - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ^ "Harry Sinden on his godson, the late Gord Downie - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (October 18, 2017). "Gord Downie, a Distinctly Canadian Rock Star, Dies at 53". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ a b Mazerolle, John. "Gord Downie, Canada's everyman rock poet, dead at 53". CBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Ubelacker, Sheryl (October 18, 2017). "Glioblastoma, brain tumour that took Gord Downie's life, tough to treat: doctors". Toronto. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Statement - The Tragically Hip". The Tragically Hip. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Trudeau, Justin (October 18, 2017). "Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the death of Gord Downie". Prime Minister of Canada. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Justin Trudeau delivers emotional, tearful tribute to Gord Downie". Global News. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Pedwell, Terry (October 18, 2017). "Justin Trudeau pays emotional tribute to Gord Downie: 'It hurts'". thestar.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ Harris, Kathleen (October 18, 2017). "'We are less as a country': Politicians pay tribute to Gord Downie". CBC News.
- ^ "Canadians mourn singer Gord Downie". BBC News. October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ Lagerquist, Jeff (October 18, 2017). "Condolences pour in for Gord Downie, Tragically Hip frontman". CTVNews. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Hockey world mourns Gord Downie's death". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ McLaughlin, Amara. "'You will live forever in the hearts of Canadians': Maple Leafs honour Gord Downie at ACC". CBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ McKenna, Ryan (October 18, 2017). "Bobcaygeon residents feel special connection to Gord Downie". The Toronto Star. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Thursday’s Round-Up of News Surrounding the Death of Gord Downie". A Journal of Musical Things, October 19, 2017.
- ^ a b "'I'd wish for more of this,' Ottawans' tributes to Gord Downie keep coming". Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Red Deer radio stations crank up the Tragically Hip in wake of Gord Downie’s death". Red Deer Advocate, October 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Tragically Hip Week: Celebrating the Life of Gord Downie". CJRQ-FM, October 18, 2017.
- ^ "In Kingston, fans pay respects to Gord Downie". Toronto Star, October 18, 2017.
- ^ "Tragically Hip album sales, audio streams soar after Gord Downie's death". CTV News, October 23, 2017.
- ^ "Listen to a special Radio 2 broadcast celebrating the life of Gord Downie". CBC Music, October 18, 2017.
- ^ "Gord Downie (1964-2017)". Q, October 18, 2017.
- ^ "Tragically Hip’s ‘Long Time Running’ documentary to air Friday on TV". Toronto Star, October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Gord Downie 'like a Terry Fox in the modern day,' says doctor". CTV News, October 19, 2017.
- ^ "Canadian poet Al Purdy inspires songs by Jason Collett, Sarah Harmer and more". Now, January 22, 2019.
- ^ Calum Slingerland, "The Tragically Hip Reunite with Original Manager for Planned Archival Projects". Exclaim!, June 11, 2020.
- ^ Calum Slingerland, "Gord Downie's Twitter Account Is Teasing Something". Exclaim!, September 3, 2020.
- ^ Jesse Kinos-Goodin, "Listen to 2 songs from Gord Downie's final solo recording, Away is Mine". CBC Music, September 21, 2020.
- ^ Jesse Kinos-Goodin, "Listen to 2 songs from Gord Downie's final solo recording, Away is Mine". CBC Music, September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Gord Downie Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013.