Tragically hip massey hall11/18/2023 ![]() 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, best songwriter for Downie, and best recording package 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 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. 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. Downie ultimately had six teleprompters on stage to help him get through the concerts.ĭespite 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. “He would look at me and say, ‘Billy, what’s that line called?’ and then he would write it down,” Koster said. Dave (Billy Ray) Koster, the Hip’s technical director, recalled Downie’s trouble with the hit “My Music at Work,” a song which repeats its title in the lyrics 18 times. I think I started to cry,” the singer said of the first tour rehearsal. “I actually couldn’t remember a damn thing. In the recently released documentary “Long Time Running,” Downie recalled his struggles with lyrics as he prepared to perform. While the band’s managers assured fans that Downie was prepared to “blow people’s minds,” he was suffering from serious memory issues. Interest was off the charts and tickets sold out nearly immediately. 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 correctly 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. This is something I’ve certainly drawn inspiration and strength from.ĭownie, 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 as many hits, the band hung on to its unofficial status as Canada’s favourite rock band. That’s why this last year’s been devoted to Chanie Wenjack and to reconciliation. “He wanted to make it better, he knew as great as we were we need to be better than we are. “He loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country,” Trudeau said. ![]() Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in tears as he paid tribute to Downie and how he devoted the last chapter of his life to advocating for the rights of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |