Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip has Terminal Brain Cancer.

[james t kirk]

Cbc is reporting this morning.

He's 52 and has 4 kids. His wife had breast cancer a couple of years ago.

Man, that's sad. Life can be fragile.

 

[eznutz]

Cbc is reporting this morning.

He's 52 and has 4 kids. His wife had breast cancer a couple of years ago.

Man, that's sad. Life can be fragile.

The band is planning a farewell tour
http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/

 

[Don Draper]

The bad news for music continues in this dismal 2016. Downie is a bonafide poet of Canadiana.

If ever a song was fitting:

 

[thumper18474]

I've met him a few times.
he bought a summer retreat ...a few km from my parents place...if you can call a million dollar lake front property a summer retreat..LOL..he usually just sits on his front porch overlooking the water with his guitar...
This..REALL..SUCKS

 

[GameBoy27]

Sad news indeed. Never met the man but seen them a dozen times. One of the best live bands going. They have the unique ability to make even their least popular songs sound amazing live.

So good!

 

[Conway_Stewart]

Really sad news. He is a great artist and performer.

 

[Smallcock]

That's sad. How old are his kids?

He sold his home in Toronto last year or early this year.

 

[MissCroft]

Saw them once...very sad news. One of my favourite Hip songs:

 

[gfelover]

Gord, have COURAGE and know that all of us will have you in our thoughts and prayers....:rockon::thumb:

 

[dcbogey]

New video from the band. Apparently written before the diagnosis. Very poignant.

 

[Noddy]

Have seen them multiple times. Most memorable was at a very small venue in the US. Gord was approachable and downright cool to interact with. Will need to check them out one last time. I imagine tickets will be steep on the secondary market...

 

[GameBoy27]

Have seen them multiple times. Most memorable was at a very small venue in the US. Gord was approachable and downright cool to interact with. Will need to check them out one last time. I imagine tickets will be steep on the secondary market...

Understatement of the year!

 

[golfdude]

This video is a great example of the genius of Gord Downie performing live. Part singer, part street performer, he is one of the few front men who holds the attention of the audience from start to finish. I have seen the hip a bunch of times, each show was unique because of Downie, as he performed some of the songs such as New Orleans Is Sinking many different ways. My favorite version of that song is when I saw the Hip in Memphis, and Downie explained that he was a part of one of the Apollo space missions but wasn't in any of the photos because he wasn't very photogenic, then went on a classic Downie tangent about the mission while the band rocked behind them like they always do.

I thought that "get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy" was just a great line in a song....it fucking sucks that it could actually happen. Gonna burn through a lot of my Hip catalog today.

The atmosphere at Hip shows is always great....these next shows will be amazing.

 

[Bud Plug]

Quite apart from the tragic bad luck of getting cancer, Downie's story is such a Canadian tale of sacrificing great wealth for the sake of friendship and relationships. His talent and creativity were always miles above his bandmates, but he stuck with them, significantly limiting what might have happened with his career.

In his wisdom, it looks like he made the right choices.

 

[GameBoy27]

This video is a great example of the genius of Gord Downie performing live. Part singer, part street performer, he is one of the few front men who holds the attention of the audience from start to finish. I have seen the hip a bunch of times, each show was unique because of Downie, as he performed some of the songs such as New Orleans Is Sinking many different ways. My favorite version of that song is when I saw the Hip in Memphis, and Downie explained that he was a part of one of the Apollo space missions but wasn't in any of the photos because he wasn't very photogenic, then went on a classic Downie tangent about the mission while the band rocked behind them like they always do.

Great story, thanks for sharing...

I thought that "get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy" was just a great line in a song....it fucking sucks that it could actually happen.

So many great lyrics over the years. I like this one from Cordelia.

Angst on the planks, spitting from a bridge
Just to see how far down it really is...

 

[ParkersPillows]

Ahhh fuck. This is terrible. This year is taking too many amazing artists away. They have left great legacies behind.

 

[james t kirk]

I wonder if Downie would be a candidate for this.......

 

[stevieray]

Oh man, such terrible news! I can remember these guys playing the local Kingston club scene back in the 80`s. Think my best memory, was a few years back, at the Limestone City Blues Festival, where the feature act failed to show up and who stepped in? Non other then Kingston`s own Tragically Hip AND legendary actor/comedian Dan Akroyd, in his Elwood Blues suite and dark glasses, performing onstage together, doing `New Orleans is Sinking...` Wow, what an awesome show!! God bless you Gord, our thoughts and prayers are with you man!!

 

[SchlongConery]

I wonder if Downie would be a candidate for this.......

According to this Forbes article, the polio/virus based (oncolytic viruses) treatments reported on for glioblastoma were results from Phase I testing. So even if it were effective, it is not available as a treatment. To get into any of these trial, you have to be at the right stage, at the right time, and know about the trial to even apply.

I would assume that he and his Doctors have looked into available trials and experimental treatments. I would also think that this publicity would also help as perhaps there is some trial underway somewhere that might be interested in a high profile subject.

I have lost two loved ones to this terrible disease. Glioblastoma is as deadly a cancer as they come and I think that Gord is a wise man to live it up until he can't anymore! As the song goes, "Live like you are dying"

 

[wigglee]

Gord and also the singer from Spirit of the West were 2 of the more intense and edgy Canadian frontmen. And both are too young for this .... they'll be missed.