32 Facts About Gord Downie

Gordon Edgar Downie was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist.

Gord Downie was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its formation in 1984 until his death in 2017.

Gord Downie is revered by many as an inspiring and influential artist in Canada's music history.

Gordon Edgar Downie was born in Amherstview, Ontario, and raised in Kingston, Ontario, along with his brothers Mike and Patrick, and sisters Charlyn and Paula.

Gord Downie was the son of Lorna and Edgar Charles Downie, a travelling salesman, later a real estate broker and developer.

In Kingston, Gord Downie attended the downtown high school Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where other members of the Tragically Hip attended.

Gord Downie began pursuing a solo career with the release of Coke Machine Glow in 2001.

Gord Downie published his first poetry and prose collection alongside the album and under the same title.

Gord Downie released his second solo album, Battle of the Nudes, in 2003 before returning to the studio with the Tragically Hip.

In 2008, Gord Downie appeared as a guest vocalist on City and Colour's single "Sleeping Sickness".

In 2014, Gord Downie released an album with the Sadies called And the Conquering Sun.

On February 2,2017, Gord Downie joined Blue Rodeo onstage at Massey Hall for a performance of Blue Rodeo's song "Lost Together".

Gord Downie had cameo appearances in Men with Brooms, in which the Tragically Hip play a curling team.

Gord Downie made a cameo appearance in the 2008 indie drama Nothing Really Matters, directed by Jean-Marc Piche.

Gord Downie appears in the Trailer Park Boys movie The Big Dirty, in which he and Alex Lifeson play a pair of police officers.

Gord Downie was heavily involved in environmental movements, especially issues concerning water rights.

Gord Downie was a board member of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.

Gord Downie was 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.

The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund is a registered charity.

Gord Downie was not able to attend the ceremony due to his illness which had not yet been made public.

In December 2017, Gord 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.

In December 2015, shortly after attending his father's funeral, Gord Downie was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.

Gord Downie toured with the band in summer 2016 to support Man Machine Poem, the band's 13th studio album.

In September 2016, Gord Downie announced he would release a new solo album, Secret Path in October.

Gord Downie performed a few live shows to support the album, with supporting musicians Kevin Drew, Charles Spearin, Dave Hamelin, Kevin Hearn and Josh Finlayson.

At the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018, Gord Downie posthumously won two Canadian Screen Awards for the television version of Secret Path.

Gord Downie was married to Laura Leigh Usher, herself a breast cancer survivor.

Gord Downie was the godson of Harry Sinden, a former hockey coach, general manager and president of the Boston Bruins.

Gord Downie died of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on October 17,2017, at the age of 53 in Toronto.

Gord Downie loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life.

Residents of the Ontario village of Bobcaygeon, which Gord Downie had written about in the song of the same name, held a candlelight vigil for him the night after his death; a large public gathering took place at Springer Market Square in the band's hometown of Kingston.

In October 2022, the song "Lustre Parfait" was released to streaming services as a preview of an album collecting various previously unreleased songs that Gord Downie had recorded with Bob Rock.