The Tragically Hip (often referred to as simply, “The Hip”) is a 5-piece rock band from Kingston, Ontario. The band is comprised of Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and Paul Langlois. Often seen as a quintessential facet of Canadian culture, their 14 studio albums and plethora of iconic singles have locked them into Canadian Music legendary status.

Lead Singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2016, which led the band to announce that their Man Machine Poem tour would be their last. The tour ended August 20, 2016 in their hometown of Kingston. The final concert was broadcast nationwide on the CBC, and was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

On the evening of October 17th, 2017, Downie passed away at the age of 53. His family released the following statement:

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.
Love you forever Gord.
The Downie Family