TORONTO — As Canadian musicians tearfully reflected on the legacy of Gord Downie on Wednesday, many used a word the late Tragically Hip frontman himself belted out onstage in his signature howl: “Courage.”
Downie’s advocacy on behalf of Indigenous Peoples, his fortitude in touring one last time, and his fundraising efforts during his fight with terminal brain cancer were incredibly brave and galvanized a nation in a way that will be felt for decades, said his peers.
“He’s a national hero,” said Rush frontman Geddy Lee. “There are lots of different ways that people handle this kind of thing and mostly, if you look at people like David Bowie, et cetera, how they handled their illnesses, they chose to handle it very quietly — and he did not.
“He wanted to go out doing what he loved to do, and trying to do as much good with the time he had left, so for me that’s a courageous act.”
In May 2016, Downie revealed his diagnosis with glioblastoma, an incurable form of cancer. He died Tuesday night “with his beloved children and family close by,” according to a statement on the Tragically Hip’s website. He was 53.
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