Geddy and Alex present The Tragically Hip the 2021 Humanitarian Award at the JUNOs

At the 50th Annual JUNO Awards airing June 6, 2021, the Tragically Hip will receive the 2021 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada, which will be presented to them by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees and rock icons, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush. For more visit newswire.ca.

UPDATE: Watch as Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee present the humanitarian award to members of The Tragically Hip: Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay, Gord Sinclair and the late Gord Downie’s brother Patrick Downie.

 In addition, watch as Pegi Cecconi is awarded the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2021 Juno Opening Night Awards. This prestigious award ­named after Walt Grealis in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments recognizes individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry.

Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant helped save Rush in their darkest hour, says Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee is interviewed in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, as alluded to in this teaser story from Louder.com:

Following the death of drummer Neil Peart’s 19-year-old daughter Selena in a road accident in August 1997, Rush took an extended hiatus from the music business, with none of the trio - vocalist/bassist Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and Peart - sure whether they’d ever share a stage again.

But speaking in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, Lee says that a phone call from one of the trio’s long-time heroes, former Led Zeppelin frontman Plant, helped drag the musicians out of the darkness.

“Page & Plant were touring [1998 album] Walking Into Clarksdale and they came to Toronto,” recalls Lee, referencing the Zeppelin duo’s July 4, 1998 appearance at the city’s Molson Amphitheatre. “Someone kept calling our office saying they were Robert Plant and they needed to speak to me. No one believed it, but turns out it was him.”

“We were on hiatus after Selena [Neil’s Peart’s daughter] had passed away and we were not in a good place. I called Robert back, and he wanted us to come to the show, and I was pretty down in the dumps at that point. And he said, ‘No, come to the show, we’ll talk.’ He understood what was going on with the band. I remember him saying: ‘You’ve got to re-join life, and sooner is better than later. So get your ass down here.’ So I called Alex up and said we’re going to see Page & Plant.”