Gord Downie, the frontman for the Tragically Hip and an ambassador for Canadian music, has died. He was 53.
The band posted a message to Twitter this morning, confirming that Downie had passed last night, Tuesday, October 17.
“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,” the band wrote in a statement.
According to the CBC, Downie suffered from “an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, which he discovered after a seizure in December 2015.”
Downie’s illness was made public last spring, and the Tragically Hip performed their final concert on August 20. It was broadcast by CBC nationally across Canada.
Read the Hip’s full statement below. Featured image via the Feldman Agency.
Statement – https://t.co/vOTvlJ2jqA pic.twitter.com/Z6dHmr1xpM
— The Tragically Hip (@thehipdotcom) October 18, 2017