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Arthur Janov was cool. The world just got a lot quiter

Gord Downie dead at 53

Gord Downie, the singer for the Tragically Hip and one of Canada’s most beloved rock musicians, died Tuesday night, according to an official statement from the band. he was 53.  Downie had been previously diagnosed with glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer. The disease was discovered after a 2015 seizure.  The band, one of the most popular and defining Canadian groups of the last 30 years, embarked on a goodbye tour after the diagnosis, playing its final sold-out show in its hometown of Kingston, Ontario, last summer.

“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 said in its official statement.

“Gord said he had lived many lives,” it continued. “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.”

Formed in the mid-1980s by then-university students Downie and guitarist Rob Baker, the band took their name from a comedy sketch in former Monkee Michael Nesmith’s oddball experimental film “Elephant Parts.” After signing to MCA Records a few years later, the Tragically Hip released its eponymous first EP in 1987.  The band quickly rose within the ranks of Canadian rock bands. Its first album, “Up to Here,” sold over 100,000 copies in Canada, and its follow-up, “Road Apples,” surpassed 300,000 copies.  In those years, the Tragically Hip relentlessly toured Canada and made jaunts to Europe, but never seemed too concerned with breaking into the U.S. scene.  Unlike chart-busting Juno Award winners of the time including Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Rush and Alanis Morrisette, while the Tragically Hip was earning Junos — its first was as most promising band in 1990 — Downie and company waited until they were established up north before dipping down to test the waters.  The band’s multiplatinum 1996 album, “Trouble at the Henhouse,” earned them their first album of the year Juno. As with most of his lyrics, Downie on “Henhouse” found beauty in the tiny wonders of life while exploring big questions of existence.  “Gift Shop” views the world from above, a macroscopic ode to what he describes as “the beautiful lull, the dangerous tug” of life. Singing as if soaring in the clouds, he adds, “We get to feel small/From high up above/And after a glimpse/Over the top/The rest of the world/Becomes a gift shop.”  The group was a favorite across Canada for its mix of hard-swinging rock and Downie’s allusive lyrics that remained focused on Canadian identity and issues even as the band saw international success. In his last months, he remained an outspoken advocate for indigenous rights, addressing injustices in songs like “Now the Struggle Has a Name.”

This has been known to be coming for a while, but still sad. Rest in peace. 

^ I wasn’t aware. 

RIP George Young

RIP Fats Domino

In Memoriam: Jack Conrad

Jack Conrad, who played bass for The Doors and wrote songs for many artists, has passed away from a massive heart attack. He was 69 years old.

Conrad’s diverse musical career started in the ’60s. He recorded for the Petula Clark album I Know A Place in 1965 and started writing songs. He collaborated with Paul Williams for his albums Someday Man in 1970 and Just an Old Fashioned Love Song the next year. His big bass break came when he was asked to play on the first post-Jim Morrison albums for the Doors: Other Voices and Full Circle. While several other session bassists were featured on those albums, Conrad played on the bulk of each while joining the band on tour. He is featured on the band’s 1972 Beat Club performance, which was their first TV appearance since Jim Morrison’s death.

Other recording highlights from his career include Gram Parsons’ “GP”, Johnny Rivers’ “Last Boogie in Paris”, and Robby Krieger’s “No Habla”.

He was also an accomplished songwriter with credits for artists including Three Dog Night, The Bottom Line, Dave Mason, The Babys, Heart, and more. He released his own solo album, Mother Earth Dance, in 1992.

RIP