Paul Langlois (musician)
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The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. They released 13 studio albums, one live album, one EP, and over 50 singles over a 33-year career. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts. They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 17
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
s. Between 1996 and 2016, the Tragically Hip were the best-selling Canadian band in Canada and the fourth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada. Following Downie's diagnosis with terminal brain cancer in 2015, the band undertook a tour of Canada in support of their thirteenth album '' Man Machine Poem''. The tour's final concert, which would ultimately be the band's last show, was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston on August 20, 2016, and broadcast globally by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a cross-platform television, radio and internet streaming special. After Downie died on October 17, 2017, the band announced in July 2018 that they would no longer perform under the name. The surviving members have, however, continued to pursue other musical projects, and have begun releasing compilation albums of previously unreleased songs from the band's archives.


History


Early history (1984–1991)

The Tragically Hip formed in 1984 in Kingston, Ontario. Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker were students at Kingston Collegiate and had performed together at the KCVI Variety Show as the Rodents. Baker and Sinclair joined with Downie and Fay in 1984 and began playing gigs around Kingston with some memorable stints at Clark Hall Pub and Alfie's, student bars on
Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to: *Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada *Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK **Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950) **Queen's University of Belfast ...
campus. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986; saxophonist Davis Manning left that same year. They took their name from a skit in the Michael Nesmith movie '' Elephant Parts''.


First album

By the mid-1980s, they performed in small music venues across Ontario until being seen by then-
MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...
Vice President Bruce Dickinson at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. They were then signed to a long-term record deal with MCA, and recorded the EP '' The Tragically Hip''. The album produced two singles, "Small Town Bring-Down" and "Highway Girl". They followed up with 1989's ''
Up to Here ''Up to Here'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in September 1989. It is one of the band's most successful albums, achieving Diamond status in Canada for sales of over a million copies, earning the ban ...
''. This album produced four singles, " Blow at High Dough", " New Orleans Is Sinking", "Boots or Hearts", and "
38 Years Old "38 Years Old" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in April 1990 as the fourth single from the band's first full-length studio album, ''Up to Here''. The song peaked at No. 41 on the Canadian ''RPM'' singles chart. ...
". All four of these songs found extensive rotation on modern rock radio play lists in Canada.


Second Album: Road Apples

'' Road Apples'' followed in 1991, producing three singles ("
Little Bones "Little Bones" is a song by The Tragically Hip. The song was released as the lead single from the band's second studio album, '' Road Apples'', on which it appears as the opening track. The song was very successful in Canada, peaking at No. 11 on ...
", " Twist My Arm", and " Three Pistols") and reaching No. 1 on Canadian record charts. During the Road Apples tour, Downie became recognized for ranting and telling fictional stories during songs such as "Highway Girl" and "New Orleans Is Sinking". Road Apples was planned to be a double album but was rejected by Universal. The
2008 Universal Studios fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...
resulted in the destruction of the masters for the second album. The six unreleased songs were rediscovered in another collection in 2020. In 2021 they were released as an EP titled '' Saskadelphia'', which had been the working title for ''Road Apples.'' The sound on these first two full-length albums is sometimes characterized as "blues-tinged", although there is definite acoustic punctuation throughout both discs. Although the band failed to achieve significant international success with these first two albums, their sales and dominance of modern rock radio in Canada gave them license to subsequently explore their sound.


1992–1997

The Hip released another album, '' Fully Completely'' in 1992, which produced the singles " Locked in the Trunk of a Car", "
Courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
", and " At the Hundredth Meridian" and three others. The sound on this album displayed less of a blues influence than previous albums. The Hip created and headlined the first Another Roadside Attraction tour at this time, both to act as a vehicle for their touring, and to promote other Canadian acts (as well as non-Canadians Ziggy Marley and Pere Ubu). Many songs from ''Day For Night'' were first performed prior to their release during the 1993 Another Roadside Attraction Tour. "Nautical Disaster" was played frequently in the middle of "New Orleans Is Sinking", an early version of "Thugs" was tested, and Downie sang lyrics from many other ''Day For Night'' songs, such as "Grace, Too", "Scared", and "Emergency", during this tour. '' Day for Night'' was then released in 1994, producing six singles, including " Nautical Disaster" and " Grace, Too". ''
Trouble at the Henhouse ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in 1996. The song "Butts Wigglin'" appeared in the 1996 film '' Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy''. Commercial and critical performance The al ...
'' followed in 1996, producing five singles starting with " Ahead by a Century", which reached number one on the ''RPM'' Canadian singles chart on 24 June and became their most successful single in their home country. "Butts Wigglin", the fifth single from ''Henhouse'', also appeared on the soundtrack to the Kids in the Hall movie '' Brain Candy''. The live album ''
Live Between Us ''Live Between Us'' is the first full-length live album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was recorded on November 23, 1996, at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan, during the band's North American tour in support of ''Trouble at ...
'' was recorded on the subsequent tour at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The band developed a unique sound and ethos, leaving behind its earlier
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
influence. Downie's vocal style changed while the band experimented with song structures and chord progressions. Songs explored the themes of Canadian geography and history, water and land, all motifs that became heavily associated with the Hip. While ''Fully Completely'' began an exploration of deeper themes, many critics consider ''Day for Night'' to be the Hip's artistry most fully realized. The sound here is typically called "enigmatic" and "dark", while critic MacKenzie Wilson praises "the poignancy of Downie's minimalism." On the follow-up tour for this album, the band made its only appearance on '' Saturday Night Live'', on March 15, 1995, thanks in large part to the finagling of fellow Canadian and Kingston-area resident
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
, who appeared on the show just to introduce them. Aykroyd, who is a fan of the band, had personally lobbied ''SNL'' showrunner Lorne Michaels to book them as a musical guest. The band's performance on the show was one of their highest profile media appearances in the United States. In July 1996, the Hip headlined
Edenfest Edenfest was 3-day concert that took place July 12–14, 1996 at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total for the 3 day event and was attended by another estimated 20,000 people who walked into the ...
. The three-day concert took place at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, just a few months after the LP ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' was released. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total and was attended by an estimated 20,000 additional people who gained access to the concert site after the outside security broke down.


1998–2003

In 1998, the band released their sixth full-length album, '' Phantom Power'', which produced five singles. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design. A single from the album, " Bobcaygeon", won the
Juno Award for Single of the Year The Juno Award for Single of the Year has been awarded since 1974 for the best single in Canada. It has also been known as Best Single and Best Selling Single. The award goes to the artist. Best Single (1974) Best Selling Single (1975 - 1979) ...
in 2000. The album has been certified platinum three times over in Canada. In February 1999, the Hip played the very first concert at the brand new Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. In July 1999, the band was part of the lineup for the Woodstock '99 festival in Rome, New York. On the second day of three, they were the first band to take the stage. They were followed by Kid Rock. 2000 saw the release of ''
Music @ Work ''Music @ Work'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was leaked via the internet six weeks before its official release in June, 2000. It won the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rock Album. Commercial perform ...
''. It won the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rock Album. The album featured back-up vocals from Julie Doiron on a number of tracks, and reached No. 1 on the Canadian Billboard Charts. In 2002, ''
In Violet Light ''In Violet Light'' is the eighth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album debuted at #2 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling almost 33,000 copies in its first week. The album has been certified platinum in Canada. ...
,'' recorded by Hugh Padgham and Terry Manning at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas was released, along with three singles from the album. It became certified platinum in Canada. Later that year, the Hip made a cameo appearance in the Paul Gross film ''
Men with Brooms ''Men with Brooms'' is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their ...
,'' playing a curling team from their hometown of Kingston. Three of their songs appear in the film, and they backed Sarah Harmer on a fourth, the soundtrack's lead single, "Silver Roads". On October 10, 2002, the Tragically Hip performed two songs, "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" and "Poets", as part of a command performance for
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
. In 2003, the band recorded a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967
12th Street Riot The 1967 Detroit Riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot or Detroit Rebellion, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the "Long, hot summer of 1967". Composed mainly of confrontations between Black residents and the De ...
in Detroit, on '' Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot''.


2004–2008

'' In Between Evolution'' was released in 2004 in the No. 1 position in Canada. It has since sold over 100,000 copies. At the 92nd
Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
held November 21, 2004, the band provided the halftime entertainment in front of a packed house at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa. In 2004, in episode 15 ("Rock On"), season 2 of Canadian comedy TV series '' Corner Gas'', the Tragically Hip gave a cameo appearance as an unnamed local band rehearsing in Brent's garage. They play a rough version of the song ''It Can't Be Nashville Every Night'' from their '' In Between Evolution'' album until interrupted and asked to leave by Brent, Wanda, and Hank. As they disappointedly go, Wanda demands that Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker leave behind their amplifiers. In October 2005, several radio stations temporarily stopped playing " New Orleans Is Sinking", out of sensitivity to the victims of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, which had devastated the city in early September of that year. However, it received considerable pirate radio and relief site play and gained some notoriety and praise in New Orleans due to its attitudinal proximity to the city's culture. On November 1, 2005, the Hip released a double CD, double DVD
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, '' Hipeponymous'', including all of their singles and music videos to date, a backstage documentary called "Macroscopic", an animated Hip-scored short film entitled "The Right Whale", two brand new songs ("No Threat" and "The New Maybe"), a full-length concert from November 2004 '' That Night in Toronto'', and a 2-CD greatest hits collection '' Yer Favourites'' (selected on-line by 150,000 fans). On November 8, 2005, ''Yer Favourites'' and ''That Night in Toronto'' were released individually. In 2006, another studio album, entitled ''
World Container ''World Container'' is the tenth studio album by Canada, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was Mar ...
'', was released, being notably produced by Bob Rock. It produced four singles, and reached the No. 1 spot on the Canadian rock music charts. The band toured concert dates in major Canadian cities, and then as an opening act for the Who on several US dates. A tour of Eastern Canada, Europe, and select cities in the United States occurred late in the year. On February 23, 2008, the Hip returned to their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, where they were the first live act to perform at the new
K-Rock Centre Leon's Centre (formerly K-Rock Centre, and Rogers K-Rock Centre) is an indoor arena in downtown Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 2008, it is the home of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. History The arena was designed by Brisbi ...
.


2009–2015

In 2009, the band again worked with producer Bob Rock, and ''
We Are the Same ''We Are the Same'' is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released April 7, 2009 on Universal Music Canada, and by Zoë Records in the United States. The album was recorded at The Bathouse Recording Studio in Ba ...
'' was released in North America on April 7, 2009. It produced three singles. To promote ''We Are the Same'', the band invited The Hour's
George Stroumboulopoulos George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
for a live interview at The Bathouse Recording Studio in Bath, Ontario (where most of the album was recorded), and they played seven new songs as well as unique versions of five other songs. The interview and performance were broadcast live in more than eighty theatres across Canada. On January 22, 2010, the band performed "Fiddler's Green" at the "Canada for Haiti" telethon to aid earthquake victims in that country. This was broadcast nationally on all three of Canada's main networks ( CBC, Global, and
CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
). Single "
At Transformation "At Transformation" is a song by Canadian rock group The Tragically Hip. It was released in May 2012 as the lead single from their twelfth full-length studio album, ''Now for Plan A''. A 90-second clip of the song premiered during the opening segm ...
" was released in May 2012 ahead of the band's twelfth studio album, '' Now for Plan A.'' A second single, "Streets Ahead" came out in August that year, and the album followed in October. The Tragically Hip re-entered their studio in July 2014 to begin work on a new album. The following October, ''Fully Completely'' was re-released as a remastered deluxe edition, including two bonus tracks, a vinyl edition and a recording of a live show. To celebrate and promote the re-release, the band toured Canada and the United States from January to October 2015.


2016–2017: Downie's diagnosis, summer tour, and death

In December 2015, Downie was diagnosed with terminal
brain cancer A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...
. The band announced his diagnosis on May 24, 2016. The band also announced that, despite his condition, they would tour that summer. The Hip's thirteenth album, '' Man Machine Poem'', was released on June 17, 2016. The album featured songs such as "In a World Possessed by the Human Mind", "In Sarnia", and "Machine". The final concert of the Man Machine Poem tour was held at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in the band's hometown of Kingston on August 20, 2016. The concert was aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a live cross-platform broadcast on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
, CBC Radio One,
CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
,
CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
, and YouTube. The concert featured 30 songs and three encore sets, with the band finishing with a performance of " Ahead by a Century". The CBC's broadcast and live streaming of the concert, uninterrupted by advertisements, was watched by 11.7 million people (roughly one-third of the Canadian population). On October 13, 2016, Downie gave an interview, his first since his cancer diagnosis, to the CBC's Peter Mansbridge, in which he reported experiencing memory loss. Downie also told Mansbridge that he was working with the Tragically Hip on new studio material, and that the band have up to four albums worth of unreleased material in the vaults. Downie released his fifth solo album, ''
Secret Path ''Secret Path'' is a Canadian multimedia storytelling project including a ten-song music album and tour, a graphic novel, an animated television film, and instructional materials. Released on October 18, 2016,concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
about
Chanie Wenjack Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack (January 19, 1954October 23, 1966) was an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nations boy who ran away from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, where he boarded for three years in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. He died of hun ...
, a First Nations boy who escaped from a Canadian Indian residential school in 1966 and died while attempting to make the 600 km walk back to his home. On December 22, 2016, Downie was selected as The Canadian Press' Canadian Newsmaker of the Year and was the first entertainer ever selected for the title. On June 15, 2017, all five members of the Tragically Hip were announced as recipients of the Order of Canada by Governor General of Canada David Johnston. Downie received his honour on June 19; the other four members of the band were invested on November 17. The band and the tour are the subjects of Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier's documentary film ''
Long Time Running ''Long Time Running'' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. The film profiles the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip during their Man Machine Poem Tour of 2016,2017 Toronto International Film Festival The 42nd annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 September 2017. There were fourteen programmes, with the Vanguard and City to City programmes both being retired from previous years, with the total number of films down b ...
. It was slated to have its television premiere in November 2017 on
CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
, but following Downie's death the network moved the broadcast up to October 20. Gord Downie died on October 17, 2017. His death was widely mourned throughout Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is a fan of the Tragically Hip, released a tribute statement on his official website the morning after Downie's death. Later in the day, he held a press conference at Parliament Hill at which he eulogized Downie as "Our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had—and not just loved it in a nebulous, 'Oh, I love Canada' way. He loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life." Following Downie's death, many of the band's albums climbed the ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums chart, which is compiled by Neilsen Music. In the week ending October 19, 2017 (the day following the announcement of Downie's death), '' Yer Favourites'' rose to No. 2 in the chart, with another 10 albums moving to the Top 200. Streaming also increased 700 percent, and many of the Tragically Hip's top hits remained on the Spotify Canadian Viral 50 as of October 23, 2017.


2018–present: Activity following Downie's death

Before his death, Downie indicated in interviews that the band had unreleased material that may still be issued as one or more new albums; when accepting Downie's posthumous awards at the Juno Awards of 2018, his brothers Patrick and Mike also stated that more unreleased music is likely to be issued in the future. '' A National Celebration'', a concert film of the Tragically Hip's final concert, was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 8, 2017. In July 2018, guitarist Rob Baker told '' Entertainment Tonight Canada'' that the Tragically Hip were no longer active as a touring or recording entity following Downie's death. He stated "When I say The Tragically Hip doesn't exist as a performing unit anymore because a key member is gone, I think ansunderstand that. We wouldn't be The Hip without Gord ..The Hip has played their last note." Baker also revealed that Downie had encouraged the group to audition replacement vocalists, but the other members did not seriously consider the idea. With the legalization of marijuana in Canada, the remaining band members became investment partners in Newstrike, a cannabis company which has named several of its products after Tragically Hip songs. In a July 2018 interview with the ''
Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Postmedia Place i ...
'', Baker confirmed that at least three albums' worth of unreleased material was recorded with Downie before his death, but stated that the band had yet to decide how it would be released. On October 11, 2018, six days before the first anniversary of Downie's death, Fay and Baker joined
Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! Choir! is a Canadian musical choir, based in Toronto, Ontario.
at Yonge-Dundas Square for a live performance of the Tragically Hip's " Grace, Too". On October 17, 2018, one year after Downie's death, a previously unreleased studio recording of the song "Wait So Long" was played on CIKR-FM, a radio station in the band's hometown of Kingston. The Tragically Hip was among hundreds of artists whose material was reported to have been destroyed in the
2008 Universal fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...
but it later emerged that the band's master tapes had been transferred back to Canada in 2001, and had escaped the fire. On September 14, 2019, Langlois, Sinclair and Baker performed a set at Rockin' the Big House, a benefit concert on the grounds of the former Kingston Penitentiary, with guest vocalists Hugh Dillon and Tom Cochrane. In January 2020, Sinclair announced that his own debut album as a solo artist, ''Taxi Dancers'', would be released on February 28. In June 2020, the band and manager Jake Gold announced that they were undertaking an "archaeological dig" to select music and memorabilia from the band's archives for future release. In early 2021, Rob Baker released a new album with his side band project, Stripper's Union. The band released '' Saskadelphia'', an EP comprising five previously unreleased and recently found ''Road Apples'' outtakes and a live track (as the original version has yet to be found). ''Road Apples'' was planned to be a double album, but was rejected by the label. Many songs were presumed to be destroyed in the Universal fire in 2008, but the masters were found and transferred to new recordings in 2019. ''Saskadelphia'' was released on May 21, 2021. At the Juno Awards of 2021, the surviving members of the Tragically Hip performed their 2002 single "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" with Feist on lead vocals, which marked the band's first televised performance since Downie's death. In a promotional interview on CBC Radio's '' Q'' before the ceremony, the band stated that they agreed to perform specifically because Feist had been proposed as the vocalist, with Langlois stating that "OK, so that's not going to be some guy trying to sing like Gord or some guy trying not to sing like Gord. It was a 'no' until Feist came up." The band also received the Juno Humanitarian Award at the ceremony for their history of philanthropic work in Canada. On June 24, 2022, the band released '' Live at the Roxy'', a live recording of their May 3, 1991 concert at the
Roxy Theatre Roxy Theatre or Roxy Theater may refer to: Australia *Roxy Theatre (Warner Bros. Movie World), a movie theatre within Warner Bros. Movie World, Queensland *Roxy Community Theatre in Leeton, New South Wales, originally called the Roxy Theatre *Roxy ...
in West Hollywood, California. In September 2022, the surviving members again reunited to perform at a Buffy Sainte-Marie tribute show, supporting singer-songwriter William Prince on Sainte-Marie's " Now That the Buffalo's Gone".


Legacy and influence

The Tragically Hip's music is extremely popular in their native Canada, and Downie's songwriting has been praised for frequently touching upon uniquely Canadian subjects not otherwise covered by mainstream rock groups. In ''
The National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Mo ...
'', Dave Kaufman wrote "Although Downie sings of Canada, his songs are by no means patriotic, or no more than in the way that we're all influenced by where we're from. The band have never been so obvious as to drape themselves in a Canadian flag, but instead, they evoke that shared experience of what it's meant for many of us to grow up in Canada." The band was a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and worked with them on radio PSAs. After Downie's death in 2017, Simon Vozick-Levinson of '' The New York Times'' wrote, "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada's national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close." According to Nielsen BDS, the Tragically Hip were the fourth best-selling Canadian musical artist in Canada between 1996 and 2016. In that same period of time, "Ahead by a Century" was listed as the 67th most played song on Canadian radio across all formats, while 18 of their songs appeared in a list of the Top 150 most played songs on Canadian rock radio. Reflecting on the band's popularity in Canada, Rachel Sklar of '' Vox'' wrote, "There is a generation of Canadians who, if they went to university, they saw the Hip." Despite their high popularity in Canada, the group was never able to cross over into the American rock music scene apart from a small, devoted fan-base centered in border cities like Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan. The band notched four entries on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks singles chart in the US; their highest-charting song on the chart being " Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)", which reached No. 16 in 1993. Downie once complained that the band's lack of crossover to the American rock music market had been overexamined, stating " nterviewersalways ask us about our success or lack of success in the States, which I find absurd. While that is a story of the band, there are so many other stories." Comedian
Rick Mercer Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' and '' Rick Merc ...
remarked that much of the band's American fanbase was composed of Canadians living in the United States, and recalled an experience seeing them perform at The Fillmore in San Francisco where the venue was filled with Canadian fans; He wrote, "This was the curse of being the Hip, they would go to Fillmore, a famous venue, and they would sell out in five minutes. But, no Americans could get in. By the time they were like, 'What's this happening in this sold-out show with this insane band,' you couldn't get in because every Canadian filled up the space." Numerous tribute and cover bands to the Tragically Hip have actively performed across Canada both before and after the band's dissolution. The band's music also provides the score for a full length contemporary ballet, Jean Grand-Maitre's ''All of Us.'' The band were named as an influence by several Canadian musicians and bands across multiple genres, including
Dallas Green Dallas Green may refer to: * Dallas Green (baseball) (1934–2017), American baseball player and manager * Dallas Green (musician) Dallas Michael John Albert Green (born September 29, 1980) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record ...
,
k-os Kevin Brereton (born February 20, 1972), better known by his stage name k-os (; "chaos"), is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later adopted. The alias "k ...
, and
Kevin Drew Kevin Drew (born September 9, 1976) is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene. He was also part of the lesser-known KC Accidental, which con ...
.


Members

* Gord Downie – lead vocals, guitar (1984–2017; deceased) * Rob Baker – guitar (1984–2017) * Paul Langlois – guitar, backup vocals (1986–2017) * Gord Sinclair – bass, backup vocals (1984–2017) * Johnny Fay – drums, percussion (1984–2017) * Davis Manning – saxophone (1984–1986)


Awards and honours

SOCAN Awards *1997: National Achievement Award Canada's Walk of Fame: *2002: Inducted in Toronto, Ontario Canadian Music Hall of Fame: *2005: Inducted at the Juno Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba Royal Conservatory of Music: *2006: Presented with an honorary fellowship May 24 at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Ontario Governor General's Performing Arts Awards: *2008: Presented the National Arts Centre Award in Ottawa, Ontario Juno Awards *1990: Most Promising Group of the Year *1991: Canadian Entertainer of the Year *1993: Canadian Entertainer of the Year *1995: Entertainer of the Year *1995: Group of the Year *1997: Group of the Year *1997: Album of the Year (''Trouble at the Henhouse''), *1997: North Star Rock Album of the Year (''Trouble at the Henhouse'') *1999: Best Rock Album (''Phantom Power'') *1999: Best Album Design (''Phantom Power'') *2000: Best Single ("Bobcaygeon") *2001: Best Rock Album (''Music at Work'') *2006: CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year (''Hipeponymous'') *2006: Music DVD of the Year (''Hipeponymous'') *2017: Rock Album of the Year (''Man Machine Poem'') *2017: Group of the Year *2021: Juno Humanitarian Award Order of Canada *2017: Appointed to the Order of Canada Homages: *In 2012, the city of Kingston, Ontario renamed a prominent portion of Barrack Street, in front of the
K-Rock Centre Leon's Centre (formerly K-Rock Centre, and Rogers K-Rock Centre) is an indoor arena in downtown Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 2008, it is the home of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. History The arena was designed by Brisbi ...
, to "The Tragically Hip Way". *In 2013, the Tragically Hip were one of four bands—alongside
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
, the Guess Who, and Beau Dommage—honoured by Canada Post in a series of postage stamps. *On January 1, 2017,
CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
's '' The Strombo Show'' aired a special episode titled ''The Hip 30'', which consisted of Canadian musicians performing live covers of the band's songs and sharing their thoughts on the band's impact on Canadian culture."George Stroumboulopoulos’s love letter to the Tragically Hip"
''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', December 29, 2016.
Participating artists included
Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...
, Sarah Harmer,
Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...
, Donovan Woods, Stars,
Arkells Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They are managed by Last Gang Management. They have released s ...
and Rheostatics. The episode was already planned as a tribute to the band's 30th anniversary before Downie's cancer diagnosis was announced; several times during the show, host
George Stroumboulopoulos George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
reaffirmed that "this is not a eulogy; this is a celebration." *On January 28, 2017, the
Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a te ...
of the Ontario Hockey League played against the Mississauga Steelheads in a special theme night game, in which the Frontenacs wore specially designed Tragically Hip sweaters."The Tragically Hip sell out arena again"
. '' Peterborough Examiner'', January 25, 2017.
The band participated in the pregame show, in which the band members were presented with their own sweaters. *On February 2, 2017, the City of Kingston unveiled a commemorative stone in Springer Market Square with Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, recognizing the last concert of the Man Machine Poem tour. Lyrics "Everybody was in it from miles around..." from Blow at High Dough were selected in an online poll with over 11,000 votes cast. *On May 2, 2018, Alberta Ballet premiered ''All of Us,'' a full-length contemporary ballet featuring the music of the Tragically Hip. Discussions about the project began in early 2016 and had the support of all five band members. The ballet has since been performed in Calgary and Edmonton where Rob Baker attended in both cities on behalf of the band. In 2019 will tour to multiple Canadian cities.


Discography

*'' The Tragically Hip'' (EP) (MCA, 1987) *''
Up to Here ''Up to Here'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in September 1989. It is one of the band's most successful albums, achieving Diamond status in Canada for sales of over a million copies, earning the ban ...
'' (MCA, 1989) *'' Road Apples'' (MCA, 1991) *'' Fully Completely'' (MCA, 1992) *'' Day for Night'' (MCA, 1994) *''
Trouble at the Henhouse ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in 1996. The song "Butts Wigglin'" appeared in the 1996 film '' Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy''. Commercial and critical performance The al ...
'' (MCA, 1996) *'' Phantom Power'' ( Universal, 1998) *''
Music @ Work ''Music @ Work'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was leaked via the internet six weeks before its official release in June, 2000. It won the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rock Album. Commercial perform ...
'' (Universal, 2000) *''
In Violet Light ''In Violet Light'' is the eighth full-length album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album debuted at #2 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling almost 33,000 copies in its first week. The album has been certified platinum in Canada. ...
'' (Universal, 2002) *'' In Between Evolution'' (Universal, 2004) *''
World Container ''World Container'' is the tenth studio album by Canada, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was Mar ...
'' (Universal, 2006) *''
We Are the Same ''We Are the Same'' is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released April 7, 2009 on Universal Music Canada, and by Zoë Records in the United States. The album was recorded at The Bathouse Recording Studio in Ba ...
'' (Universal, 2009) *'' Now for Plan A'' (Universal, 2012) *'' Man Machine Poem'' (Universal, 2016) *'' Saskadelphia'' (EP) (Universal, 2021)


See also

* Canadian rock * Music of Canada * List of ''Saturday Night Live'' hosts and musical guests *
List of diamond-certified albums in Canada The following diamond-certified albums in Canada have sold at least one million units (individual CDs, tapes or LPs) as determined by Canadian Recording Industry Association, the national music recording sales certification agency. The first ...
* List of Canadian musicians *
List of bands from Canada This is a list of bands from Canada. Only bands appear here; individual musicians are listed at list of Canadian musicians. 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z See also ...


References


External links

*
CanConRox entry
*
Watch the National Film Board of Canada short documentary ''Family Band''
produced for the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Requires Adobe Flash) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tragically Hip, The Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 2017 Musical groups from Kingston, Ontario Canadian alternative rock groups Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Zoë Records artists 1983 establishments in Ontario 2017 disestablishments in Ontario Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners Members of the Order of Canada Juno Award for Single of the Year winners Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year winners Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Group of the Year winners