Updated at 11:10 a.m. ET
Gord Downie, singer of The Tragically Hip, died of complications from brain cancer Tuesday night at the age of 53. His death was announced in a statement from his family.
“Gordie said he had lived many lives,” his family writes. “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 life than Gord. No one.”
The Tragically Hip — Downie, bassist Gord Sinclair, guitarist Rob Baker and drummer Johnny Fay — was formed in a high school in the Canadian province of Ontario in 1984. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986 while the group was performing in small venues across Ontario. The Tragically Hip would go on to be one of Canada’s best-known bands, becoming indelible within the country’s pop landscape during its ascent in the 1990s.
In a statement on the news of Downie’s passing, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau writes that the singer “painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest — like Gord himself.”