The Tragically Hip Plays Last Concert With Cancer-Battling Frontman Gord Downie

The Tragically Hip played their last show with Gord Downie, who is currently battling terminal brain cancer, in Kingston, Ontario Saturday.

Gord Downie Says Goodbye

Downie took the stage beside his bandmates for what will likely be his final show with them in their hometown at the Rogers K-Rock arena before a sold-out crowd. “Thank you for keeping me pushing, and keeping me pushing,” Downie said to the fans of Tragically Hip, Canada’s most successful and beloved rock band.

Among those in attendance for Downie’s final show was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been a Tragically Hip fan since high school, reported The New York Times.

“This is a moment that’s going to be extremely powerful for all Canadians, I know,” Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before the show. “Gord and the Tragically Hip are an inevitable and essential part of what we are and who we are as a country. And tonight we get to say thanks, and we get to celebrate that.”

The Tragically Hip announced Downie’s terminal brain cancer in May, revealing that he had been diagnosed back in December. The band also revealed at the time that they would be doing one last tour together with Downie as he continued his cancer battle.

“This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us,” the band said at the time. “What we in The Hip receive, each time we play together, is a connection; with each other; with music and it’s magic; and during the shows, a special connection with all of you, our incredible fans. So, we’re going to dig deep, and try to make this our best tour yet.”

The Tragically Hip, which, in addition to Downie features guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay, has been playing together for over 30 years.