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Canadian Prime Minister Pays Tearful Tribute to Tragically Hip Singer
Gord Downie, lead singer of the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, died Tuesday night at the age of 53, following a battle with brain cancer. While the group’s impact in the rest of the world was not enormous, they’re a Canadian institution, roughly on a par with Bruce Springsteen in New Jersey or Billy Joel in Long Island.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 45, is a longtime fan of the band and has frequently praised them over the years, and Downie, in particular, for his philanthropic work. On Wednesday morning, he gave a televised, tearful speech about Downie’s death in which he described the singer as “a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country.”
He noted that he found “inspiration and strength” from the singer’s charity and social work.
Watch it below:
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