The Tragically Hip

On May 19, 2016, members of the Tragically Hip stood before a crowd in Grant Hall to receive honorary degrees recognizing their impact and dedication to Queen’s, Kingston and the Canadian arts scene. The event was also something of a homecoming for the band.

As bassist, Gord Sinclair, put it: “Twenty-five years ago this July, we stood up right here on this very stage and wrote the bulk of our second album, Road Apples. This place shaped who and what we’ve become. We learned how to perform in front of students and locals alike in campus pubs and local dives. We saw early on how music has the power to move people and bring them together.”

Back in the 1970s and 80s, the members of the band were students at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, a few steps from Queen’s camps. Guitarist Rob Baker grew up across the street from Sinclair and the two played music together. They caught the eye of a fellow student, Gord Downie, who was learning to sing and write lyrics, and they eventually began playing together. After graduating high school, the three of them attended Queen’s.

The Queen’s trio graduated with bachelor degrees in 1986 – Rob Baker in fine arts, Gord Downie in film, and Gord Sinclair in history. While at Queen’s, they had joined with friends Paul Langlois and Johnny Fay to form the Tragically Hip in 1984.

Before they hit it big, The Hip played Kingston bars, including the Terrapin Tavern and the Lakeview Manor. They even competed, but ultimately lost, to be the house band for Clark Hall Pub.

After they signed a record deal with MCA in the mid-80s, the band started touring further afield.

With the release of Road Apples in 1991, The Tragically Hip became a national success. Over more than 30 years, they released nine albums that reached No. 1 albums and won 14 Juno awards.

Though the band outgrew Kingston’s bars and clubs, they never truly left. Even as they’ve achieved national fame and acclaim, they give back to the Kingston community, supporting local arts, coaching youth sports, and contributing to charitable organizations.

Rob Baker has even served as a judge for the annual Graduate Studies “Three-Minute Thesis” competition. In recognition of his work with the Kingston and Queen’s communities, he was awarded the 2014 Padre Laverty Award from the Kingston Branch of the Queen’s University Alumni Association.

A few days after receiving honorary those degrees at Queen’s in 2016, it was announced that lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The band planned a final tour, playing 15 sold-out shows across Canada. The finale took place on Aug. 20 in their hometown of Kingston, with CBC live-streaming the concert on TV, radio, and digital platforms for fans in Canada and around the world.

In advance of the show, the Toronto Police twitter account posted the following message:

"Dear World, Please be advised that Canada will be closed tonight at 8:30 p.m ET. Have a #TragicallyHip day."

An estimated 11.7 million Canadians tuned in to watch.

This entry was developed as one of the “175 moments of Queen’s” that were curated by a committee of faculty and staff to celebrate Queen’s 175th anniversary.