“Bob Rock taught me a lot. His friendship has taught me a lot about what you should expect from a recording session and, more importantly, how you shouldn't expect anything less than absolute joyousness. You should feel great. You should feel 14 to be doing it. It's true and it's rare.”

Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer, poet, and activist

Gordon Edgar Downie was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer, poet, and activist, best known as the singer and lyricist of The Tragically Hip. He fronted the band from its formation in 1984 until his death in 2017. Downie became closely associated with Canadian rock through his work with The Tragically Hip, where he helped shape the band’s voice and public identity. Beyond music, he was also active as a writer, poet, and activist, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Canadian music history.