Rick Mercer’s Rant Remembering Gord

It has been just over a week since Gord Downie, lead singer of the Tragically Hip, Canada’s poet, passed away.

Canadians across the country have been sharing their memories and tributes.

Hi. I wrote about Gord Downie, our poet, our historian of our little ways. For you, if you need it: https://t.co/DklpRZQrZO pic.twitter.com/nHZDePbXwp

— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) October 19, 2017

Artist Victor Fraser pays tribute to the late Gord Downie with a mural on the sidewalk at Queen Street West and Soho Street in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/mE47MwOblZ

— CTV Toronto (@CTVToronto) October 19, 2017

Our love and sympathy go out to Gord’s family. This is a great loss for us personally and for our musical… https://t.co/2ekwurUSXQ

— Jim Cuddy (@JimCuddy) October 19, 2017

Gord Downie’s Secret Path gave ‘exposure’ to residential school stories, Chanie Wenjack’s sister says https://t.co/f7kjpGpCDJ pic.twitter.com/di6XzGvAvt

— CBC Indigenous (@CBCIndigenous) October 19, 2017

But, from another Canadian icon, Rick Mercer, comes a simple, beautiful, and funny story that encapsulates the kind of man Gord Downie was and why his music was the way it was, so encomassing of Canada.

Check it out:

My favourite part: “‘Seems like a great a great guy. We talked for about an hour.’ I says “Dad. Do you have any idea who that was? He’s the lead singer of Canada’s greatest Rock and Roll bands. He’s one of our greatest song writers.’ And Dad says ‘Really? He never mentioned he was in a band. He just said he was Gord from Kingston.'”