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Gord Downie rejected offer to become a hologram, bandmates say

Tragically Hip frontman rebuffed offer in his final years from prominent company
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Gord Downie performs at WE Day in Toronto on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Late singer Gord Downie was approached by hologram makers about immortalizing his likeness, but his band mates say he turned them down.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Gord Downie wasn鈥檛 interested in ever becoming a hologram musician.

It鈥檚 an offer his former Tragically Hip bandmates say he confronted around the time he went public with his terminal brain cancer diagnosis in 2016.

Hip guitarist Paul Langlois told The Canadian Press that one prominent hologram company, known for creating digital versions of deceased performers, approached the band wondering if the 鈥淎head By a Century鈥 performer might want to sign up.

鈥淕ord was sharp enough that he was the same Gord,鈥 Langlois said.

鈥淎nd he was just like, 鈥楢re you kidding me? No chance.鈥欌

Hologram concerts have become increasingly popular in the music industry as the estates of Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and many others have approved digital recreations of the deceased artists.

Living Swedish pop superstars ABBA helped develop the cutting-edge concept when they set up a residency with younger versions of themselves performing for a live audience.

Downie died in October 2017, after the Hip wrapped a whirlwind final tour.

While promoting the four-part documentary 鈥淭he Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal,鈥 Langlois and drummer Johnny Fay said they would honour Downie鈥檚 word on holograms if they were ever approached again.

鈥淚t鈥檒l be 1,000 鈥楴o鈥檚鈥 if it鈥檚 anything like that,鈥 Langlois said.

鈥淲e would all be on the same page in the future.鈥

鈥淭he Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal鈥 premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 5 before its streaming debut on Prime Video.

TIFF runs Sept. 5 to 15.





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