The sister of David Milgaard will always be grateful that The Tragically Hip helped tell the story of her wrongfully convicted brother’s plight.
Maureen Davis says it was Gord Downie, who passed away Tuesday night after a battle with brain cancer, who became heavily invested in Milgaard’s story, forever immortalized in the song Wheat Kings.
At the age of 17, Milgaard was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for the death of Saskatoon nursing student Gail Miller. Milgaard maintained his innocence, appealing his conviction several times.
It wasn’t until 1988 that his formal application was completed. It took three more years for it to be considered.
In his Zippo lighter he sees the killer’s face
Maybe it’s someone standing in a killer’s place
Twenty years for nothing, well, that’s nothing new
Besides, no one’s interested in something you didn’t do – Wheat Kings, The Tragically Hip
Throughout Milgaard’s time in jail, his family continued to fight for his freedom.
“Everywhere we went we had bumper stickers and buttons and t-shirts, trying to raise funds to continue to fight to free David,” Davis said. “It was at the Sunfest in Gimli in 1991, the band played there, and people kept coming up and asking if the song 38 Years Old was about David. We said no, but it led to Sam Katz introducing me to The Tragically Hip then, because of how many people kept questioning it.”
Davis said that the band couldn’t believe the similarities between the song and Milgaard’s story, and it led to a deeper talk about his fight for freedom.
“They listened to the story and were very interested. Gord wanted to know more about it right away. ‘What else can you tell us about it?'”
Milgaard was released from prison in April, 1992, six months before the band released Fully Completely. Wheat Kings was the tenth track on the album.
“When David was released, he went and saw them in concert in 1993 where Wheat Kings was played and dedicated to him,” David remembered. “He got to shake Gord’s hand and thank him for everything. The whole band, everyone was so supportive. It really did bring awareness because David wasn’t fully exonerated until 1997. The song helped. It brought more people to be aware of what happened and why, and we thank them for that.”
Downie’s death has a nation in mourning: from the Prime Minister’s tearful farewell to the small town of Bobcaygeon honoring the music legend, millions of people have been touched by The Tragically Hip’s music. But few have as personal a connection as David Milgaard does.
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