Actor Phil Hartman's brother Paul poses with members of the RCMP after unveiling his brother's star during Canada's Walk of Fame induction ceremonies in Toronto September 22, 2012. (Reuters/MIKE CASSESE)
TORONTO - Saturday Night Live comedian Phil Hartman’s death might have been tragic, but the Brantford native’s life will forever be remembered as a bright star set in stone.
Best known as the voices of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on the Simpsons, Hartman, 49, was fatally shot by his wife in 1998. She then turned the gun on herself.
He was honoured as one of six inductees in the 14th annual Canada’s Walk of Fame event Saturday at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.
“It’s a bittersweet thing,” said his brother Paul, who attended the ceremony and accepted the award on Phil’s behalf.
“It’s not just like losing your brother; it’s like losing a part of your body. I wish he could be here. In the course of this thing, we learned that fans suffered the same loss we did as family and it really turned fans into family.”
Other Canadian inductees included retired football player Russ Jackson, singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, musician Randy Bachman, ballet dancer Sonia Rodriguez and all of the 1972 Team Canada hockey players.
David Letterman’s musical director Paul Shaffer, who is originally from Thunder Bay, was scheduled to host the ceremony.
Canada’s Walk of Fame aims to educate, inform and inspire through celebrating Canadians in music, sport, film and TV as well as literary, visual and performing arts and science and innovation.
Bachman -- whose fellow Guess Who bandmate Burton Cummings was inducted on the walk last year -- said he recalls reaching for stardom in the 1960s in Winnipeg.
“We all had the same dream,” said the 69-year-old music legend.
“It was Neil Young, myself, Burton Cummings, the guys in the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I still see these guys, still play with them. We’re still chasing the dream. They inspire me and they’ve told me I inspire them.”
Hockey hero Paul Henderson, who scored the winning goal against Russia in the 1972 Summit Series for Team Canada, said he’s honoured to acknowledged.
“We’re the first team on the Walk of Fame -- that’s pretty neat for old farts,” he joked with reporters. “The Crosby goal (was exciting to watch). I jumped almost through the roof and led the singing of O Canada.”
Nearly 30,000 Canadians from 135 countries submitted a nomination. Some celebrities who voted included Shannon Tweed, William Shatner, Rob Lowe and Kevin Pollak.
Hundreds of fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars lined the metal barricades along Yonge St.
Gary Shortt, 58, and his wife Kathy, 59, expressed pride in Team Canada earning a star on the prestigious walk.
“It was a turning point of hockey in Canada,” he said. “I remember being in first-year university in a drafting class in 1972 - 150 guys each with a tiny TV in front of us so we can see what the prof is doing up front - and he switched it to the hockey game. It was 150 engineers going crazy.”
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