Photo: Getty Images
McCanna Anthony 'Mac' Sinise, the son of actor Gary Sinise, died last month after a battle with chordoma, a rare cancer, at the age of 33, according to a tribute post shared by the Gary Sinise Foundation's website.
Mac, a multi-instrumental musician, died on January 5, the same week his album 'Resurrection and Revival' "went to press," his father wrote.
“The week the album went to press, Mac lost his battle with cancer," the statement reads. "He died on January 5, 2024 at 3:25pm, and was laid to rest on January 23rd. Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can. As parents, it is so difficult losing a child. My heart goes out to all who have suffered a similar loss, and to anyone who has lost a loved one. We’ve all experienced it in some way.”
Sinise, a graduate from the USC Thornton School of Music, began drumming at the age of 9 and would commonly serve as a substitute for Danny Gottlieb in his father's Lt. Dan Band. The 33-year-old also played piano and taught himself harmonica after chordoma prohibited him from being able to play the drums.
Sinise was diagnosed with the disease in 2018, at which point he continued to perform and record music, including an original composition called 'Arctic Circles' which he began while attending USC and adapted to new methods of playing as his disease progressed. The 33-year-old collaborated with musicians Dan Myers, Ben Lewis and Oliver Schnee on 'Arctic Circles' and also recorded a version of 'Shenandoah' on harmonica prior to his death.
“Both these pieces of music began a collaboration that expanded to a vision Mac had of doing an entire album of music entitled ‘Resurrection & Revival,’ with a theme of bringing something that was old or unfinished back to life," Gary Sinise wrote on his foundation's website. "Mac had three more originals and with more notes going back and forth between Oliver and Mac as they crafted the arrangements, they were now ready to go back into the studio.”