A popular Toronto busker is dying of cancer, but has managed to keep his sense of humour.

Dan Cole, known as the Busker of the Beaches, attended his own wake Saturday and joked with friends on what could have been a sombre night.

"I didn't want to miss people saying good things about me by waiting until I died," he noted. "[And] it gives me an opportunity to say goodbye."

He's dying of incurable lung cancer, but he and his friends kept the mood light with banjos, acrobats and a lot of laughter.

The 59-year-old says he's led a full life, working around the world - performing on cruise ships and entertaining UN peacekeepers - but his favorite job was on the boardwalk in Toronto.

He raised about $6,000 to cover his funeral costs at the event.

Beloved Toronto Street Performer Dying Of Cancer Holds Living Wake As Last Performance