Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
who achieved international success in
folkFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, folk-rock, and
countryCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
music, and has been credited for helping define the
folk-popFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been referred to as
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's greatest songwriter and internationally as a folk-rock legend.
Lightfoot's songs, including "For Lovin' Me", "
Early Morning Rain"Early Morning Rain" is a song composed and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The song appears on his debut album Lightfoot! and in a re-recorded version on the 1975 compilation Gord's Gold...
", "Steel Rail Blues", and "
Ribbon of Darkness"Ribbon of Darkness" is a song written by Gordon Lightfoot that was released in 1965 as a single by Marty Robbins. The song was Robbins' eleventh number one on the U.S...
"—a number one hit on the U.S. country charts with
Marty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
's cover in 1965—brought him international recognition in the 1960s. He experienced chart success in Canada with his own recordings, beginning in 1962 with the number-three hit "(Remember Me) I'm the One". Lightfoot's recordings made an impact on the international music charts in the 1970s, with songs such as "
If You Could Read My Mind"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It reached number one on Canadian music charts and was his first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1971. Later in the year, it...
" (1970) (number 5 on the US charts), "Sundown" (1974), "
Carefree Highway"Carefree Highway" is a song written by Gordon Lightfoot and was second single release from his 1974 album, Sundown. The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at number one on the Easy Listening chart in October 1974....
" (1974), "
Rainy Day People"Rainy Day People" is a song written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot, released on his 1975 album, Cold on the Shoulder, and also as a single. "Rainy Day People" went to number twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Lightfoot's last of four songs to reach number one on the Easy Listening...
" (1975), (all reaching Number 1) and "
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed and performed by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot to commemorate the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was inspired by the Newsweek article on the event, "The Cruelest Month", which...
" (1976) (reaching number 2).
Some of Lightfoot's albums have achieved gold and multi-platinum status internationally. His songs have been recorded by some of the world's most renowned recording artists, including
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
,
Johnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Hank Williams Jr.,
The Kingston TrioThe Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
,
Marty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
,
George Hamilton IVGeorge Hege Hamilton IV is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to country music in the early 1960s.-Biography:Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
,
Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
,
Judy CollinsJudith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
,
Barbra StreisandBarbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
,
Johnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
,
Viola WillsViola Wills was an American pop singer, best known for the 1979 UK Singles Chart #8 and U.S. Hot Dance Club Play #52 hit, "Gonna Get Along Without You Now". Other hits included further covers of the songs, "Both Sides Now" , and "If You Could Read My Mind" Viola Wills (December 30,...
,
Richie HavensRichard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
,
The Dandy WarholsThe Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
,
Harry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
,
Tony RiceTony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
,
Sandy DennySandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
(with
FotheringayFotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay Castle, in which Mary, Queen of Scots had been imprisoned...
), The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem,
Scott WalkerScott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
,
Sarah McLachlanSarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
,
John MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
,
Toby KeithToby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
,
Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
,
Glen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
,
Anne MurrayMorna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, and
Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
.
Robbie RobertsonRobbie Robertson, OC; is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known for his membership as the guitarist and primary songwriter within The Band. He was ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
of
The BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
declared that Lightfoot was one of his "favourite Canadian songwriters and is absolutely a national treasure."
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, also a Lightfoot fan, called him one of his favourite songwriters, and in an often-quoted tribute to his fellow songwriter, Dylan once observed that when he heard a Gordon Lightfoot song he wished "it would last forever." Lightfoot was a featured musical performer at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (arts) in 1979, and the Companion of the Order of Canada—Canada's highest civilian honor — in 2003.
Early years
Lightfoot was born in
Orillia, OntarioOrillia, pronounced ōrĭl'ēə, is a city located in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometres north of Toronto.Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, the history of...
. His father was the manager of a large dry cleaning firm. His mother recognized Lightfoot's musical talent and schooled him into a successful child performer. His first public tune was "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral" (An Irish Lullaby) in grade four, which was broadcast over his school's public address system on a parents' day event. As a youth, he sang, under the direction of choirmaster Ray Williams, in the choir of Orillia's St. Paul's United Church. Williams, according to Lightfoot, taught him how to sing with emotion and how to have confidence in his voice. Lightfoot was a
boy sopranoA boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily...
; he appeared periodically on local radio in the Orillia area, performed in local operettas and oratorios, and gained exposure through various
KiwanisKiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
music festivals. He was twelve when he made his first appearance at
Massey HallMassey Hall is a venerable performing arts theatre in the Garden District of downtown Toronto. The theatre originally was designed to seat 3,500 patrons but, after extensive renovations in the 1940s, now seats up to 2,765....
in Toronto, after winning a competition for boys whose voices had not yet changed. As a teenager, Lightfoot learned piano and taught himself to play drums and percussion. He held concerts in Muskoka, a resort area north of Orillia, singing "for a couple of beers."
In high school, Lightfoot performed extensively and taught himself to play folk guitar. He was influenced during this time by 19th-century master American songwriter
Stephen FosterStephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
. He was also an accomplished high school track-and-field competitor and set school records for shot put and pole vault.
Lightfoot moved to
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1958. He studied jazz composition and orchestration for two years at Hollywood's Westlake College of Music, which had many Canadian students. To support himself, he sang on demonstration records and wrote, arranged, and produced commercial jingles. He was influenced by the folk music of
Pete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
,
Bob GibsonSamuel Robert Gibson was a folk singer who led a folk music revival in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was known for playing both the banjo and the 12-string guitar. He introduced a then largely unknown Joan Baez at the Newport Folk Festival of 1959. He produced a number of LPs in the decade...
,
Ian and Sylvia TysonIan & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959, married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975.-Early lives:...
, and
The WeaversThe Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
. He rented a place in Los Angeles for a time, but missed Toronto and moved back. He has never lived in the United States since then, though he has done a lot of work in the United States, all under an
H-1B visaThe H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101. It allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations...
.
Returning to Canada in 1960, Lightfoot performed with The Swinging Eight, a group featured on
CBCThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
TV's
Country HoedownCountry Hoedown was a Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television from 1956 to 1965.-Premise:Gordie Tapp hosted the series and also performed in sketches portraying characters such as Cousin Clem which he later reprised for Hee Haw.King Ganam and his band, the Sons of the...
, and with the Gino Silvi Singers. He soon became known in the Toronto coffee houses promoting folk music. In 1962, Lightfoot released two singles that were local hits in Toronto and received some airplay elsewhere in Canada. "(Remember Me) I'm the One" reached #3 on
CHUMCHUM may refer to:* The former CHUM Radio division now known as Bell Media Radio* CHUM , a Toronto AM station* CHUM-FM, a Toronto FM station...
radio in Toronto in July 1962 and was a top 20 hit on Montreal's CKGM, then a very influential Canadian Top 40 radio station. The follow-up single was "Negotiations"/"It's Too Late, He Wins"; it reached #27 on CHUM in December. He sang with Terry Whelan in a duo called the Two-Tones. They recorded a live album that was released in 1962 called
Two-Tones at the Village Corner (1962, Chateau CLP-1012).
In 1963 Lightfoot travelled to Europe. In the United Kingdom he hosted, for one year,
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV's
Country and Western Show. In 1964 Lightfoot returned to Canada; he appeared at the
Mariposa Folk FestivalThe Mariposa Folk Festival was founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a few decades, it returned to Orillia in 2000. Ruth Jones, her husband Dr...
. During this time he began to develop a reputation as a songwriter.
Ian and Sylvia TysonIan & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959, married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975.-Early lives:...
recorded "Early Mornin' Rain" and "For Lovin' Me"; a year later both songs were recorded by
Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
. Other performers recording one or both songs included
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
,
Chad and JeremyChad & Jeremy are an English singing folk rock duo originating in the 1960s, comprising eyeglasses-wearing Chad Stuart , and Jeremy Clyde...
,
George Hamilton IVGeorge Hege Hamilton IV is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to country music in the early 1960s.-Biography:Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
,
The Clancy BrothersThe Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
, and the
Johnny Mann SingersJohnny Mann is an American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, and recording artist.-Career:...
. Established recording artists such as
Marty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
("
Ribbon of Darkness"Ribbon of Darkness" is a song written by Gordon Lightfoot that was released in 1965 as a single by Marty Robbins. The song was Robbins' eleventh number one on the U.S...
"),
Leroy Van DykeLeroy Frank Van Dyke is an American country music singer best known for his hits, "The Auctioneer" and "Walk On By" .-Biography:...
("I'm Not Saying"),
Judy CollinsJudith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
("Early Morning Rain"),
Richie HavensRichard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
and
Spyder TurnerSpyder Turner is an American soul singer. Turner was raised in Detroit, and sang in doo wop groups and high school choirs while young...
("I Can't Make It Anymore"), and
The Kingston TrioThe Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
("Early Morning Rain"), all achieved chart success with Gordon Lightfoot's material.
United Artists years
In 1965 Lightfoot signed a management contract with
Albert GrossmanAlbert Bernard Grossman was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music scene and rock and roll. He was most famous as the manager of Bob Dylan between 1962 and 1970.-Biography:...
, who also represented Bob Dylan. That same year, he signed a recording contract with
United ArtistsUnited Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
and released his own version of "I'm Not Saying" as a single. Appearances at the
Newport Folk FestivalThe Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
, the Tonight Show, and New York's Town Hall increased his following and his reputation. In 1966, he released his debut album
Lightfoot!-External links:*...
, which brought him increased recognition as both a singer and a songwriter. It featured many now-famous songs, including "For Lovin' Me," "Early Mornin' Rain," "Steel Rail Blues," and "Ribbon of Darkness." On the strength of the
Lightfoot! album, which mixed Canadian and universal themes, Lightfoot became one of the first Canadian singers to achieve real stardom in his own country without having to move to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Lightfoot was commissioned by the
CBCThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
to write the "
Canadian Railroad TrilogyThe "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" is a song by Gordon Lightfoot that describes the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.This song was commissioned by the CBC for a special broadcast on January 1, 1967, to start Canada's Centennial year. It appeared on Lightfoot's The Way I Feel album later in the...
" for a special broadcast on January 1, 1967, to start Canada's
CentennialThe Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
year. Between 1966 and 1969, Lightfoot recorded four additional albums for United Artists:
The Way I FeelThe Way I Feel is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, originally released in 1967 on the United Artists label.-Reception:...
(1967),
Did She Mention My Name? (1968),
Back Here on EarthBack Here On Earth is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fourth studio album, released in 1968 on the United Artists label.Apart from his eponymous debut album, it is Lightfoot's only studio album not to derive its title from a song on the album...
(1968), and the live recording
Sunday ConcertSunday Concert is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fifth album, released in 1969 on the United Artists label. It was Lightfoot's first live album and until the release of a live DVD in 2002, remained Lightfoot's only officially released live recording...
(1969). During those years, he consistently placed singles in the Canadian top 40, including "Go-Go Round", "Spin, Spin", and "The Way I Feel". His biggest hit of the era was a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", which peaked at #3 on the Canadian charts in December 1965.
Did She Mention My Name? featured "Black Day In July", about the 1967 Detroit riots.
Internationally, Lightfoot's albums from this time were well-received, but did not produce any hit singles. Outside of Canada, he remained better known as a songwriter than as a performer.
Lightfoot's success as a live performer continued to grow throughout the late 1960s. He embarked on his first Canadian national tour in 1967, and also performed in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Between 1967 and 1974, Lightfoot toured Europe and was well-received on two tours of
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
UA would later consistently release "Best of" album compilations in the 1970s, after Lightfoot became a success on his next label Warner Bros./Reprise.
Warner Bros./Reprise years
Lightfoot was signed to Warner Bros./Reprise in 1970 and had a major hit in the United States with his recording of "
If You Could Read My Mind"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It reached number one on Canadian music charts and was his first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1971. Later in the year, it...
". It sold over one million copies by early 1971, and was awarded a
gold discMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The song was originally featured on his 1970 album
Sit Down Young StrangerSit Down Young Stranger is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's sixth original album and also his best-selling original album. It was released in 1970 on the Reprise Records Label. The album was renamed If You Could Read My Mind shortly after release due to the song of that title reaching number #5...
, which did not sell well. After the success of the song, the album was re-released under the new title
If You Could Read My Mind. It reached #5 nationally and the success of the song represented a major turning point in Gordon Lightfoot's career. It also had the second recorded version of "
Me and Bobby McGee"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including Kristofferson himself, and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second...
", as well as "The Pony Man","Your Love's Return", and "The Minstrel of The Dawn".
Over the next seven years, he recorded a series of successful albums that established him as a singer-songwriter:
- Summer Side of Life
Summer Side of Life is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 7th original album, released in 1971 on the Reprise Records Label. The album continued the sound Lightfoot established on Sit Down Young Stranger and that would serve him well throughout the first half of the 1970's.The album reached #38 on...
(1971), with songs "Ten Degrees and Getting Colder", "Miguel", "Cabaret", "Nous Vivons Ensemble", and the title track
- Don Quixote
Don Quixote is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 8th original album, released in 1972 on the Reprise Records Label. The album reached #42 on the Billboard album chart....
(1972), with "Beautiful", "Looking at the Rain", "Christian Island (Georgian Bay)", and the title track, which is a concert favorite
- Old Dan's Records
Old Dan's Records is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's ninth original album, released in 1972 on the Reprise Records label. The album reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national album chart on November 5, 1972, and remained there for three weeks...
(1972), with the title track, the two-sided single "That Same Old Obsession"/"You Are What I Am", and the songs "It's Worth Believin'" and "Can't Depend on Love"
- Sundown (1974). Besides the title track, it includes "Carefree Highway", "Seven Island Suite", "The Watchman's Gone", "High and Dry", "Circle of Steel" ,and "Too Late for Prayin
- Cold on the Shoulder (1975). Along with title track are songs "Bend in the Water", "The Soul Is the Rock", "Rainbow Trout", "All the Lovely Ladies" and the hit "Rainy Day People"
- A double compilation LP Gord's Gold
Gord's Gold is a compilation album released by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot in 1975.It was the first Lightfoot compilation to feature music from his Warner Bros. Records. The album was originally released as a two-record album featuring re-recordings of his United Artists hits...
(in 1975) containing nine new versions of his most popular songs from the United Artists era
- Summertime Dream
Summertime Dream is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 12th original album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. The album peaked at #1 in Canada on the RPM national album chart and at #12 in the U.S...
(1976), along with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed and performed by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot to commemorate the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was inspired by the Newsweek article on the event, "The Cruelest Month", which...
" are the songs "Race Among the Ruins", "Spanish Moss", "Never Too Close", and the title track
- Endless Wire
Endless Wire is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 13th original album, released in 1978 on Warner Bros. Records . It peaked at #22 on the Billboard pop chart and at #14 on the country chart....
(1978) with "Daylight Katy", "If Children Had Wings", "Sweet Guenevire", "The Circle Is Small", and the title track
During the 1970s Lightfoot's songs covered a wide range of subjects, including "Don Quixote", about Cervantes' famous literary character, "Ode to Big Blue", about the widespread killing of whales, "Beautiful", about the simple joys of love, "Carefree Highway", about the freedom of the open road, "Protocol", about the futility of war, and "Alberta Bound", which was inspired by a lonely teenaged girl named Grace he met on a bus while travelling to Calgary in 1971.
In 1972 Lightfoot curtailed his touring schedule after contracting
Bell's palsyBell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
, a condition that left his face partially paralyzed temporarily. Despite his illness, Lightfoot had several major hits during the 1970s. In June 1974 his classic single "Sundown" from the album
Sundown went to No.1 on the American and Canadian charts. It would be his only number one hit in the United States. He performed it twice on NBC's
The Midnight SpecialThe Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981...
series. "Carefree Highway" (about Arizona State Route 74 in
Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
) was the follow-up single from the same album. It charted in the Top 10 in both countries. Lightfoot wrote it after traveling from
Flagstaff, ArizonaFlagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
on
Interstate 17Interstate 17 , also known as the Black Canyon Freeway, is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. I-17's southern terminus lies within Phoenix, at Interstate 10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Interstate 40...
to Phoenix.
In 1976 Lightfoot had a hit song about a shipwreck on Lake Superior. In late November 1975 Lightfoot had read a
NewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine article about the loss of the
SS Edmund FitzgeraldThe SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains...
, which sank during a severe storm on November 10 with the loss of all 29 crew members. His song, "
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed and performed by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot to commemorate the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was inspired by the Newsweek article on the event, "The Cruelest Month", which...
", most of the lyrics of which were based on the facts contained in the article, reached number two on the United States
Billboard charts, and was a number one hit in Canada. "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" continue to receive heavy airplay on many classic rock stations. In 1978 Lightfoot had another top 40 hit on the United States Hot 100, "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)," which reached number 33. He continues his practice of meeting privately with the family members of the men who perished in the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking when his touring schedule allows.
During the 1980s and 1990s Lightfoot recorded six more original albums and a compilation for Warner Bros./Reprise:
Dream Street RoseDream Street Rose is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 14th original album released in 1980 on the Warner Brothers Records label...
(1980),
ShadowsShadows is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 15th original album, released in 1982 on the Warner Brothers Records label. It peaked at #87 on the Billboard charts.The album marked another significant turning point in Lightfoot's musical evolution...
(1982),
Salute (1983),
East of MidnightEast of Midnight is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 17th original album, released in 1986 on the Warner Bros. Records label. The album reached #166 on the Billboard 200....
(1986), another compilation
Gord's Gold, Vol. 2Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 is a compilation album released by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot in 1988.As with the first volume, Vol. 1, Vol. 2 features re-recordings of earlier hits alongside the contemporary material...
(1988),
Waiting for YouWaiting for You is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 18th original album, released in 1993 on the Reprise Records label.It was his first album since 1986 and represented a comeback of sorts, since he had stated that East of Midnight would be his last. The album is dedicated to his wife Elizabeth...
(1993), and
A Painter Passing ThroughA Painter Passing Through is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 19th original album, released in 1998 on the Reprise Records label.It was his first album of original music in five years after the lonely Waiting for You, which had been his first album since 1986's East of Midnight. Well-known record...
(1998).
The album
Dream Street Rose has the folk-pop sound that Lightfoot established during the previous decade. In addition to the title song, it includes songs such as "Ghosts of Cape Horn" and "On the High Seas". It also includes the
Leroy Van DykeLeroy Frank Van Dyke is an American country music singer best known for his hits, "The Auctioneer" and "Walk On By" .-Biography:...
1950s composition "The Auctioneer," a bluegrass-like number that was a concert staple for Lightfoot from the mid 60s to the 80s.
The album
ShadowsShadows is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 15th original album, released in 1982 on the Warner Brothers Records label. It peaked at #87 on the Billboard charts.The album marked another significant turning point in Lightfoot's musical evolution...
represents a departure from the acoustic sound of the 1970s and introduces an adult-contemporary sound. Songs like "Shadows" and "Thank You for the Promises" contain an underlying sadness and resignation. The 1982 American released single "Baby Step Back" marked his last time in the top 50 in that country.
The 1983 album
Salute produced no hit singles; the 1986
East of Midnight album had several Adult Contemporary songs like "A Passing Ship","Morning Glory", and "I'll Tag Along" (East of Midnight). A single from "East of Midnight", "Anything for Love", made the Billboard Country & Western chart.
In April 1987, Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against composer
Michael MasserMichael Masser , a former stockbroker, is a composer and producer of popular music. He attended the University of Illinois College of Law, but left to pursue his interest in music...
, claiming that Masser's melody for the song "The Greatest Love of All"—recorded by
George BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
(1977) and
Whitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
(1985)—stole 24 bars from Lightfoot's 1971 hit song "If You Could Read My Mind." The transitional section that begins "I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow" of the Masser song has the same melody as "I don't know where we went wrong but the feeling's gone, and I just can't get it back" of Lightfoot's song. Lightfoot later stated that he did not want people thinking that he had stolen his melody from Masser.
Lightfoot rounded out the decade with his follow-up compilation
Gord's Gold, Vol. 2Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 is a compilation album released by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot in 1988.As with the first volume, Vol. 1, Vol. 2 features re-recordings of earlier hits alongside the contemporary material...
, in late 1988, which contained re-recorded versions of his most popular songs, including a re-make of the 1970 song "The Pony Man". The original had been brisk in pace, acoustic, and about three minutes long. This new version was slower, clocking in at four minutes plus.
During the 90s Lightfoot returned to his acoustic roots and recorded two albums.
Waiting for YouWaiting for You is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 18th original album, released in 1993 on the Reprise Records label.It was his first album since 1986 and represented a comeback of sorts, since he had stated that East of Midnight would be his last. The album is dedicated to his wife Elizabeth...
(1993) includes songs like "Restless", "Wild Strawberries", and Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells." 1998's
A Painter Passing Through reintroduced a sound more reminiscent of his early recordings, with songs like "Much to My Surprise", "Red Velvet", "Drifters", and "I Used to Be a Country Singer". Throughout the decade, Lightfoot played about 50 concerts a year. In 1999 Rhino Records released
Songbook, a four-CD boxed set of Lightfoot recordings with rare and unreleased tracks from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s plus a small hardback booklet for his fans that described how he created his songs and gave facts about his career.
In April 2000 Lightfoot taped a live concert in
Reno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
—a one hour show that was broadcast by CBC in October, and as a PBS special across the United States. PBS stations offered a videotape of the concert as a pledge gift, and a tape and DVD were released in 2001 in Europe and North America. This was the first Lightfoot concert video released. In April 2001 Lightfoot performed at the Tin Pan South Legends concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, closing the show. In May he performed "Ring Them Bells" at Massey Hall in honor of Bob Dylan's 60th birthday.
Illness and return to performing
By January 2002 Lightfoot had written 30 new songs for his next studio album. He recorded guitar and vocal demos of some of these new songs. In September, before the second concert of a two-night stand in Orillia, Lightfoot suffered severe stomach pain and was airlifted to McMaster Medical Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. He underwent surgery for a ruptured
abdominal aortic aneurysmAbdominal aortic aneurysm is a localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta exceeding the normal diameter by more than 50 percent, and is the most common form of aortic aneurysm...
, and he remained in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Lightfoot endured a six-week
comaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and a
tracheotomyAmong the oldest described surgical procedures, tracheotomy consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea...
, and he underwent four surgical operations. All of his remaining 2002 concert dates were canceled. More than three months after being taken to the McMaster Medical Center, Lightfoot was released in December to continue his recovery at home.
In 2003 Lightfoot underwent follow-up surgery to continue the treatment of his abdominal condition. In November he signed a new recording contract with
Linus EntertainmentLinus Entertainment is a record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The company was started by Geoff Kulawick, who previously was vice president of A&R at Virgin Records/EMI Music Canada....
and began rehearsing with his band for the first time since his illness. Also in 2003,
Borealis RecordsBorealis Records is a Canadian record label, founded in 1996 by four Canadian musicians. It is notable as being focused exclusively on the recording and development Canadian folk and roots music artists.- History :...
, a related label to Linus Entertainment, released
Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon LightfootBeautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, released in 2003 on Borealis Records.-Track listing:# Cowboy Junkies, "The Way I Feel"# Jesse Winchester, "Sundown"# Ron Sexsmith, "Drifters"...
. On this album, various artists, including The
Cowboy JunkiesCowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
,
Bruce CockburnBruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
,
Jesse WinchesterJesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
,
Maria MuldaurMaria Muldaur is a folk-blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s...
, and The Tragically Hip interpreted Lightfoot's songs. The final track on the album, "Lightfoot", was the only song not previously released by Lightfoot. It was composed and performed by
Aengus FinnanAengus Finnan is a Canadian folk musician, who grew up on an organic farm in Shelter Valley, Ontario , and currently lives in Toronto, Ontario....
.
In January 2004 Lightfoot completed work on his album
HarmonyHarmony is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 20th original album. It made #35 on the Independent albums chart.-History:Harmony was released in May 2004 by Linus Entertainment . It was an album that almost never happened...
, which he had mostly recorded prior to his illness. The album was released on his new home label of Linus Records on May 11 of that year. It was his 20th original album and included a single and new video for "Inspiration Lady." Other songs were "Clouds Of Loneliness," "Sometimes I Wish," "Flyin' Blind", and "No Mistake About It." The album contained the upbeat yet reflective track called "End Of All Time", reminiscent of the style of the
Marshall Tucker BandThe Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band's blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country, and gospel helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s...
and
The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
.
In July 2004 he made a surprise comeback performance, his first since falling ill, at Mariposa in Orillia, performing "I'll Tag Along" solo. In August he performed a five-song solo set in
PeterboroughPeterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, at a flood relief benefit. In November he made his long-awaited return to the concert stage with two sold-out benefit shows in
Hamilton, OntarioHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
.
Lightfoot returned to the music business with his new album selling well and an appearance on
Canadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
, where the six top contestants each performed a song of his, culminating in a group performance – on their own instruments – of his
Canadian Railroad TrilogyThe "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" is a song by Gordon Lightfoot that describes the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.This song was commissioned by the CBC for a special broadcast on January 1, 1967, to start Canada's Centennial year. It appeared on Lightfoot's The Way I Feel album later in the...
. In 2005, he made a low-key tour called the
Better Late Than Never Tour.
On September 14, 2006, while in the middle of a performance, Lightfoot suffered a minor stroke that eventually left him without the use of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. He returned to performing nine days later and for a brief time used a substitute guitarist for more difficult guitar work. Since early 2007, Lightfoot has regained full use of his right hand and plays all of the guitar parts in concert as he originally wrote them. He has continued to perform into 2011.
While a tour was being planned for 2008, Lightfoot's manager, Barry Harvey, died at age 56 on 4 December 2007. In late 2009, Lightfoot undertook a 26-city tour.
In February 2010 Gordon Lightfoot was the victim of a
death hoaxA death hoax is a deliberate or confused report of someone's death that turns out to be incorrect and murder rumors. In some cases it might be because the person has intentionally faked death.-Celebrity death hoaxes:...
originating from
TwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, when a prankster spread a rumor that Lightfoot had died. Lightfoot was at a dental appointment at the time the rumors spread and found out when listening to the radio on his drive home. Lightfoot dispelled those rumors by phoning
Charles AdlerCharles Adler is a Hungarian-born Canadian broadcaster who, when he was a child, was smuggled in a backpack out of Hungary by his father during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Charles grew up in Montreal, where he started his broadcast career while attending McGill University...
of CJOB, the
DJA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and radio station he heard reporting his demise, and did an interview expressing that he was alive and well.
Legacy
Gordon Lightfoot's music career has spanned more than five decades, producing more than 200 recordings. He helped define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s, with his songs recorded by artists such as Bob Dylan,
Gene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
,
Dan FogelbergDaniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
,
Jimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, and
Jim CroceJames Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
. The Canadian band
The Guess WhoThe Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
recorded a song called "Lightfoot" on their 1968 album
Wheatfield SoulWheatfield Soul is an album released in 1968 by Canadian rock band The Guess Who. "Lightfoot" is a tribute to fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot, while "Friends of Mine" is performed in the style of The Doors.-About the album:...
; the lyrics contain many Lightfoot song titles.
Lightfoot sound
The signature Lightfoot sound, both in the studio and on tour, centres around Lightfoot's distinct
baritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice and folk-based twelve-string
acoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. Over the years, a handful of key musicians contributed significantly to that sound. From 1965 to 1970, lead guitarist Red Shea was the most important supporting player, with bassists Paul Wideman and John Stockfish filling out the arrangements.
In 1969 bassist Rick Haynes joined the band, and lead guitarist Terry Clements joined the following year. Red Shea left the touring band in 1970, but continued to record with Lightfoot until 1975. He hosted his own Canadian variety show, played with Ian Tyson, and became band leader for
Tommy HunterThomas James "Tommy" Hunter, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman".-Career:...
's TV show in the 1980s on CBC. Shea played on most of Lightfoot's early hits, and his musical influence on later band configurations is undeniable. Shea died in June 2008 of pancreatic cancer. Haynes and Clements remained with Lightfoot and composed the core of Gordon Lightfoot's band.
In 1975, Pee Wee Charles added the important pedal steel guitar element to the band's sound, applying this traditional country instrument in a unique and creative way to Lightfoot's songs. Drummer Barry Keane joined the following year and in 1981, keyboardist Mike Heffernan completed the ensemble. This five-piece backup band remained intact until 1987, when Pee Wee Charles left the band to operate a radio station in Southern Ontario. Haynes, Keane, and Heffernan continue to tour and record with Lightfoot to this day. Terry Clements died on February 20, 2011, at the age of 63, following a stroke. Gordon Lightfoot will continue touring in 2011 with his new guitarist Carter Lancaster from Hamilton Ontario whom he calls a "great player".
Personal life
Lightfoot has been married twice. His first marriage in April 1963 was to a Swedish woman, Brita Ingegerd Olaisson, with whom he had two children, Fred and Ingrid. They divorced in 1973, the marriage ending in part due to his infidelity (with his then girlfriend,
Cathy SmithCatherine Evelyn Smith is a occasional backup singer, rock star girlfriend, "groupie" and drug dealer, who served 15 months in the California state prison system for injecting John Belushi with a fatal dose of heroin and cocaine in 1982.Smith had been paid for a front page headline story in the...
). He has acknowledged that his musical touring and the difficulty of fidelity in a long-distance relationship, contributed to the failure of at least two relationships:
The song "If You Could Read My Mind" was written in reflection upon his disintegrating marriage. At the request of his daughter, Ingrid, he performs the lyrics with a slight change now: the line "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack" is altered to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that
we lack." He has said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested.
After being alone for 19 years between marriages, he married Elizabeth Moon in 1989. They have two children: Miles and Meredith.
He has played with some of his band members for more than 30 years.
Honours and awards
As an individual, apart from various awards associated with his albums and singles, Gordon Lightfoot has received sixteen
Juno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s—for top folk singer in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977, for top male vocalist in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, and as composer of the year in 1972 and 1976. He has received ASCAP awards for songwriting in 1971, 1974, 1976, and 1977, and has been nominated for five
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s. In 1974 Lightfoot's song "Sundown" was named pop record of the year by the Music Operators of America. In 1980 he was named Canadian male recording artist of the decade, for his work in the 1970s.
Lightfoot was chosen as the celebrity captain of the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for the NHL's 75th anniversary season in 1991–1992.
Lightfoot was inducted into the
Canadian Music Hall of FameThe Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Award ceremonies. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents...
in 1986 and the
Canadian Country Music Hall Of FameThe Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, located in Merritt, British Columbia, was established in 1984 to honour Canadian country music artists, builders or broadcasters, living or deceased...
in 2001. He was inducted into
Canada's Walk of FameCanada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
in 1998.
In May 2003 he was made a Companion of the
Order of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, the country's highest civilian honour. Lightfoot is a member of the
Order of OntarioThe Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
, the highest honour in the province of Ontario. In 1977, he received the Vanier Award from the Canadian Jaycees. In 2007
Canada PostCanada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
honored Lightfoot and three other legendary Canadian music artists (
Anne MurrayMorna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
,
Paul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, and
Joni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
) with postage stamps highlighting their names and images.
Between 1986 and 1988 Lightfoot's friend
Ken DanbyKen Danby, was a Canadian painter in the realist style.-Life and work:Ken Danby enrolled at the Ontario College of Art in 1958. His first exhibition in 1964 sold out....
(1940–2007), the realist painter, worked on a large (60 x 48 inches) portrait of Lightfoot dressed in the white suit he wore on the cover of the album
East of Midnight. The picture was backlit by the sun, creating a visually iconic image of the singer.
Discography
- Lightfoot!
-External links:*...
(1966)
- The Way I Feel
The Way I Feel is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, originally released in 1967 on the United Artists label.-Reception:...
(1967)
- Did She Mention My Name
Did She Mention My Name? was Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's third studio album, released in 1968 on the United Artists label. The album marked Lightfoot's first use of orchestration.-Reception:...
(1968)
- Back Here on Earth
Back Here On Earth is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fourth studio album, released in 1968 on the United Artists label.Apart from his eponymous debut album, it is Lightfoot's only studio album not to derive its title from a song on the album...
(1968)
- Sunday Concert
Sunday Concert is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fifth album, released in 1969 on the United Artists label. It was Lightfoot's first live album and until the release of a live DVD in 2002, remained Lightfoot's only officially released live recording...
(1969)
- Sit Down Young Stranger
Sit Down Young Stranger is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's sixth original album and also his best-selling original album. It was released in 1970 on the Reprise Records Label. The album was renamed If You Could Read My Mind shortly after release due to the song of that title reaching number #5...
(1970)
- Summer Side of Life
Summer Side of Life is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 7th original album, released in 1971 on the Reprise Records Label. The album continued the sound Lightfoot established on Sit Down Young Stranger and that would serve him well throughout the first half of the 1970's.The album reached #38 on...
(1971)
- Don Quixote
Don Quixote is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 8th original album, released in 1972 on the Reprise Records Label. The album reached #42 on the Billboard album chart....
(1972)
- Old Dan's Records
Old Dan's Records is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's ninth original album, released in 1972 on the Reprise Records label. The album reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national album chart on November 5, 1972, and remained there for three weeks...
(1972)
- Sundown (1974)
- Cold on the Shoulder (1975)
- Summertime Dream
Summertime Dream is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 12th original album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. The album peaked at #1 in Canada on the RPM national album chart and at #12 in the U.S...
(1976)
- Endless Wire
Endless Wire is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 13th original album, released in 1978 on Warner Bros. Records . It peaked at #22 on the Billboard pop chart and at #14 on the country chart....
(1978)
- Dream Street Rose
Dream Street Rose is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 14th original album released in 1980 on the Warner Brothers Records label...
(1980)
- Shadows
Shadows is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 15th original album, released in 1982 on the Warner Brothers Records label. It peaked at #87 on the Billboard charts.The album marked another significant turning point in Lightfoot's musical evolution...
(1982)
- Salute (1983)
- East of Midnight
East of Midnight is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 17th original album, released in 1986 on the Warner Bros. Records label. The album reached #166 on the Billboard 200....
(1986)
- Waiting for You
Waiting for You is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 18th original album, released in 1993 on the Reprise Records label.It was his first album since 1986 and represented a comeback of sorts, since he had stated that East of Midnight would be his last. The album is dedicated to his wife Elizabeth...
(1993)
- A Painter Passing Through
A Painter Passing Through is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 19th original album, released in 1998 on the Reprise Records label.It was his first album of original music in five years after the lonely Waiting for You, which had been his first album since 1986's East of Midnight. Well-known record...
(1998)
- Harmony
Harmony is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's 20th original album. It made #35 on the Independent albums chart.-History:Harmony was released in May 2004 by Linus Entertainment . It was an album that almost never happened...
(2004)
External links