R.I.P. GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer-songwriter whose many hits included “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Sundown,” died Monday evening at the age of 84, of natural causes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, spokesperson Victoria Lord said.
Just weeks ago, he had canceled all 2023 dates due to growing health concerns. In 2021, he postponed dates after suffering a fall at his home, which led to surgery, but was back a few months following, to re-open the renovated Massey Hall in Toronto. Prior to that, we caught him live in Minneapolis, shortly after returning to stages after a heart scare, so declining health had followed him for over the last decade.
Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario on November 17, 1938, to parents who owned a local dry cleaning business. He first performed publicly in 4th grade singing an Irish lullaby which was broadcast over his school's public address system. He would also sing in the choir of Orillia's St. Paul's United Church under the direction of choirmaster Ray Williams, who taught him how to sing with nuance and style and at the age of twelve, he won a singing competition and made his first of numerous appearances at Massey Hall.
His track and field and football skills as well as scholarly aptitude earned him scholarships at McGill's Schulich School of Music and the University of Toronto.
All the while, he pursued a musical career as well, eventually signing in the mid-60’s with Albert Grossman as a manager, who represented many name acts of the day, and would begin recording for United Artists.
Lightfoot would sign to Warner Bros/Reprise in 1970, which began his long string of hits, first breaking through with “If You Could Read My Mind” and going on to receive sixteen Juno Awards and nominated for five Grammy Awards, among numerous other accolades.
Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2012, Lightfoot was inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Lightfoot wed for a third time in 2014 and his last studio release was 2020’s Solo.
| John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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