GORDON LIGHTFOOT,
1938-2023
Gordon Lightfoot, the pioneering folk-pop singer-songwriter, died in Toronto on Monday (5/1). He was 84.
"It is with profound sadness that we confirm that Gordon Meredith Lightfoot has passed away," Lightfoot's team wrote in a statement posted to his Facebook page. “He died of natural causes... He is survived by his wife... six children... and several grandchildren."
A national hero in his native Canada, Lightfoot continued to reside in the country for decades after cracking the American charts with songs such as “If You Could Read My Mind,” "Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He toured Canada regularly and often wrote songs about its natural beauty.
After becoming part of the early 1960s Toronto folk scene that included Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Ian & Sylvia Tyson, his star began to rise after Ian & Sylvia recorded two of his songs, “Early Morning Rain” and “For Lovin’ Me.” Peter, Paul and Mary would do the same soon thereafter.
He made an impressive debut at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, the year Marty Robbins topped the country charts with Lightfoot’s “Ribbon of Darkness." United Artists released Lightfoot's debut album, Lightfoot!, in 1966. He moved to Reprise in 1970, releasing Sit Down Young Stranger, which was retitled If You Could Read My Mind after that song became a Top 5 hit. "Mind" has been recorded by more than 100 artists, ranging from Barbara Streisand and Andy Williams to Liza Minnelli and Johnny Mathis.
As folk music's popularity faded, Lightfoot developed a soft-rock style that made the most of his gentle baritone. “Sundown” hit #1 in 1974, followed by the Top 10 single “Carefree Highway” and Top 5 “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
"Edmund Fitzgerald," from 1976—when disco tunes and pop ballads dominated the upper rungs of the pop chart—was one of the year’s most unlikely hits. Peaking at #2, the story song is a throwback to Lightfoot's days as a folk singer, recounting the fate of a freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975, killing all 29 aboard. A radio edit brought it down to six minutes, nearly twice as long as most pop hits of the period. The song spent five months on the Top 100, entering in August and peaking in November.
Lightfoot released 20 solo albums during the course of his career. 2020's Solo, his first album in 16 years, would prove to be his last.
He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986, earned a spot on Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998 and joined the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Two years later, Lightfoot was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor.
Gordon Lightfoot has died. He was a great songwriter and a wonderful performer. Sundown, you better take care/If I catch you creepin' 'round my back stairs."
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 2, 2023
Gordon Lightfoot left us today..
— Michael Des Barres (@MDesbarres) May 2, 2023
When Bob Dylan reveres you & turns to you when he needs to,you know you’re dealing with brilliance. From Canada,Mr. Lightfoot became the Mark Twain of folk music.Trains,rivers, loneliness,romance.His songs were covered by just about everybody RIP. pic.twitter.com/ybA6RrdKR9
We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters. Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever. To his family,…
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 2, 2023
