Gordon Lightfoot, the legendary folk singer whose silvery refrains told a tale of Canadian identity that was exported to listeners worldwide, has died at 84.
Lightfoot died at a Toronto hospital on Monday evening, said Victoria Lord, the musician害羞草研究所檚 longtime publicist and a representative for the family.
A cause of death was not immediately available.
Considered one of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot went on to record no less than 20 studio albums and pen hundreds of songs, including 害羞草研究所淓arly Morning Rain,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐arefree Highway害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淪undown.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,害羞草研究所� tweeted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau late Monday.
害羞草研究所淕ordon Lightfoot captured our country害羞草研究所檚 spirit in his music 害羞草研究所� and in doing so, he helped shape Canada害羞草研究所檚 soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.害羞草研究所�
Other celebrities and politicians added their praises of Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 craft. Author Stephen King described him as 害羞草研究所渁 wonderful performer,害羞草研究所� and former Ontario premier Bob Rae said he was 害羞草研究所渟uch a decent man害羞草研究所� and a 害羞草研究所渕usician with a magnificent tenor voice that will last forever.害羞草研究所�
Once called a 害羞草研究所渞are talent害羞草研究所� by Bob Dylan, Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 timeless compositions have transcended the boundaries of generations and musical genres.
Dozens of artists have covered his work, including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, Jane害羞草研究所檚 Addiction, Sarah McLachlan and, perhaps most surprisingly, dance supergroup Stars on 54 who turned his classic 害羞草研究所淚f You Could Read My Mind害羞草研究所� into a disco-pop curiosity for the 1998 movie 害羞草研究所�54.害羞草研究所�
Most of his songs are deeply autobiographical with lyrics that probe his own experiences in a frank and unclouded manner and explore issues surrounding the national identity.
His 1975 song 害羞草研究所淭he Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald害羞草研究所� chronicled the demise of a Great Lakes ore freighter, and 1966害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淐anadian Railroad Trilogy害羞草研究所� depicted the construction of the railway.
害羞草研究所淚 simply write the songs about where I am and where I害羞草研究所檓 from,害羞草研究所� he once said. 害羞草研究所淚 take situations and write poems about them.害羞草研究所�
Often described as a poetic storyteller, Lightfoot remained keenly aware of his cultural influence. It was a role he took very seriously.
害羞草研究所淚 just like to stay there and be a part of the totem pole and look after the responsibilities I害羞草研究所檝e acquired over the years,害羞草研究所� he said in a 2001 interview.
But he was humble about his status: 害羞草研究所淗ow does it feel to be an icon? It makes me feel no different as a human entity on the face of the planet.害羞草研究所�
While Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 parents recognized his musical talents early on, he didn害羞草研究所檛 set out to become a renowned balladeer.
He began singing in his church choir and dreamed of becoming a jazz musician. At age 13, the soprano won a talent contest at the Kiwanis Music Festival, held at Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Massey Hall.
害羞草研究所淚 remember the thrill of being in front of the crowd,害羞草研究所� Lightfoot said in a 2018 interview.
害羞草研究所淚t was a stepping stone for me害羞草研究所� My father was doing all my driving. I was doing events all around. I was playing at weddings, all the various clubs, the Ladies害羞草研究所� Auxiliary.害羞草研究所�
The appeal of those early days stuck and in high school, his barbershop quartet, The Collegiate Four, won a CBC talent competition. He strummed his first guitar in 1956 and began to dabble in songwriting in the months that followed. Perhaps distracted by his taste for music, he flunked algebra the first time. After taking the class again, he graduated in 1957.
By then, Lightfoot had already penned his first serious composition 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Hula Hoop Song,害羞草研究所� inspired by the popular kids害羞草研究所� toy that was sweeping the culture. Attempts to sell the song went nowhere so at 18, he headed to the U.S. to study music for a year. The trip was funded in part by money saved from a job delivering linens to resorts around his hometown.
Life in Hollywood wasn害羞草研究所檛 a good fit, however, and it wasn害羞草研究所檛 long before a homesick Lightfoot returned to Canada. He pledged to move to Toronto to pursue his musical ambitions, taking any job available, including a position at Royal Bank before landing a role as a square dancer on CBC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淐ountry Hoedown.害羞草研究所�
One of his first gigs was at Fran害羞草研究所檚 Restaurant, a downtown family-owned diner that warmed to his folk sensibilities. It was there he met fellow musician Ronnie Hawkins, who urged him to take his music to more suitable places, such as nearby Steele害羞草研究所檚 Tavern.
At that point, Lightfoot was living with a few buddies in a condemned building in Yorkville, then a bohemian area where future stars including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell would learn their trade at smoke-filled clubs. Around that time, he befriended local folk duo Ian and Sylvia who became great admirers of his work and later recorded two of his songs as his star first began to rise.
Lightfoot made his popular radio debut with the single 害羞草研究所�(Remember Me) I害羞草研究所檓 the One害羞草研究所� in 1962, which led to a number of hit songs and partnerships with other local musicians. When he started playing the Mariposa Folk Festival in his hometown of Orillia, Ont., that same year, Lightfoot forged a relationship that made him the festival害羞草研究所檚 most loyal returning performer.
By 1964, he was garnering positive word-of-mouth around town that attracted Bernie Fiedler, owner of Yorkville害羞草研究所檚 Riverboat coffee house, who showed up at one of Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 Steele害羞草研究所檚 performances with an offer to pay him double.
Audiences were starting to gather in growing numbers and by the next year, Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 song 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 Not Sayin害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 was a hit in Canada, which helped spread his name in the United States.
A couple of covers by other artists didn害羞草研究所檛 hurt either. Marty Robbins害羞草研究所� 1965 recording of 害羞草研究所淩ibbon of Darkness害羞草研究所� reached No. 1 on U.S. country charts, while Peter, Paul and Mary took Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 composition, 害羞草研究所淔or Lovin害羞草研究所� Me,害羞草研究所� into the U.S. Top 30. The song, which Dylan once said he wished he害羞草研究所檇 recorded, has since been covered by hundreds of others.
That summer, Lightfoot performed at the Newport Folk Festival, the same year Dylan rattled audiences when he shed his folkie persona by playing an electric guitar.
As the folk music boom came to an end in the late 1960s, Lightfoot was already making his transition to pop music with ease.
In 1971, he made his first appearance on the Billboard chart with 害羞草研究所淚f You Could Read My Mind,害羞草研究所� a reflection on a failing marriage likened to 害羞草研究所渁n old-time movie about a ghost from a wishing well.害羞草研究所� It reached No. 5 and has since spawned scores of covers.
Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 popularity peaked in the mid-1970s when both his single and album, 害羞草研究所淪undown,害羞草研究所� topped the Billboard charts, his first and only time doing so.
When Dylan害羞草研究所檚 Rolling Thunder Revue came to Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Maple Leaf Gardens in 1975, Lightfoot was invited on stage. Afterwards, he hosted a party for the crew at his home where he was filming singing his folk contemporary害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淏allad In Plain D,害羞草研究所� which later appeared in Dylan害羞草研究所檚 pseudo-documentary 害羞草研究所淩enaldo and Clara.害羞草研究所�
But with Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 intense fame came public intrusions into his private life. His 1973 divorce from Swedish wife Brita Ingegerd Olaisson made headlines and was branded as the costliest divorce settlement in Canadian legal history at the time.
害羞草研究所淲hen my first marriage broke up, it took me years to get over it,害羞草研究所� he recalled in 2012 with The Canadian Press.
害羞草研究所淚 had a good wife and two great kids, but the business just ate me up. The women ate me up. I wasn害羞草研究所檛 able to resist. I can now, but not then. And then it was alcohol, and there害羞草研究所檚 no greater catalyst to getting into further (trouble) than drinking.害羞草研究所�
Indeed, Lightfoot endured a very public battle with alcoholism and other personal hurdles, particularly with the women who inspired his lyrics.
His 1975 album 害羞草研究所淐old on the Shoulder害羞草研究所� purportedly reflects on his broken relationship with Cathy Smith, a troubled former girlfriend who lingered in his mind long after they broke up.
Seven years after its release, Smith was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving comedian John Belushi a fatal dose of drugs. The story was splashed across the tabloids and drew Lightfoot into the scandal.
He resented being painted as a drug user, saying he dated Smith more than a decade earlier, long before her hard drug use. But he also felt an obligation to help her get back on her feet. He gave her money after her jail sentence ended in 1988 and made the publishing connections for her memoir.
Lightfoot went on to marry Elizabeth Moon in 1989. While his second marriage produced two children, the couple ultimately divorced in 2011.
Three years later he wed Kim Hasse, an Iowa-raised woman who he害羞草研究所檇 met at several shows. Despite their 23-year age difference, the pair became inseparable with Hasse frequently by Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 side at public events.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 actually quite surprising, I never thought I害羞草研究所檇 have a girlfriend again for as long as I害羞草研究所檝e lived,害羞草研究所� he said at the time.
During his career, Lightfoot collected 12 Juno Awards, including one in 1970 when it was called the Gold Leaf. He was also named four times as top folk singer at the RPM Awards 害羞草研究所� the 1960s predecessor to the Junos. He was nominated for four Grammy Awards, received an Order of Canada citation in 1970 at the age of 32, and was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Canadian Recording Industry Hall of Fame, now the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He received the Governor General害羞草研究所檚 Award in 1997 and was ushered into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001.
On top of his musical accomplishments, Lightfoot branched out into acting with the 1982 Canadian film 害羞草研究所淗arry Tracy, Desperado,害羞草研究所� starring Bruce Dern and Helen Shaver. Later in the decade, he appeared on an episode of prime-time soap 害羞草研究所淗otel,害羞草研究所� where he tapped into his own experience to play a musician struggling with alcoholism.
Much of his late career was marred by persistent health problems that slowed 害羞草研究所� but rarely stopped 害羞草研究所� him from performing live.
In 2002, he suffered an aortic aneurysm and later fell into a coma, endured more surgery and a rehabilitation period that he says stretched for two and a half years. He later said the health scare took 害羞草研究所渟ome of the starch害羞草研究所� out of his voice.
A minor stroke that hit in 2006 made it difficult for him to use his right hand while playing guitar for a short while.
Still, he continued touring. A strict workout regimen of six days a week helped him stay in shape.
In early 2010, Lightfoot learned of his own death when the CanWest newspaper chain splashed the false headline across some of their websites. The media company picked up on social media buzz that was eventually traced back to a prank call made to the management office of late singer and friend Ronnie Hawkins.
Lightfoot took the hoax in stride, saying he learned of his demise as he was driving back from a dentist appointment.
害羞草研究所淚 was quite surprised to hear it myself,害羞草研究所� he told CP24 with a chuckle.
Six years later, Lightfoot crossed the finish line on an astounding 80 tour dates in one year. He said his three alternating setlists were so meticulously focused that they all ran two hours and five minutes.
害羞草研究所淎t this age, my challenge is doing the best show I can,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview with CP.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 very much improved from where I was and the seriousness with which I take it.害羞草研究所�
However, a lifetime of touring came at a hefty personal price that left him with guilt he still carried in his later years.
害羞草研究所淚 was not always the dad I should害羞草研究所檝e been,害羞草研究所� he acknowledged, reflecting on his absence from raising his six kids.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e worked hard on improving that for many years now.害羞草研究所�
At 79, he quit smoking. 害羞草研究所淐igarettes, that is,害羞草研究所� he specified in a 2019 conversation. And despite a fall at home that forced him to postpone dates in mid-2021, he was back on stage four months later to reopen the renovated Massey Hall in a three-night engagement.
Those shows kicked off another tour that ran well into the following year.
In early April, representatives for the singer announced he was cancelling all of his upcoming concerts due to unspecified health setbacks.
Lightfoot害羞草研究所檚 hometown enshrined his musical legacy in bronze when they unveiled a four-metre-high sculpture dedicated to him. It was one of several local honours he would receive later in his life.
害羞草研究所淲hen I found out they were working on it, I thought, 害羞草研究所榃hy me? What have I done that is so great that I should deserve to have a statue, a very artistic work done?害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶛 he said at the time.
害羞草研究所淭o have a monument of this kind and the location here (at) the Mariposa Folk Festival 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 very appropriate.害羞草研究所�
David Friend, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
