Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

Canadian icon. Loved his music. No one sounded like Gordon. RIP.

Saw him in concert in the early 70s. If you could read my mind started it.

thank you Gordon lightfoot

A great folk musician respected around the world.

Left a wonderful body of work for us.

His 1975 song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” chronicled the demise of a Great Lakes ore freighter, and 1966’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” depicted the construction of the railway.

“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” he once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”

That's what terrific songwriters do. See, observe, write, sing, play. Gord is in the same mold as Springsteen, Bono, Cash, Cockburn and several others.

And he is yet another one of Canada's great musical exports. Himself, Cockburn (whom I saw and met in 1999), RUSH (seen five times), and th e up-and-coming country/folk QT Tenille Townes (saw and met her instore last week) are the pride and joy of Canadian rock. Celine Dion, Justin Bieber and Alanis Morisette are not.

When I visited Sault Ste. Marie for the first time in 1996 I was informed about the Edmund Fitzgerald and I think Gord may even lived in the area. And maybe he was part Ojibway in ethnicity too. Their reserves are closeby to S.S.M.

Gord's Gold music was 'light' and fit in easily within the format of the soulless pukey 'adult contemporary' format that my parents played when I was a kid, yet he was a shining light thru it all. Easily recognizable, distinct, non-generic, nonformulaic, and he had something to say. Not a bland 70s era milquetoast, no no. Lightfoot was a cut above, so why hasn't HE been nominated for the Rock'n'Roll HOF while all those bland Yuppie pop acts are?

Thank you Gordon and RIP.

I don’t know this chap, I must be not old enough, lol

Another part of my youth gone. RIP...

™if you could read my mind, love, what a tale my thoughts could tell....™

You could tell that I loved ur music growing up. Thank u and RIP, Gordon Lightfoot.

Sundown

If we were to make a Mount Rushmore of Canadian music legends, it would be;

Gordon Lightfoot

Rush

The Guess Who

The Tragically Hip

A great singer-songwriter and a sad loss.

I don’t know this chap, I must be not old enough, lol

Yes, it takes a bit of maturity to leave a relevant comment. lol

If we were to make a Mount Rushmore of Canadian music legends, it would be;

Gordon Lightfoot

Rush

The Guess Who

The Tragically Hip

Neil Young and Joni Mitchell spring to mind far before anyone on this list.

Gordon Lightfoot wrote and sang and performed "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

It is a haunting tribute to the 29 men who died in the 1975 sinking of the ship in Lake Superior during a storm.

A brilliant yet deeply sad story which was so incredibly well done.

I choke up as I write this as the same as when I listen to the song as you can hear the feeling that went into creating this piece as well as the back story of the men who perished that day.

And that is just one story of so many who have lost their lives on that lake. It is a stunning geographical feature but it is not to be taken lightly.

Covered a few of his songs with my band, back in the 70s. He truly was a musical icon, Canadian or otherwise, proven by the amazing number of other artists who have covered his songs. For anyone who doubts their veracity to life I can only say 'read the lyrics, they can rip your heart apart'.

But he sure looks gaunt in that 2022 photo.

Rest In Peace..

If we were to make a Mount Rushmore of Canadian music legends, it would be;

Gordon Lightfoot

Rush

The Guess Who

The Tragically Hip

Rush!!!!!...

Neil Young and Joni Mitchell spring to mind far before anyone on this list.

Indeed, and how come as I get older, I keep listening to Leonard Cohen.

Anyway, thank you Canada, and more especially, thank you Gordon Lightfoot.

The legend lives on...

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is an incredible song.

"Lightfoot never wrote a bad song"

If we were to make a Mount Rushmore of Canadian music legends, it would be;

Gordon Lightfoot

Rush

The Guess Who

The Tragically Hip

> Neil Young and Joni Mitchell spring to mind far before anyone on this list.

> Rush!!!!!...

RUSH for sure. They fused hard rock + prog. Gordon Lightfoot and I also suggest Bruce Cockburn. Triumph was good but they get compared to RUSH which they can't hold a candle to. And to note, Bachman of BTO died this week as well.

As for Shania Twain? Well, she's cute and sexy but that's it.