One of the giants of North American folk music has died. Gordon Lightfoot passed away yesterday in Toronto, Canada, at the age of 84.
It's almost impossible to overstate his musical influence. From early hits such as "Early Morning Rain" and "Ribbon of Darkness", through his iconic "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", to "Ghosts of Cape Horn", he delighted audiences and cemented his place in music history.
I'll have more to say about his life in next Sunday's music post. For now, I'll salute him with the original version of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", a timeless piece that's never grown old.
Rest in peace, sir. You made the world a better, happier place for many of us.
Peter
We were fortunate to spend a couple of hours in a medium sized venue and good seats about 12 years ago. The music was amazing and my wife the massage therapist, was fascinated by the interplay between his forearm muscles as he played.
ReplyDeleteI used to play his music as a background to my day when at home. I have/had a reel-to-reel tape from all of my vinyl that ran on a self reversing tape deck at the slowest speed. I never heard him live. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteMay he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteSaw him in Atlanta about 7 years ago (maybe) at Symphony Hall. Outstanding venue for the acoustics needless to say. What a great show. So fortunate to have heard him live. What a great songwriter. What a loss.
ReplyDeleteGordon had an abdominal aneurysm in 2002 that nearly killed him. I had the chance to see him after recovery in 2007. It was in a small venue in Houston. One of the performers I grew up with and thoroughly enjoyed. The "Wreck" is my most favorite of ballads. RIP Gordon
ReplyDeleteWe hail from the days of great music... Do we not?...
ReplyDeleteProbably my all-time favorite singer/songwriter. Yes, thank you Gordon. May you rest in peace. Your music will live forever.
ReplyDelete“Lightfoot” was his first album recorded in 1964. It you’ve never listened to the whole thing, you have missed out. I literally grew up with his music and was blessed to see him live a couple of times during his later years. Giant is not an exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteThe evening before the Fitzgerald went down I was driving home from work in the storm along the shore of Lake Superior. When I got home I told my wife that I was sure glad I wasn't out there working on a boat as I'm sure some won't make it through this. Sure enough one didn't and there were others that nearly didn't. I had two friends that were out there on other freighters that quit their jobs and never went out again. His song still haunts me. I will never forget that night or Gordon Lightfoot's song. ---ken
ReplyDeleteI saw him perform in Portland, Maine many years ago, sadly the acoustics were terrible from our (cheap) seats and it was hard to understand the lyrics.
ReplyDeleteSadder still, he lost out on a Grammy award to "Afternoon Delight" when the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was in the running in the 70s.
Dang, another luminary in the VERY sparse maritime music scene gone. Stan Rogers was more influential to me, but Gordon Lightfoot was our Elvis.
ReplyDeletePaul Dammit! Stan Rogers was a great performer (what a fine voice) and writer -- thank you for the reminder of his wonderful music. We lost him way too soon. Barrett's Privateers and Make and Break Harbour are two of many favorites of mine.
ReplyDelete“Gord’s Gold, Vol. II” was my first album (on CD, for reference). His music is the soundtrack for many memories, especially roadtrips “up north” down that carefree highway. He certainly will be missed.
ReplyDelete“The old man has come home, from the forest.”