Canadian folk legend Gordon Lightfoot has died at age 84. His ballads defined the genre’s sound in the 1960s and 1970s with crossover hits like “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown.”
After honing his sound in Toronto nightclubs, Lightfoot had his first major hit in 1969 with “Early Sunday Morning.”
Lightfoot dominated the 70’s with gold and platinum records like “Carefree Highway” and my personal fave, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
Bob Dylan said Lightfoot never made a bad song, and that he wished they would all go on foverer. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:
“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.”
Perhaps his best-known song has been covered again and again is “If You Could Read My Mind.”
He toured until earlier this year, when his health stopped him. To learn more about this timeless artist, be sure to check out Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind.
Image: Manuel Nauta/NurPhoto / Avalon
