Gordon Lightfoot
Background:
Born Gordon Meredith Lighfoot, he began his career as a boy soprano, performing on local radio and in Kiwanis festivals, appearing at Massey Hall at the age of 13. In his teens, he sang in a barbershop quartet, studied piano and began to teach himself how to play the drums. His first television appearance was on CBC TV's 'Country Hoedown', where he appeared with the group, The Swinging Eights, before continuing to tour locally.Drawn to the folk style by singers such as Bob Dylan, Lightfoot began to play at local coffee shops and bars throughout Ontario, Quebec and Eastern US. Although known throughout the US, he was mainly popular for his songwriting skills, with his first songs being recorded by folk icons Ian and Sylvia, who recorded For Lovin' Me and Early Morning Rain. For Lovin' Me was a huge hit for Peter, Paul and Mary. His songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Harry Belafonte, Judy Collins, George Hamilton IV and Elvis Presley.
Following the successful recordings of his songs by others, Lightfoot performed in 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island and in 1966, toured England with Ian and Sylvia. On March 30, 1967, Lightfoot gave the first of a series of concerts at Massey Hall, which continued up until 2001, with the majority of the nights being sold out.
Lightfoot made his first cross-Canada tour in 1967 and performed annually in the USA and in Europe during the 1970s, also touring twice in Australia. During the 1980s, Lightfoot averaged 40-50 concerts each year, including a European tour. During the 1990s, Lightfoot toured more than he recorded, giving 60-70 concerts per year across North America. His touring schedule came to an abrupt halt in 2002, when he suffered a serious abdominal hemorrhage, with his next on-stage appearance not occurring until July 2004.
Gordon Lightfoot has received 15 Juno Awards and was inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame in 1986. He has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003. He has received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, has been inducted in the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame and was the inaugural inductee into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.
Some of his biggest hits include The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, If You Could Read My Mind, Canadian Railroad Trilogy and Sundown.
For more information about Gordon Lightfoot's current activities, please visit www.lightfoot.ca
