Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol

i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late!

thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman:

"Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive.

On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot.

I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."

Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol

i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late!

thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman:

"Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive.

On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot.

I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."

I remember it very clearly as do most who were around at the time.
I was driving home to Dorset from my apprenticeship home at Rolls-Royce in Derby it being a Friday evening.
(I was going for the weekend to introduce my new girl friend to my parents). At about 7 PM GMT as we approached Coventry
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.shead/S04739.jpg
The magnificent Graham Sutherland tapestry in the (post-war) Coventry Cathedral
we were listening to the pop music station Radio Luxembourg on 208 metres on the dial (this being in those far off days when the BBC
radio stations had very strict limits on the amount of recorded music they could play (fears of making live musicians
unemployed and all that rubbish etc).So Lux was the only outlet to hear decent music (later the advent of the off-shore
"pirate" radio stations forced the Beeb to tell the Musicians Union to go jump in a lake and radically change their policy.
Be that as it may at 7PM it was therefore extremely peculiar to realise that Lux had ceased their usual pop music and were
playing Beethoven or something quite out of character. and we heard the very sad news of the shooting
They were obviously quick off the mark as JFK was shot at 12:30 PM Central time (18:30 UTC);
and "At 1:00 p.m., CST (19:00 UTC), after all the heart activity had ceased and after a priest administered the last rites,
the president was pronounced dead."
which I make to be 7:00PM GMT.
Ok I may be a few minutes out but 7pm has stuck in my memory for over 40 years now
John Fowles

I remember it very clearly as do most who were around at the time.
I was driving home to Dorset from my apprenticeship home at Rolls-Royce in Derby it being a Friday evening.
(I was going for the weekend to introduce my new girl friend to my parents). At about 7 PM GMT as we approached Coventry
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.shead/S04739.jpg
The magnificent Graham Sutherland tapestry in the (post-war) Coventry Cathedral
we were listening to the pop music station Radio Luxembourg on 208 metres on the dial (this being in those far off days when the BBC
radio stations had very strict limits on the amount of recorded music they could play (fears of making live musicians
unemployed and all that rubbish etc).So Lux was the only outlet to hear decent music (later the advent of the off-shore
"pirate" radio stations forced the Beeb to tell the Musicians Union to go jump in a lake and radically change their policy.
Be that as it may at 7PM it was therefore extremely peculiar to realise that Lux had ceased their usual pop music and were
playing Beethoven or something quite out of character. and we heard the very sad news of the shooting
They were obviously quick off the mark as JFK was shot at 12:30 PM Central time (18:30 UTC);
and "At 1:00 p.m., CST (19:00 UTC), after all the heart activity had ceased and after a priest administered the last rites,
the president was pronounced dead."
which I make to be 7:00PM GMT.
Ok I may be a few minutes out but 7pm has stuck in my memory for over 40 years now
John Fowles

thanks james.
i laffed for 10 minutes about the "that's what i got ffom lovin you"
very funny!
I found that publication on Justin Rutledge's website. I really liked that kid. Read about him and his reviews etc. He's quit something!


[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 29, 2005).]

thanks james.
i laffed for 10 minutes about the "that's what i got ffom lovin you"
very funny!
I found that publication on Justin Rutledge's website. I really liked that kid. Read about him and his reviews etc. He's quit something!


[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 29, 2005).]

I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.

I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.

I was 3 1/2 and in nursery school on an elementary school campus. Someone called my teacher on the intercom and told her that the president had been shot. She was crying when she told us. I remember wondering which president - the PTA president, the local union president, the Lions Club president - we had lots of presidents. Then she mentioned President Kennedy's name, so that clarified it. I remember being very sorry for John and Caroline.

We went fot a walk because the teacher was too upset to do anythng else. It was a gray day, which was a little unusual in itself. Even in November, it's sunny more often than not here. A mother of one of the kids drove by as we were on our walk. She stopped and told the teacher that President Kennedy had been pronounced dead.

It's weird that I can remember it so clearly, but some things stick with you.

quote:Originally posted by brink:
I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.

I was in second grade. In a seven room schoolhouse. The janitor went around and knocked on the doors to tell the teachers. My teacher told us "you probably don't feel like doing any more work" so the girl in front of me turned around and we played checkers. I didn't realize the whole impact of it all until I went home and saw my mom crying on the couch in front of the TV.

I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

I was in the 5th grade, and the whole class was currently reading a book called "Where The Red Furn Grows", when the pricipal of our school came on over the intercom and announced that president Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was a bit too young and not emotional enough to really feel the impact at that time. Only as I grew older did I realize the full horror.

I was in the 5th grade, and the whole class was currently reading a book called "Where The Red Furn Grows", when the pricipal of our school came on over the intercom and announced that president Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was a bit too young and not emotional enough to really feel the impact at that time. Only as I grew older did I realize the full horror.

quote:Originally posted by GJA:
I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

We were between classes. At that point school was cancelled for several days. The sadness of it all was overwhelming. Thanks to you all for relating your own experiences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




------------------
"Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call; Rainyday people don't talk, they just listen, till they've heard it all." - GL

quote:Originally posted by GJA:
I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

We were between classes. At that point school was cancelled for several days. The sadness of it all was overwhelming. Thanks to you all for relating your own experiences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




------------------
"Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call; Rainyday people don't talk, they just listen, till they've heard it all." - GL

I wasn't here, no memories of it at all.

I wasn't here, no memories of it at all.

I was in 5th grade at St. Joseph's Hill Academy and I remember they used the intercom to make the announcement. I went to that school from K thru 8 and they never used the intercom another time while I was there ! The memory that really sticks with me though is being home the next few days, as they closed the school, and seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV. I'll never forget that one.

Bill http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

I was here, but no memories of it at all http://www.corfid.com/ubb/wink.gif

I was here, but no memories of it at all http://www.corfid.com/ubb/wink.gif

I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. I was in Grade 4. I skipped Grade 2 so was a year younger than the other kids. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.

It's amazing that nowadays we know everything about public figures but back then we were only told what they wanted us to know..things aren't always as they seem....it seems.



[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 30, 2005).]

I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. I was in Grade 4. I skipped Grade 2 so was a year younger than the other kids. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.

It's amazing that nowadays we know everything about public figures but back then we were only told what they wanted us to know..things aren't always as they seem....it seems.



[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 30, 2005).]

quote:Originally posted by charlene:
I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.




I was in a coffee bar in Soho in London, with a bunch of kids. The manager told us the dreadful news. I rang home immediately to confirm. It was indeed true. London that night was like a ghost town. Everybody was standing on street corners reading the late editions, not talking. It is a night I will never forget. It was the night that began the change of the world, IMO.

Bill W I remember that too. But, I had thought that he punched him in the stomach. It was a day or two later that I finally was aware that he had been shot. Even though it said on TV that was what happened, just actually seeing it made it like it wasn't real. I think somebody getting shot, up to that point, was abstract to me. You shoot deer and skunks not people. It was the end of innocence for a lot of us.

Bill W I remember that too. But, I had thought that he punched him in the stomach. It was a day or two later that I finally was aware that he had been shot. Even though it said on TV that was what happened, just actually seeing it made it like it wasn't real. I think somebody getting shot, up to that point, was abstract to me. You shoot deer and skunks not people. It was the end of innocence for a lot of us.

I was 11, not quite 12 at the time, in Catholic school. They announced first that JFK had been shot. We stopped everything in classes and started praying a rosary. Not too long later the principal came over the PA to tell us he had died and we were being sent home for the rest of the day. I remember seeing grownups crying on the streets, coming out of their homes, asking us if we'd heard what happened. Very confusing and anxiety-making.

I remember sitting with my father watching the funeral, the riderless horse with the backward-facing boots, John-John's salute as his father's cortege passed by, the deep black veiling on Jackie, the incredible solemnity and - unheard of at that time - practically wall-to-wall television coverage. There was no CNN or other cable news, of course, just the major networks, in black and white.

And I remember seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, live, as they transferred him from one place to another. Even then I wondered what they were thinking by having all these reporters around, even with a phalanx of police officers escorting him. It happened so fast, in the blink of an eye, that you just had to say "did you see that? what happened?" before the full realization hit. Wow.

I was 11, not quite 12 at the time, in Catholic school. They announced first that JFK had been shot. We stopped everything in classes and started praying a rosary. Not too long later the principal came over the PA to tell us he had died and we were being sent home for the rest of the day. I remember seeing grownups crying on the streets, coming out of their homes, asking us if we'd heard what happened. Very confusing and anxiety-making.

I remember sitting with my father watching the funeral, the riderless horse with the backward-facing boots, John-John's salute as his father's cortege passed by, the deep black veiling on Jackie, the incredible solemnity and - unheard of at that time - practically wall-to-wall television coverage. There was no CNN or other cable news, of course, just the major networks, in black and white.

And I remember seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, live, as they transferred him from one place to another. Even then I wondered what they were thinking by having all these reporters around, even with a phalanx of police officers escorting him. It happened so fast, in the blink of an eye, that you just had to say "did you see that? what happened?" before the full realization hit. Wow.

I was 5 and I remember coming home from playing and my had the little tv on in the kitchen and she was crying. We watched the coverage of it for a few hours. I was upset because my mother was upset and although I knew it was our President, I was still too young and didn't really understand what death was, who the President was, and why my mom was so upset about it. After all, we didn't know him, why was she upset about a stranger? I felt weird. But, I also remember where I was when Bobby was shot. I had just walked in to the schoolground when several girls came rushing up and asking had I heard about Bobby Kennedy. I thought, "Oh, no - not another Kennedy shot! Their poor mother." That's what I first thought. And this time, I cried because I understood. I was 10.

I was 5 and I remember coming home from playing and my had the little tv on in the kitchen and she was crying. We watched the coverage of it for a few hours. I was upset because my mother was upset and although I knew it was our President, I was still too young and didn't really understand what death was, who the President was, and why my mom was so upset about it. After all, we didn't know him, why was she upset about a stranger? I felt weird. But, I also remember where I was when Bobby was shot. I had just walked in to the schoolground when several girls came rushing up and asking had I heard about Bobby Kennedy. I thought, "Oh, no - not another Kennedy shot! Their poor mother." That's what I first thought. And this time, I cried because I understood. I was 10.

Re: Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)
 

A bit of background info... OK - I've been *lurking* a bit again. I was a regular poster here but I had a dangerous, highly intrusive, menacing stalker & he made it known that he was also stalking me here constantly. So I deleted as many of my posts as I could to give that BoobleHead less to stalk & then I left this site. He had the audacity to tell me that he registered here with his life-long nickname. He never missed an opportunity to let me know all the crazy & frightening things he "did for love." grrrrr.

In more recent years he reminded me about what I was doing when JFK was shot. He thought it was funny.

JFK - I was in Jr. High School & it was lunch recess. I was busy hoisting my bra up the school flag pole while singing "The Beat Goes On" by Sonny & Cher then triumphantly walked away. A few minutes later I turned to admire my silly stunt but by then my bra had been replaced by the stars & stripes at half mast. So I asked around to see what that was all about & was gobsmacked about the news...

In 1986 or 1987ish Gordon once told me what he was doing when he heard the news. He said he was filling his car with gas at a Toronto gas station. I believe he heard the news over the car radio on his way out. He then asked "Why do you ask?" So I told him that every GL fan I've ever met has had their own story about where they were & what they were doing the first time they heard one of his songs. (A topic of conversation between fans in the hours before a show, etc.) He stopped what he was doing, sat down and just sat there sort of searching my eyes (he just looked completely stunned as though he didn't hear me right.) and cocked his head to the left & smiled. It was in his dressing room before a show. Barry Harvey kept running in & out making pots strong, black coffee for Gord. Fun day - Gordon was adorable.

BTW - to answer the question here. I was working in the display dept. in a big department store. (A window dresser like Rhoda Morgenstern on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show") We had a radio in our work room. When IYCRMM came on I just couldn't believe how beautiful it was so I went over to the radio & stared at it even though there really wasn't anything to *see*… I was instantly smitten.

~ Kate

Re: Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)
 

Well < I wasn't born yet and neither were my 2 older brothers.

For my parents however , this day was a big part of their new marriage.

2 days ago, November 20th , would have been my parents'
56th wedding anniversary (if they were here and had not divorced in 1972).

They had their wedding on that day and were off on their honey moon , when 2 days later , they saw on the news that the President had been shot and then , later did not survive.

They never made it clear if they mutually decided or if one of them talked the other
into it, but they cut the honeymoon short and later traveled to D.C. for JFK's funeral.

(Many superstitious people would tell you it's a bad
omen or even bad luck to attend such a thing , having 'just' been wedded. )

Anyway, they were there , my dad or both of them took photos of the procession and so forth. I have to say , it seems like the Kennedy's 'instances' seem to collide with something that happened in our family.

Nothing 'big' but think of this .

My parents married on Robert Kennedy's birthday

They were honeymooning when his brother was shot.

I was born 2 months and 9 days after
the shooting of Martin Luther King and 5 days after RFK's funeral.


In 1999 , my dad and I were together, when we heard about John Jr.'s plane going down. 1 year and a month later , my father was gone

Re: Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)
 

I was in 6th grade. That Friday afternoon, we were doing an art project. The teacher announced that he was going to turn on the news on the radio while we were drawing/painting, etc. When I came home from school we watched the TV coverage all weekend. My family attended a communal memorial service @ our synagogue the following Monday.



Gail

Re: Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)
 

I thought that I had posted my story here but I cannot see it. Anyway it was a Friday evening and I was working in Derby in the middle of England but that weekend I had arranged to take my new girlfriend the 200 miles south to meet my parents. At about 7PM UK time we were driving in the Coventry area and as usual I had Radio Luxembourg playing on 208 metres as it was the only radio station then playing popular music. suddenly I realised that the pop music had been replaced by serious classical music (most unusual for RL), then the disk jockey came on and reported the news from Dallas. What a shock!!

Re: Where were you when JFK was shot? (Gord was here)
 

I was in school, 6th grade I think. First, the principal came on the overhead speaker to announce JFK had been shot, and we immediately stopped whatever we were doing to start praying the rosary (Catholic school.) About a half hour later she came on again to announce his death, and dismiss school for the day. I remember walking home, grownups standing out on the streets crying, which made us kids really uneasy. Of course as soon as my father came home the (one) TV was set to news -- the first time I can recall virtually all news all the time. Broadcast news generally ran for 30 minutes each evening except during special events like political conventions, election night returns, etc.

And I was sitting next to my dad two days later, watching live on NBC, as sheriffs were moving Oswald from the local lockup to a presumably more secure prison. I said something to my father (who was a police officer himself) asking why were there so many people around during such a high profile transfer (even at age 11 it seemed they'd spirit him out in the dead of night, not surrounded by dozens of people) when there was a commotion and some guy lunged in front of Oswald and there was a large POP! sound. My father jumped up, swearing, and yelling for my mom to come in a hurry -- "somebody shot Oswald!!!!" And after all that, the funeral, that riderless horse with boots backward, Caroline and John John, his saluting, Jackie in deepest mourning ---unforgettable.

And a couple of months later ---the Beatles blew the doors off, brought back joy and cheeky humor and LIFE to a mourning nation.