An excerpt from CJAD's year end review of music in Canada:

*******************************************

The year also saw a celebration of an important figure in Canadian music history.

Gordon Lightfoot's bout with a stomach ailment prompted others to fete the legend with a tribute album, induction into the Canada's Hall of Fame and a Companion of the Order of Canada - the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

"Gordon Lightfoot is one of our only towering figures (in Canada)," said Keir Keightley, an expert on the culture of celebrity who teaches at the University of Western Ontario, in London.

"We don't have another Gordon Lightfoot. There are other people who could be compared to Johnny Cash but who can we compare to Gordon Lightfoot?"

But what does the next chapter hold in Canadian music history? It's too early to tell if the Nelly Furtados and Avril Lavignes will make cultural impacts with their music.

Keightley thinks there seems to be a pop or urban idolization emerging in Canada, led by the Lavigne model of overnight success.

"There was a time when there was a very clear-cut sense of Canadian popular music having these folky roots and that's changing," he said. "Lightfoot is passing into history and the future of Canadian music is very likely elsewhere."

*****************************************

Okay, let's not rush the man out the door just yet <g>. As for 'folky roots' music has been decidedly urban for two or more decades - if consider R&B 'roots' music - roots for rap & hip hop - it's been even longer than that. But it's a good point that there doesn't yet seem to be a person or group representative of a distinctively Canadian sound. The world is too small these days, I suspect, to support a national or even regional icon. Here's the link to the whole article:
http://www3.cjad.com/content/cjad_ne...sp?id=e122502A

And those rock-and-roll dinosaurs are still out-drawing the young pups in $$ at their concerts.


[This message has been edited by Auburn Annie (edited December 25, 2003).]

An excerpt from CJAD's year end review of music in Canada:

*******************************************

The year also saw a celebration of an important figure in Canadian music history.

Gordon Lightfoot's bout with a stomach ailment prompted others to fete the legend with a tribute album, induction into the Canada's Hall of Fame and a Companion of the Order of Canada - the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

"Gordon Lightfoot is one of our only towering figures (in Canada)," said Keir Keightley, an expert on the culture of celebrity who teaches at the University of Western Ontario, in London.

"We don't have another Gordon Lightfoot. There are other people who could be compared to Johnny Cash but who can we compare to Gordon Lightfoot?"

But what does the next chapter hold in Canadian music history? It's too early to tell if the Nelly Furtados and Avril Lavignes will make cultural impacts with their music.

Keightley thinks there seems to be a pop or urban idolization emerging in Canada, led by the Lavigne model of overnight success.

"There was a time when there was a very clear-cut sense of Canadian popular music having these folky roots and that's changing," he said. "Lightfoot is passing into history and the future of Canadian music is very likely elsewhere."

*****************************************

Okay, let's not rush the man out the door just yet <g>. As for 'folky roots' music has been decidedly urban for two or more decades - if consider R&B 'roots' music - roots for rap & hip hop - it's been even longer than that. But it's a good point that there doesn't yet seem to be a person or group representative of a distinctively Canadian sound. The world is too small these days, I suspect, to support a national or even regional icon. Here's the link to the whole article:
http://www3.cjad.com/content/cjad_ne...sp?id=e122502A

And those rock-and-roll dinosaurs are still out-drawing the young pups in $$ at their concerts.


[This message has been edited by Auburn Annie (edited December 25, 2003).]

Having visited Canada several times with my parents when I was young, I have to say that hearing Gord's music gives me the same feeling as being in Canada. I can't really descibe it, you just sort of know it when you feel it. It's cool.

<<"Lightfoot is passing into history ." >>

Hopefully, I misconstrued this thought but I find this assumption depressing,especially as we look towards 2004 with hope and
enthusiasm for Lightfoot's return. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/frown.gif

quote:Originally posted by SilverHeels:
<<"Lightfoot is passing into history ." >>

Hopefully, I misconstrued this thought but I find this assumption depressing,especially as we look towards 2004 with hope and
enthusiasm for Lightfoot's return. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/frown.gif


That's why I headed this topic the way I did - he's not dead yet, thank you very much, either personally or professionally. I dislike those "here's your hat, what's your hurry?" mixed messages: sort of like Lifetime Achievement awards they hand out to folks in mid-career. Some of us are late bloomers, some like Gord hit big early, and just get better as we go along - and you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Better to get recognition while you're still around to appreciate it and say thanks but for Pete's sake let's not overdo the retrospective and ignore the yet-to-come work.

quote:Originally posted by SilverHeels:
<<"Lightfoot is passing into history ." >>

Hopefully, I misconstrued this thought but I find this assumption depressing,especially as we look towards 2004 with hope and
enthusiasm for Lightfoot's return. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/frown.gif


That's why I headed this topic the way I did - he's not dead yet, thank you very much, either personally or professionally. I dislike those "here's your hat, what's your hurry?" mixed messages: sort of like Lifetime Achievement awards they hand out to folks in mid-career. Some of us are late bloomers, some like Gord hit big early, and just get better as we go along - and you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Better to get recognition while you're still around to appreciate it and say thanks but for Pete's sake let's not overdo the retrospective and ignore the yet-to-come work.

One thing he was right about is "...who can we compare to Gordon Lightfoot."
With Gord releasing a new CD with new songs in the Spring I hope that will raise the enthusiasm again, the awards and the tribute cd surely should raise awareness expecially in the younger generation. I personally can hardly wait for that new CD to come out.

One thing he was right about is "...who can we compare to Gordon Lightfoot."
With Gord releasing a new CD with new songs in the Spring I hope that will raise the enthusiasm again, the awards and the tribute cd surely should raise awareness expecially in the younger generation. I personally can hardly wait for that new CD to come out.

Waiting for the new CD and GL performing live gives new meaning to the song title's,"Waiting For You" and "Your Love's Return". http://www.corfid.com/ubb/wink.gif

------------------
Borderstone (Hello! :) )