CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainm...s-obit-110225/

The Canadian Press

Date: Friday Feb. 25, 2011 2:47 PM ET

TORONTO — Terry Clements, a Detroit native who played guitar for Gordon Lightfoot since the early 1970s, has died. He was 63.

Clements died on Sunday, 10 days after suffering a stroke. The news was confirmed by Lightfoot's publicist.

Born in 1947, Clements began playing guitar when he was only five years old.

After graduating from high school, Clements spent two years in the Navy before joining a '60s outfit called Golden Sunflower, managed by Lou Adler, who also steered the careers of the Mamas & the Papas and Carole King.

In the early '70s, Lightfoot met Clements while working on an early Burt Reynolds movie and soon brought the guitarist up to Toronto to audition to join his band. A 40-plus-year collaboration was then born.

Clements contributed to nearly all of Lightfoot's most memorable tunes, including "Carefree Highway," "Sundown" and, of course, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," which features a haunting solo from the guitarist.

Re: CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainm...s-obit-110225/
.Lightfoot guitarist Terry Clements dies

CBC News Posted: Feb 25, 2011 3:16 PM ET Last Updated: Feb 25, 2011 3:16 PM ET Clements played guitar for Gordon Lightfoot for 40 years. (gordonlightfoot.com)

Terry Clements, a Detroit native who played guitar for Gordon Lightfoot for 40 years, has died. He was 63.

Clements died on Sunday, 10 days after suffering a stroke. A posting on Lightfoot's official website acknowledged Clements as "an integral part of the signature Lightfoot sound."

He plays the haunting guitar solo on The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and is a dexterous guitar picker on Carefree Highway. The two created more than 15 albums together.

They met in 1970 while Clements was working on the soundtrack to an early Burt Reynolds movie. When Lightfoot's then-partner Red Shea wanted to get off the road, Lightfoot called Clements to ask him to join the band. He eventually accepted and the two played together since 1971.

"He was always so creative, yet never repetitive, his style inhabiting the music, never seeming to be added on as an afterthought, but instead always feeling like a part of the fabric of the song," said a tribute on Lightfoot's website.

Clements was born in Detroit and grew up in California, before joining the navy, where he hurt his hand. He always played with a flat pick and his ring finger.

In the 1960s he wrote and arranged songs for a group called Golden Sunflower, managed by Lou Adler, who also steered the careers of the Mamas & the Papas and Carole King.

He then got into working on film scores, where he met Lightfoot.

"Gord is personable and more down to earth than a lot of people I've been around, people who believe their own hype and have heads the size of watermelons," Clements "Gord doesn't have many airs about him. I guess to be in the business this long, you have some sense of decorum."

He said Lightfoot often left it to him to hit on the right sound for a song.

"If Gord has specific idea, he'll tell me. Otherwise, it's, 'Come up with something,'" Clements said.

Re: CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

Thanks for posting those, Char!

Re: CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

Thanks Char,

This still has shook me up a bit, along with my son.

In all the years that we followed GL, we met Terry Clements for the first time this past October, 2010. Very cordial and posed for a number of pics with us.

I forgot by now, but my son Joey remembered exactly what we talked about outside of the bus. We were with Rich Haynes and it was an enjoyable time. Will never forget it.

I feel very bad that he is gone.

Re: CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

Wes, please thank Joey for this, it's the last fine 'portrait' of Terry I can recall

Re: CTV - Toronto - from Canadian Press
 

Crap. I'm gone a couple of weeks tending to husband (surgery) and dog (illness) and I come back to this.

Sigh. I feel so bad for Gord and the guys. Bette Davis had it right - getting old ain't for sissies. Like losing one leg of a three-legged stool. The only tiny sliver of a silver lining is we has his playing on the records. Stiil, crap.

PS husband and dog both recovering/recovered.