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Entertainment Music
The legend lives on . . .
Canadian music legend Gordon Lightfoot is humbled to be included with other songwriting greats in the American hall of fame, happy to live among Canadians and proud of the loyalty of his longtime band.
By JOE BELANGER, The London Free Press
The people Gordon Lightfoot calls friend or acquaintance is like a Who's Who of folk and rock music.
The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Mick Jagger -- Lightfoot doesn't name them all, just a few that naturally emerge during an interview.
The names of artists who've recorded Lightfoot songs include Dylan, the Kingston Trio, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., George Hamilton IV, Jerry Lee Lewis, Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Richie Havens, Harry Belafonte, John Mellencamp; the list seems endless.
But it's also the reason there should be no surprise among Canadians that Lightfoot -- headed to Southwestern Ontario this week to play shows in Kitchener Thursday, Chatham Friday, Sarnia Saturday and St. Thomas on Sunday -- was inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame last week for helping "to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s."
The songs that put him in the Songwriters' Hall of Fame include: For Lovin' Me, Early Morning Rain, Steel Rail Blues, Black Day in July, Ribbon of Darkness, If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown, Carefree Highway, Rainy Day People and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Lightfoot was inducted alongside rocker Bob Seger as performing songwriters, and a few others who don't perform.
"I'm humbled by it all because these people -- Elton John is in there, Bob Dylan -- are so accomplished and have such tremendous output," said Lightfoot in a recent telephone interview.
"I've only had 20 original albums. I think Bob Dylan has had over 50 original albums . . . I'm very happy, honoured to be alongside these people."
There are only a few Canadians in the American Songwriters Hall of Fame, among them Leonard Cohen, Paul Anka and Joni Mitchell.
Songwriting is work, said Lightfoot, adding it takes sacrifice.
"I'm sure they've all worked very hard and burned the midnight oil and isolated themselves in order to get the job done," Lightfoot said.
"It affects a lot of things. It affects your personal life, your marriages, your relationship with your children and family. I've tried to play both as a twin priority my whole life, the family and the music. And the family is large. I have six children and four grandchildren."
Now 73, Lightfoot keeps busy with his family, going to the gym and managing the business of being Lightfoot since the death of his long-time manager, Barry Harvey, four years ago.
Loyalty is a thread through Lightfoot's career. Most of the musicians in his back-up band have been with him for decades, including Barry Keane on drums, Rick Haynes on bass and Mike Heffernan on keyboards. Lead guitarist Terry Clements, for 40 years an anchor in the band, died in February, 2011, of a stroke at age 63. Clements was replaced by Carter Lancaster.
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OVER THE YEARS
Nov. 17, 1938: Born in Orillia, son of a dry cleaning plant manager and a mother who nurtured his musical talents, that led to appearances on television and an event at Massey Hall as a boy soprano.
January, 1966: Lightfoot releases his debut album, Lightfoot!, featuring the songs Early Morning Rain, For Lovin' Me, Ribbon of Darkness and I'm Not Sayin' that established Lightfoot as a Canadian and international star.
January, 1974: Sundown is released, spawning two hit songs, Sundown (his only No. 1 hit in the U.S.) and Carefree Highway. The only Lightfoot album to top the Canadian and U.S. pop charts, as well as charting high on the country lists.
June 1976: Lightfoot releases Summertime Dream which included Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which topped the pop charts in Canada and peaked at No. 2 in the U.S. After the release of Endless Wire in 1978 and the single, The Circle is Small, Lightfoot never again enjoyed commercial success.
Juno Awards: Lightfoot has received sixteen Juno Awards for top folk singer (nine times), top male vocalist (five times) and composer of the year in 1972 and 1976.
Grammy Awards: Lightfoot received four Grammy nominations for best folk performance (Did She Mention My Name), best pop performance by a male (If You Could Read My Mind) and two in 1977 for best pop vocal performance and song of the year for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
1986: Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
1998: Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
2001: Inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame.
January, 2002: Suffers ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, spends six weeks in a coma and undergoes four surgeries. Work on his 20th studio album suspended.
May, 2003: Made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour. January 2004 Lightfoot completes and releases his latest studio album, Harmony.
September 14, 2006: Lightfoot suffers a minor stroke during a performance that temporarily left him without the use of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand.
February 2010: Lightfoot is the victim of a death hoax that originated on Twitter. At the time, Lightfoot was at a dentist's office, then contacted media to confirm reports of his death were premature.
June 14, 2012: Inducted into the American Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
E-mail
joe.belanger@sunmedia.ca, or follow JoeBatLFPress on Twitter.