https://sunonlinemedia.ca/2021/08/12...qxifzXURpRoK0c
This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
August 12, 2021 Sunonline/Orillia
By John Swartz
“’Tis but a scratch.”
Gordon Lightfoot could have had the part of the Black Knight in Monty Python’s The Holy Grail because he’s not letting a broken wrist slow him down. Sunday, Joe Warmington reported Gord broke his wrist and cancelled some shows – including the August 20 gig at Casino Rama.
I spoke with Gord this week and he is undaunted about returning to the stage.
“I haven’t said I won’t be able to play again,” he said. “I have been told I will by the doctors.”
Gord said he slipped and fell in his kitchen.
“I slipped, fell down, I turned to my right and my wrist went between the hip and the floor,” he said. If there is a ray of hope, it’s that he broke his right wrist not his left, which does most of the intricate work playing guitar.
“I’m glad you mentioned it. It’s better it wasn’t the left hand,” Gord said. “We wouldn’t be able to do anything. This way we are able to rehearse. We’ve got a recording studio down here in town called Canterbury Studio and we rehearse there. We’ve been rehearsing there for all of the songs we were prepared to do over the last year and a half and we’ve been getting in some excellent rehearsals. What we’re doing now is we are getting back into that again, this will be just the first one again. We were down (in the U.S.) and did three shows a few weeks ago.”
He’s obviously in a cast. I asked how many people have signed it.
“No I won’t be doing too much of that,” he said. “This one will be changed in another week and probably put a different cast on. Right now there’s a plate and two screws – and the cast. Kim and I, my wife, are dealing with it very well.” He’s able to play with the band despite the cast.
“I will sit in a chair and I will play the chords with my left hand and the other people will play the arrangements. The singing voice looks after itself. I’m just interested in playing the instrument.”
This is not the first time Gord has had a body part in a cast. The first time was in high school.
“I broke the tendon in my knee one time that put me in a cast for 6 or 8 weeks. That was in track and field.” Whenever we speak, Gord tells me he’s taking care of himself, going to the gym to stay in shape for the road and etc.
“I go walking every day, I have a routine,” he said. Gord is adamant he’ll be back on stage. “Absolutely. It’s much more important to accomplish the dates. We postponed, we moved a whole bunch of dates off into 2022, hoping to be able to aim for Massey in November,”