http://www.post-trib.com/entertainme...htfoot.article
Lightfoot brings guitar grace to Star Theatre
March 28, 2008
BY BOB KOSTANCZUK Post-Tribune staff writer
The ruptured artery that Gordon Lightfoot suffered six years ago was, in his mind, beyond scary.
"It was an aortic aneurysm," the Canadian tunesmith explained.
The near-fatal aneurysm was based in his abdomen.
"It did a lot of damage down there," Lightfoot said. "It took two full years to recover from that. I fought my way back and I got my singing voice back."
Now 69, the singer-songwriter remains a proud performer who will see his most stirring melody used in "Mysteries of the Great Lakes," a soon-to-be-released IMAX film.
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" lends realism to the big-screen saga since it uses wave-crashing crescendo to tell the true story of an iron ore carrier that sank in Lake Superior in 1975, killing 29 men.
Lightfoot is sure to perform his Top 10 hit from 1976 at a Saturday, April 5, concert in Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre -- a venue he's played before.
"It's a wonderful place to play -- beautiful seating," Lightfoot recently said by phone from his home in Toronto.
"I will be appearing with a four-piece backup band," he also noted. "We have a wonderful repertoire, even if I do say so myself.
"I like to connect with an audience and I love to do a great job. I take my work seriously and I believe in my material."
It's material that some other notable artists happen to respect.
His songs have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Sarah McLachlan and even the hard-edged Jane's Addiction.
Jimmy Buffett related that his pretty ballad "Come Monday" is a direct result of him trying to compose a Lightfoot-style song. The late Johnny Cash once chimed in with praise, too, calling Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" an "extremely fine piece of songwriting."
Once a producer of commercial jingles, the guitarist began releasing major-label records in the mid-1960s. But he didn't truly break out in America until a haunting tune gave him his first hit single in 1971.
That memorable effort happens to stick in the mind of Portage's Ronn Barany, a purveyor of eclectic acoustic music.
" 'If You Could Read My Mind' is probably my favorite song by him," the 53-year-old singer-guitarist said. "It's very well crafted. It's got a great melody."
For Barany, the Canadian artist is a valued influence: "He's one of the guys I cut my teeth on, definitely."
Three years after the success of "If You Could Read My Mind," Lightfoot notched a chart-topper with "Sundown," a sexy slice of moody folk music.
But Lightfoot's signature song just may be "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," which has an enduring, autumnal quality.
"It rang a bell, really, all over North America," the singer said. "The fact that it would become a hit single was the furthest thing from anyone's mind."
Because of the loss of life at the center of the Edmund Fitzgerald's story, Lightfoot has been guarded about use of it, but made an exception for the IMAX film.
"That's the first time that we've actually let that song go for any particular project," he said. "It's been requested before for other things, including feature films."
However, Lightfoot said he felt a certain responsibility: "We've sort of always kept a lid on that one out of respect for the people around the Great Lakes area who knew the men on the ship."
Contact Bob Kostanczuk at 648-3144 or
bkostanczuk@post-trib.com
Lightfoot brings guitar grace to Star Theatre
