Gords Birthday

10-08-2003, 12:19 PM

We've got 40 days until November 17. But that's not why I posted this topic.
I was just wondering, in the past Nov.17's has anyone heard any mention of Gords birthday on the news? And if not, can we expect to hear any mention this year? After all, he just narrowly escaped death and sometimes that makes the news better than if nothing had happened. http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/...BNStory/Front/

[This message has been edited by DMD3 (edited November 02, 2003).]

Char1 · 10-08-2003, 05:49 PM

It's sometimes mentioned here in the Toronto area when he's having his Massey shows at the same time. Other than that it's not a news item. Perhaps this year with his awards, illness, tribute album, new album and turning 65 it may be mentioned....but probably not.
char
i'll watch and read and listen tho...just incase.

Borderstone · 10-08-2003, 08:20 PM

One thing's for sure DMD3,it's not likely to get a mantion on any of the Entertainment Tonight type shows out there. If he does get a mention,then I'll retract my statement. ET only does one birthday a day during the week anymore. On the weekend they do a few more but last year,they made no mention of GL. They sure didn't have any problem saying he ws rushed to the hospital though! I wonder,if Gord had gone "around the bend",would they have given him a farewell tribute episode? I wont try to answer that. All I know is when Gord's birythday came up 2 months later,not a word or well wish.

CNN or E! has those sentences or whatever that go acroos the bottom of the TV screen,you might see it there. Otherwise,I dunno...try to get on national TV and say Happy Birthday. Whatever it takes. Been me,later!

------------------
Borderstone - AZ's answer to GL! (but what was the question?)

10-10-2003, 12:27 PM

I'll watch Newcenter 10 and other channels like that and maybe there will be a mention of it.

10-10-2003, 12:29 PM

If they do mention it, I wonder if they'll actually discuss it, like you see Dawn Hobby and those others the way they have those conversations. They might even mention the Tribute CD or the CD coming out in Feb. 2004. I guess I'll just half to wait and see.

Next Saturday · 10-10-2003, 09:39 PM

Often it gets a mention on "Morning Edition" on NPR. They do birthdays at the beginning of each new segment, I think at the top and bottom of the hour. I heard it 2 years ago on the drive into work-I just happened to be listening.

BILLW · 10-11-2003, 06:29 AM

For what it's worth, here in Chicago, his birthday gets mentioned in the Sun-times in both Michael Sneed's gossip/politics column and Irv Kupcinet's column each year.
Entertainment Tonight dropped him from their list 7 or 8 years ago.

Rob1956 · 10-11-2003, 06:29 AM

For what it's worth, here in Chicago, his birthday gets mentioned in the Sun-times in both Michael Sneed's gossip/politics column and Irv Kupcinet's column each year.
Entertainment Tonight dropped him from their list 7 or 8 years ago.

formerlylavender · 10-11-2003, 10:33 AM

They always have it listed here in Delaware in the Wilmington News Journal. It'll say Singer Gordon Lightfoot...65 or whatever. It kind of annoys me that they don't list him as Singer/Songwriter, but I guess I'm getting too picky.

shustad · 10-11-2003, 10:19 PM

Someone posted here that GL is turning 65 this November, but since he was born in 1939, that would make him only a spritely 64, right?

closetcanadian · 10-12-2003, 12:51 AM

Lightfoot's date of birth is November 17, 1938. And here's hoping we will be observing many more GL birthdays to come, even if the media fails to mention them! Given his shyness and modesty, I doubt if GL is bothered by the lack of publicity regarding his birthday.

Rob1956 · 10-15-2003, 07:58 AM

Shustad, you might be thinking of the song
"Restless" where Gord refers to 1939. But he mentions "when I was one year old", which would make his birth year '38.

loveyagord · 10-17-2003, 05:15 PM

To honor Gord, we could all request songs from our local radio stations on Nov. 17th. Right now, I'm in the process of asking Sirius.com to play a Gordon song on their folk stream. (To get to the Folk Stream, go to the Variety link first.) I don't know how Sirius works, but I'm sampling their folk stream now.

Earlier today (and this was really strange), I went on Sirius.com for the first time, and guess what came on as soon as the folk stream came on? That's right... Gordon's "For Lovin' Me," a 1966 version I believe. It was definitely an early recording.

Just now, John Prine is on. I know some of you like him.

[This message has been edited by loveyagord (edited October 17, 2003).]

Borderstone · 10-17-2003, 05:57 PM

Last year after I sent GL a get well card,I was going to send him a birthday card that made some weird joke about bowling in Canada. It says,How about for your birthday we go bowling in Canada and then when were older we can say,"Remember when we went bowling in Canada?"

I don't get the joke but I wonder if he might. I also wonder if he'd be offended? The card is still at my local grocery store so I face the same decision again. I'm leaning more twords a yes this year.

Iron · 10-17-2003, 06:16 PM

LYG,

That's a really good idea,and our local DJ told me a while back that he would play anything I bring him of Gord's.Instead of one of His well known songs,I was thinking maybe "Restless" and have the listeners see if they know the artist? I think I'll just do that.Thanks for the good idea!!!

Auburn Annie · 10-17-2003, 06:32 PM

How lucky you are to have actual DJs (live! local!). We have prefab (e.g. Clear Channel) stations for the most part - they (the stations) took a real shellacking recently with the power blackout because they'd jump to ABC News or CNN instead of sending reporters out into the neighborhoods to report the local news. Their spokesperson got into a brouhaha with the dean of Syracuse University's journalism school, telling the dean he didn't know diddly about reporting and he should stick to academics. Except this dean had better credentials than the guy criticizing him, heh heh. And ordinary citizens leapt to the dean's defence. The local Clear Channel stations are still licking their wounds.

Anyway, I'll be having my own personal Gordfest on the 17th of November.

minstrelms · 10-17-2003, 06:59 PM

When I submitted my GL song request to Sirius.com, I also asked the DJ via email to consider creating a GL tribute or GL set to play on the folk stream on Nov. 17 to honor Gord for all he's contributed to the music/folk scene.

I'm not sure if my GL request was played or not tonight because I can only listen to the stream for 20-minute segments as a guest. Plus, my computer locked up twice tonight.

Another idea... We could even write to CNN, CNN Headline News, MSN, etc. to ask them to post GL's birthday on the "crawlers"/"trailers"/whatever those scrolling texts at the bottom of the screen are called that make me feel dizzy.

loveyagord · 10-17-2003, 06:59 PM

When I submitted my GL song request to Sirius.com, I also asked the DJ via email to consider creating a GL tribute or GL set to play on the folk stream on Nov. 17 to honor Gord for all he's contributed to the music/folk scene.

I'm not sure if my GL request was played or not tonight because I can only listen to the stream for 20-minute segments as a guest. Plus, my computer locked up twice tonight.

Another idea... We could even write to CNN, CNN Headline News, MSN, etc. to ask them to post GL's birthday on the "crawlers"/"trailers"/whatever those scrolling texts at the bottom of the screen are called that make me feel dizzy.

Borderstone · 10-17-2003, 07:01 PM

I know none of the local radio stations here would play anything but his hits.

Here we are in the 21s Century and the radio industry still holds on to these outdated format ideals. There are only 5 surviving non-country stations here in Phoenix from the old days and they are bor-ing! If I called local Kool-FM Oldies radio and asked them to play anything but a hit,they'd most likely hang up on me. I guess they'd rather stick with the four songs they do play (need I list?) It'd be a great tribute to a man not only turning 65 but to a man who's given and been through so much.

Iron · 10-18-2003, 12:35 PM

ROB1956
That would be "Drink Yer Glasses Empty",I think..I could be wrong,thought I was one other time but I was mistaken....or maybe it was twice,or so..

BILLW · 10-20-2003, 08:29 AM

Yep, you're right, I was wrong!

Rob1956 · 10-20-2003, 08:29 AM

Yep, you're right, I was wrong!

Oma · 10-21-2003, 11:44 AM

Speaking of Gord's Birthday...I'm lucky enough to share a birth month with Gord!!! And, my mom is lucky enough to share her birth year with Gord!!!

Just some useless info for your reading enjoyment!

10-21-2003, 12:19 PM

I forgot to mention Friday that we had a month left. I think we have 27 days left as of today.

Borderstone · 10-23-2003, 07:12 PM

Not only is this November Gordon Lightfoot's 65th birthday,but it's also the 35th Anniversary of the release of,"Back Here On Earth". I was only 5 months old then but I'll mention it just the same! It's in my lifetime.

As long as I'm mentioning anniv.'s: 30 years since,"Old Dan's Records"-25 for Endless Wire this past spring-20 for "Salute"-15 for GGII-10 for Waiting For You and 5 for "A Painter Passing Through". Whew!

That took a lot out of me!

(pant! pant!) Later!

------------------
Borderstone (Hello!

)


	You are at: Home - Discussion Forum