http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...NTERTAINMENT03
The troubadour returns
A near-fatal abdominal hemorrhage behind him, Gordon Lightfoot continues down carefree highway.
BY DAVE RICHARDS
dave.richards@timesnews.com [more details]
Lightfoot: “No worries, no cares.” (Contributed photo)
Since 2000, the last time he played Erie live, Gordon Lightfoot nearly died. The legendary Canadian troubadour -- who's crafted such enduring, folk-flavored hits as "Sundown," "If You Could Read My Mind," and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" -- suffered an abdominal hemorrhage in September 2003.
He collapsed prior to a concert in his hometown of Orilla, Ontario, then slipped into a coma for six weeks.
"It was a leak, not a pop," said Lightfoot, of the hemorrhage.
"Had it been a pop, I'd be dead. But I'd been keeping a strong exercise regiment going, so the heart never stopped. I started doing it in 1981. So, when the event took place 20 years later, I guess I was in shape by then. I had always stuck with it; I knew it helped the singing."
After he emerged from the coma, Lightfoot didn't look back. He just wanted to know how long until he could perform again.
"I was unconscious for six weeks," he said. "When I woke up, on the second or third day, the first question I was asking was, 'What are we going to do next?' I had to practice guitar a lot. I had to get right into it."
During his recovery, Lightfoot received well wishes from thousands of fans, including Bob Dylan, who once covered "Early Morning Rain." The outpouring of love overwhelmed him.
"I was so grateful for all of that," said Lightfoot, who returned to the stage in spring 2006. " I was willing to prove I could go out there and do it as best as I can. I was telling stories up there. It was quite good."
Lightfoot emerged during the folk movement of the late 1950s, influenced by the Weavers, Phil Ochs, Kingston Trio, and later on, Dylan. By the early 1970s, he had developed a fervent following of his own, thanks to literate, poetic songs that often dwelled on matters of nature as much as matters of the heart.
His warm, flowing, burnished songs perfectly suited the golden age of songwriters -- James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, Elton John.
With 1974's "Sundown," Lightfoot became a pop star in his own right. The album hit No. 1 and produced the title smash and follow-up hit, "Carefree Highway."
Around Lake Erie, however, Lightfoot may be best known for 1976's vivid, harrowing account of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He allowed it to be used in "Mysteries of the Great Lakes," now playing at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.
"It's a great one to play," Lightfoot said. " The audience loves it, and so do we. And I'm happy to say we've met and become friends with [survivors' relatives] over the years."
Since his own near-death experience, Lightfoot has become a news junkie, watching cable news channels religiously.
"In a sense it's horrific, for sure, but what I think is the great, most fascinating thing going on is the American election," he said. "I've got to sit there and watch."
He has no plans to record again, but enjoys hearing other artists interpret his songs, as on "Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot" with Tragically Hip, Cowboy Junkies, Blue Rodeo, and more.
Johnny Cash once covered "If I Could Read Your Mind" ( "I was really surprised and honored," Lightfoot said). So did disco diva Viola Wills, and he liked that, too.
Mostly, he enjoys performing with his top-flight, well-honed band. He has no plans to stop.
"If there are not health issues, it's best to continue on," Lightfoot said. "That's where the surprises show up. So we'll go as long as we have no health issues and people are feeling good. None of us are getting any younger."
In November, Lightfoot turns 70.
"It doesn't bother me at all," he said. "I remember six weeks of life when I was, for all intents and purposes, dead. All I remember thinking was, 'No worries, no cares.'"
The skinny
Gordon Lightfoot will perform Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Warner Theater, 811 State St. Tickets are $48.75 and $38.75 and are available at the Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, and online at
www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit
www.gordonlightfoot.com.
Erie PA article
- Borderstone
