Gordon Lightfoot Dead at 84
Written by Logan Phillips on May 1, 2023
Canadian Folk Legend Gordon Lightfoot has died at the age of 84 of unspecified causes.
Lightfoot’s death was confirmed by a post on his official Facebook page. His death comes shortly after having to cancel 2023 tour dates due to health issues on April 11.
Born in Orillia, Ontario in 1938, Lightfoot began his musical career from a very early age. He began singing in local choirs and competitions. As he progressed into his teen years, he taught himself piano, drums and guitar, before moving to California in 1958 to study jazz composition and orchestration at the Westlake College of Music in Hollywood.
Lightfoot would eventually find success on the US pop charts in 1970 with the song “If You Could Read My Mind.” That track also earned the songwriter his second of four Grammy nominations.
His 1976 ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Other hits included “Carefree Highway.”
Lightfoot toured late into his life, until last month he cancelled upcoming U.S. and Canadian shows, citing health issues.
The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted after the news broke concerning Lightfoot.
“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters…Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”
