PROFILBARU.COM

Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
	GordonLightfoot in Toronto.
Background information
Birth name	Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.
Born	17 November 1938; Orillia, Ontario, Canada
Died	1 May 2023 (aged 84); Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Folk, country
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, voice
Years active	1962–2023

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.^[1] (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He is famous around the world for his folk, country, and pop music songs. He was first heard in the 1960s. He had hit radio songs in the 1970s including "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".^[2]

Some of his songs have been recorded by other famous singers including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Barbra Streisand and Tony Rice.

Robbie Robertson of the Canadian music group called the Band said Lightfoot was his "favourite Canadian songwriter".^[3]

Lightfoot's music career lasted sixty years. He recorded more than 200 songs. His folk music of the 1960s and 1970s influenced many famous singers including Bob Dylan and Jim Croce. Like Robertson, Bob Dylan called Lightfoot one of his favourite songwriters.^[4]

Awards

In his career, Lightfoot received sixteen Juno Awards. He won Junos as top folk singer in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977. He won a Juno as top male vocalist in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 And he won in 1972 and 1976 for being composer of the year.

Lightfoot received ASCAP awards for songwriting in 1971, 1974, 1976 and 1977.

Lightfoot was nominated for five Grammy Awards.

In 1980, Lightfoot was named Canadian Male Recording Artist of the Decade for his music of the 1970s.

Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986. He was added to Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998. He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

In May 2003, Lightfoot was made a Companion of the Order of Canada,^[5] which is one of Canada's highest awards.