Gordon Lightfoot

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Orillia, Ontario, Canada

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr., (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer and songwriter who achieved international success in , , and popular music. He came to prominence in the 19, and broke through on the international music charts in the 19 with songs such as “If You Could Read My Mind” (1970), “Sundown” (1974) and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1976). His songs have been recorded by some of the world’s most successful recording artists, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Robbie Robertson of The Band declared that Lightfoot was one of his “favourite Canadian songwriters and is absolutely a national treasure.”

Lightfoot was born to Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Sr. and Jessica Lightfoot in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. As a youth, he sang in the choir of St. Paul’s United Church under the direction of choir-master Ray Williams. Lightfoot remarked in 2005 that it was Williams who “taught him how to sing with emotion and how to have confidence in his voice”.

Lightfoot moved to Los Angeles, California during the 1950s where he studied at Hollywood’s Westlake College of Music. He returned to Canada by the early 1960s and began performing in coffee houses in the Toronto folk scene. He sang with Terry Whelan in a duo called the Two Tones. They released a live album recorded in 1962 called Two Tones at the Village Corner. In 1966, his debut album Lightfoot! was released and it brought him recognition as a songwriter.
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  • JarrettK28

    "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Fred Bear" by Ted Nugent are the best songs to listen to while camping.

    last month

  • Appo2007

    bravo bravo!

    March 2012

  • meandmymini

    ~♡~♡~♡~

    February 2012

  • BWoolmore

    so many lovely songs - i could listen to this guy over and over - in fact, I do!

    February 2012

  • DarkScimitar

    Probably my favorite folk artist of all time. This man is amazing.

    October 2011

  • KidAInLimbo

    Can't wait to see him in November!

    September 2011

  • vishal8492

    If you could read my mind is epic absolutely epic :)

    August 2011

  • ravinandans

    "If you could read my mind" has been my favourite since I heard it. I almost always start with this song when I switch on my music box.

    August 2011
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