Gordon Lightfoot 1938-2023 R.I.P.

My father was Gords manager for 25 years and I will say that even though I’ve seen him play live front row and centre 20 plus times mostly at Massey hall in Toronto he always delivered the goods live. A true perfectionist. A man who treated us kids nicely even during halftime intermissions. I’m only 40 but must say his music forever will hold a place in my heart. When my father passed Gord sang at his funeral. An original piece he wrote for my old man. The world truly lost one of the greatest song writers and storytellers in modern music

Gordon wrote stories. They were given to us with music. RIP Gordon.

I had to stop listening to his music after my divorce. I learned he died in a text message from my estranged daughter, who I hadn't heard from in 11 years. She said she heard he died and she broke down crying. She remembered me singing his songs when she went to work with me. We are due to meet up to get reacquainted this Summer.

I recall driving driving north on Mt. Pleasant in Toronto about10 yr ago when I stopped at a red light. An old beater of a car stopped beside us, it was Gord. He didn't look over but I've always wondered how I, a guy in his '60s, would have responded if we'd made eye contact. I had student at the time who had a part-time job at Ring Music near U of T in Toronto. He came into my office one day to tell me that the door opened and in walked Gordon Lightfoot. Apparently, that's where Gord takes his guitars for servicing. Two weeks later the same thing happened, the door opened and in walked Gord, followed by Bob Dylan. They were friends and Bob would stay with Gord when he was in town. These memories are more precious now than then.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald has probably the greatest line ever written, IMO. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours". That gets me every time I hear it. Thank you Rick for this awesome tribute to one of the greatest songwriters ever

I'm a music teacher in Canada. Monday May 1st was Music Monday in Canada, where hundreds of thousands of students and educators across the country celebrate the importance of music education in our schools. It's somehow fitting that he left us on this day. His impact on music in our country, and apparently the world, will live on starting on this day! I love that you are such a fan. This was a nice tribute Rick. Thank you!

I was 20 years old (1973 or 1974) and he played a concert at Emory University in Atlanta. It was just him and a sound guy. No retinue. No stage or risers. He sat on a chair in the middle of the gym floor and about 250 of us sat on the floor all around him. He played for 3 hours or so. Just him and his guitar. It was amazing.

I saw him twice and I lived in Boston. Once I found him I didn't care to listen to anybody else for a while.. I sought him out when he came to Boston 72 or 73. I drove out to Tanglewood in my Volkswagen bus and I slept out in the parking lot as I recall. He was late appearing, so I went around backstage, outside, where are all the performers go to smoke during their shows. There was one of those newfangled benches, with the curved seats. There I sat waiting for him to arrive. Shut off, a Peugeot or maybe Volvo station wagon, pulled in way across the field. And it was going fast, is it pulled in to a stop. Out jumped Gordon. I don't recall if he was driving or not. No less than four or five women also jumped out and headed to the front area of the stage. Gordon made a beeline for the bench I was sitting on. You sat right down next to me in offered me the rest of his oil can fosters beer, i think, saying:"I don't really need this, do you want the rest of it". Can you handed it to me, jumped up and said:" I got to go." I returned to the seat I had chosen and for some reason there were not that many people attending. To my left, I spied the ladies whom had gotten out of the car. I know it was them because they all carried huge bouquets of flowers. How many years later I figured out they must have spent the afternoon with Gordon exploring magnificent hills of Western Massachusetts one of the women actually winked at me! They were all drop dead gorgeous! I thought Gordon might put on a less than perfect performance. I was wrong. From that day on I have learned one Gordon Lightfoot song after another. At 74, this June 21,I am still finding songs that I never heard. If one can say that Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of our time, then you would also have to say that Gordon Lightfoot is also the greatest (or coming in second) songwriter of our time. Yes, I love the man and his music. Thank you again Rick for this show

I am 73 , Canadian, and been sad all day. Spent the morning playing, singing and listening to Gord. A Canadian national treasure. Thank God we have his music to remember him.

I met Gordo exactly 10 years ago to today (5/2/13). He is such a class act, he signed my copy of "If you Could Read My Mind" LP that I gave to my Dad who was also there to meet him. My wife was pregnant and Mr Lightfoot rubbed her belly. We tell our son that he was blessed by Gordon Lightfoot. He was the nicest guy I've ever met! RIP Gordo!

50 years ago (1974) anchored in Silver Bay, my shipmates and I on the Cleveland Cliffs S.S. Cadillac waited for the Edmond Fitzgerald to finish fully loading before we could dock and pick up 16,500 tons of iron ore (taconite) to haul to the mills in Cleveland. The next year (11/10/1975) the Fitzgerald... While I have emotional resilience, some things, like Gordon Lightfoot's ballad and the memory my fellow sailors, still bring a tear to my eye. The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times.

I learnt to play If You Could Read My Mind when I was 18. I'm 67 now and recently played it live for my wife. I could remember all the words and chord changes even though I hadn't played the song in nearly 40 years. That's the mark of a great song for me; a song that becomes imprinted on your memory that you couldn't forget if you tried. I had to play the song in G rather than A because I didn't have a capo handy and didn't fancy tackling the barre chords. Folk singers will be discovering Gordon's songs a century from now. His music will become part of the standard folk repertoire

Last concert I took my Mom to before she died at 60 of Alzheimer’s. Amazingly she was singing along remembering the words even though she could barely talk. Never forget it. RIP Gordon.

“Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours…” That lyric always rips my heart out of my chest and throws it into Lake Superior. Another perfect story telling song.

For me, what makes Lightfoot so wonderful is that every song is a rich, detailed story that you can visualize in your mind's eye. An incredible man. Skills that not only play musical instruments, but also play our emotions.

I'm from Brazil, City of Curitiba, State of Paraná, and the day he passed away, without even knowing that he had passed away, I was listening to his songs. I'm very sad! I really like his songs, and some are special, like: Daylight Katy, If You Could Ready Mind, That's Whats You Get for loving me, The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgeral, Sundown .... and many others that are wonderful! A great singer and a music giant!😢😢

Gordon Lightfoot’s passing hits hard, as his music did. Rest in peace, sir.

My wife and I started our life together at 20, and the first album we bought was Gordon Lightfoot. We are now 73 and miss him terribly.

Think about the fact that Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, and numerous other greats were all filling the 70’s airwaves with the classic tunes. I was born in 1972, but I remember hearing all of these phenomenal tunes due to my parents and older brothers. Man those were beyond great times.

I was 8 years old, in the school yard. We were looking over at the grey stone Welsh chapel on the hill. A young boy died and his funeral happened during playtime. We watched silently. I still can hear the workman’s radio playing “if you can read my mind love” which had just been released. The grieving parents leaned in towards the tiny congregation and the grave and the stone angels were bent over them. I looked at my cardigan and fiddled with the bobbles, trying to control such an intense sadness inside me. This song took me to the depths and for years I refused to listen to sad songs (and in 1970s there were plenty). Only now I can listen to this song and it’s just so beautiful but so sad, so so sad.