Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, rock, and country music. He helped to define the folk pop in the 1960s and 1970s. He has been referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter. (Ronnie Hawkins called him the greatest songwriter in the world.
I estimate that there have been more than 700 cover versions of Lightfoot songs. Some of the artists who have recorded versions of his songs include:
- Elvis Presley
- Bob Dylan
- Barbra Streisand
- Sarah McLachlan
- Peter Paul & Mary
- Harry Belafonte
- Jane’s addiction
- Richie Havens
- Glen Campbell
- Toby Keith
- Anne Murray
- Nana Mouskouri
- George Hamilton IV.
Lightfoot’s biographer Nicholas Jennings said, “His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness.”
Among his many distinctions:
- Companion of the Order of Canada ,
- Member of the Order of Ontario
- Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Doctor of Laws Trent University
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
“I grew up in Orillia, not knowing that the songs I so enjoyed hearing on the radio were written and performed by a guy who grew up a few blocks from me, participated in the Kiwanis music festivals I did, and sang in my Church choir. I didn’t quite realize how famous Gordon Lightfoot was until I started travelling, and people around the world would say, “You are from Orillia? Do you know Gordon Lightfoot?”