5 Things You May Not Have Known About Gordon Lightfoot
Today we celebrate the birthday of a real Canadian hero: singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, he of âIf You Could Read My Mindâ and âThe Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgeraldâ fame. To commemorate the occasion, weâve put together a list of five things that you may or may not know about Mr. Lightfoot, so give it a read, wonât you?
- His music career didnât start with folk rock.
Before becoming the legendary singer-songwriter that he remains today, Lightfoot spent time as a soprano on the wedding circuit and was also part of a barbershop quartet, a church choir, and a dance band.
- He once co-starred in a western with Bruce Dern.
If this is the first youâve heard about it, this sounds vaguely preposterous, we realize, but itâs true. In the early â80s, Lightfoot co-starred as a U.S. Marshal in Harry Tracy, a western produced by â of all people â Sid and Marty Krofft. In a CBC Radio interview at the time, Lightfoot said of the experience, â"It's a glorified game of cowboys and Indians, is what it is. It's like going back to your childhood.â
- Heâs in the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame.
No, Lightfoot never worked for the railroad, but if youâre a fan, then you may be able to guess why heâs in there. Okay, fine, weâll tell you: itâs because of his song âCanadian Railway Trilogy.â
- He appeared on Canadian Idol. (No, thatâs not a joke and, yes, that really is a thing.)
Lightfoot appeared on the August 18, 2004 episode of the series, with his music being one of the designated themes of the episode. As a result, six finalists worked with Lightfoot individually, with the man himself helping them prepare for singing his songs.
- He was honored with a stamp.
In June 2007, Lightfoot was one of four Canadian recording artists honored with his visage on a stamp. The other three: Paul Anka, Joni Mitchell, and Anne Murray.
