Gordon Lightfoot

Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist known as the "Canadian Bard" and prominent for writing and recording such classics as "If You Could Read My Mind," "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and "Carefree Highway." Awarded the Juno (Canadas equivalent of the Grammy) 16 times, and nominated for four Grammys, Lightfoot has written over 500 songs, with three albums going platinum and five gold. Born to Gordon Sr. and Jessica Lightfoot, he made his first performing debut in 1943, singing at a Sunday school event in Orillia, Ontario. He cut his first record in 1948, with his sister, Bev accompanying him on the piano. In 1950, he began piano lessons and voice study, and in 1951, he made his first 78 rpm record of "The Lords Prayer." In 1952 and 1953, he won first place in his vocal class at the Toronto Kiwanis Festival. In 1954, he made his network radio debut, singing with a group called the "Teen Timers." He wrote his first song in 1955, called "The Hula Hoop song." In 1956, his barbershop quartet finished second in an Ontario competition. In 1958, he attended Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles, though he didnt complete the course there. In 1960, he began work as a choral performer and dancer at CBCs Country Hoedown, and would continue working there for two years. He became interested in folk music, and switched from the four-string tenor guitar to the six and 12-string guitars. He began playing drums for a revue called "Up Tempo" in 1961, under the pseudonym of Charles Sullivan. In 1961 he also made his first U.S. debut in Cleveland, sharing the bill with Jose Feliciano. In 1964, he became more influenced by Bob Dylan. By then he had written 75 songs, but his own identity was now beginning to emerge. He wrote "Early Morning Rain." Heard in Steeles Tavern in Toronto where he was performing, he eventually signed with an influential New York agency. The popular folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his "For Lovin Me," which reached the top 20 in the U. S. In 1964, he also played the Toronto Teachers College, marking the first time he had done an entire show with his own material. In 1965, Lightfoot appeared with the prestigious Newport Folk Festival, wrote "Steel Rail Blues," and appeared on the Tonight Show. Marty Robbins recorded "Ribbon of Darkness," which was on the country and western charts for seven months. The following year, his first album, "Lightfoot!" was released by United Artists. He was commissioned by the CBC to write a song about the building of the Canadian railway for Canadas centennial, which became "Canadian Railroad Trilogy." In 1967, he played two sold-out concerts at Massey Hall. On 3/18/1968, a Lightfoot special was aired on CBC. In November 1969, he signed with Warner Brothers Records to record on their Reprise label, bringing a close to his United Artists years. Lightfoot received the Order of Canada in a ceremony in Ottawa, June 1970 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in April 1971 at his hometown, Orillia. In 1977, he received an honorary law degree at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. In November 1986 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by Bob Dylan. The U.S. charts entered Lightfoot in February 1971 for the first time when "If You Could Read My Mind" reached fifth on the singles charts. The album, renamed after the single, reached No. 12 on the U.S. charts, and turned gold. In March 1972, while performing at Masse Read less