Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot has been called a Canadian "national treasure," and for good reason. He's a singer-songwriter who first became famous in the 1960s for his mellow folk-pop sound, acoustic guitar, and beautiful lyrics.


Lightfoot was born in 1938 in Ontario. He was a musician from an early age and although he briefly moved to the US to pursue his music career, he missed Canada and moved back two years later. Perhaps for this reason, he is better known internationally as a songwriter than a performer - in fact, he's one of Bob Dylan's favourite songwriters! Dylan once said that whenever he hears a Lightfoot song, he wishes "it would last forever." Lightfoot has had some health problems (including a minor stroke) in the last ten years, but is still touring at the age of 71!


Some of his most famous songs are "Did She Mention My Name", "Black Day in July", "Sundown", "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", and "If You Could Read My Mind". Here are a few of my favourites: