Amen. Thank you for watching, and for commenting. I'm glad my work touched a chord and resonated with your memories and appreciation of this wonderful man. May he live long in hearts and minds, indeed.
Growing up, my mom had his albums on vinyl and we'd listem to him all the time. Now that they are both gone, his music continues to remind me that he was an amazing singer-songwriter and that she was an amazing mother. Thank you Mr. Lightfoot for creating such beautiful songs and beautiful memories.
For my 84th birthday my kids took me to Victoria to a concert.that was 4 years ago. I will always be grateful I was able to see him one last time.Always my favourite musician.
He is really one OF THE GREATEST ....ALWAYS...I know him since 1978....He was my childhood...I LOVED HIS MUSIC so much...Until Today...LOVE from GERMANY...August 2023.....I HEAR your MUSIC until I DIE...
In 1976 I was 16 yo and starving and wound in Seattle to The Center and had my 6-string so as a Busker by the fountains just looking to make enough to buy me a cheap meal and have a cheap hotel with a bed and a shower. All I knew ere Gordon songs and did my best. Made a few hundred over a weekend of cash dollars and coins but my own troubadour life cut short with a 10-year stretch in prison where I had to lean many new lessons. GL has been a lifelong hero of mine I've seen him live maybe I think 10x in past 45 years and treasure each time. He gave me hope.
Thank you for sharing your story. Music can speak to us, and change us, like few other things; it can give us hope when nothing else can. I am glad that Gordon's life and work spoke to you, and gave you comfort when you needed it. May it remain ever so. Thank you for watching, and commenting.
Damn Gordon used to be so hot! Especially Back in the 70s! Even in the 80s. Aside from that he was so incredibly talented. He definitely left a mark in the history of music. May he rest in peace. I hope he’s still enjoying his music up there cause we’re always gonna be enjoying it down here baby. Love and miss you Gordon Lightfoot. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world. Much love to you.❤
I was thinking the same thing, about the hotness! Coupled with the irresistible singing voice and masterful songs that reflected heart and intellect, Lightfoot was the total package 😮
Lightfoot's work is a unique expression of traditional masculinity and delicate sensitivity that I never heard anyone else approach. Love the guy. God Bless you Gord .... thanks for the library of music I can return to again and again.
What a great insight into Gord's songwriting & personality. While watching this it dawned on me yet again how important his music has been to me and what a large part of my life has been spent enjoying it. Thanks for such an incredible gift, Gord. Rest on.
“If the word ‘troubadour’ can be applied to 20th century music at all, then Gordon Lightfoot is a troubadour, and perhaps the last one we’ll ever know. His rich lyrical style paints a tapestry of imagery, blending with simple but beautiful melody lines.” Introduction of Gordon Lightfoot, PBS Soundstage, 1979.
This was the nicest tribute I've seen for our beloved Mr. Lightfoot. I'm not much of a cryer but I felt like it at the end. I think it really hit me he's gone and I grew up listening to his music. What a grace that's been. I had the profound pleasure of meeting him and talking for a few minutes. It's something I'll never forget. Hope to see you up there Mr. Lightfoot. Eternal rest grant unto him. May his soul rest in peace. 🙏🙏🙏
GORDON lightfoot was introduced to me when I graduated in 1974. Years later when hearing the song, 'the Painter Passing Through", I realize he continued to make beautiful music. WOW!
A very good observation. Gordon was well-read, a lover of history, a skilled writer and poet. He studied and worked and learned all through his life, and it all went into his lyrics. Today, few people read, few can write, history is seldom taught outside of university, and few people care about or respect it.
This video was made by one guy, without any budget and only his innate talent and self-taught video and sound editing skills. He has crafted a biopic that rivals some of the best seen on television.
Love Gordon lightfoot. Started listening around 17. Went to States at 18 and bought every cassette i didn't already have. Everyone back then in the uk were raving.
There's no way to describe the impact this humble Canadian has had on the music industry. From world renown musicians to the everyday Joe, his incomparable poetry and incredible music touches us all like very few others. I love you, Gordon Lightfoot.
I first saw Gordon Lightfoot at the Fillmore East in 1963, where he played "In the Early Morning Rain" and have followed his music ever since, while living in four different continents. His songs saw me through some tough times, with the words of his songs telling me, "You're not alone--we all have our bad times". Goodbye, Gordon Lightfoot, you were one of a kind.
I got hooked on Gordon's music when I was 17. I'm 71, now. I live in Alabama, so, as you can imagine, I traveled far and wide to see him live more times than I could count. I even had his office number in Toronto, where I would call periodically to get his itinerary; they were always very accommodating and sent it right along. I finally managed to get to Toronto several times to see him play at Massey Hall. In my estimation, no greater singer/songwriter has ever existed. Bless you, Gordon; you enriched my life!
Thanks for watching, and commenting. I am a little unsure of why you emphasize that the northern, border states were well aware of his music, and The Guess Who as well, as I never directly stated or intended anything in the video to suggest they weren't, even if I didn't specifically mention his popularity in this region, or the influence of Gordon on The Guess Who, or their 1969 song "LIghtfoot." I grew up in Florida, and was well aware of his music, so certainly, speaking in geographical terms, proximity to Canada was little barrier to the success and spread of his music, which achieved global recognition and a world-wide audience. The video does mention Gord's widespread influence on the world of music and other musicians, and the great number of other artists and groups who covered his material. The challenge and problem of trying to make a brief tribute and mini-documentary about anyone whose creative work was so powerful, brilliant, popular, influential and well-respected, and extended over such a long period, is that inevitably you are going to have to leave out a lot, and can only say and show so much. If, somewhere in the process of making this video, my choices offended those who wish I had chosen something else, or they created an impression that some region or group were being somehow excluded or ignored in their awareness, appreciation of and relationship to, or with, Gordon and his music, it was certainly unintentional.
I love ending with Don Quixote. It was my favorite as a kid growing up in the 70/80s, and it is the song I introduced my (now 25 year old) daughter to when we would drive to daycare as she was a child. She loves it just as much as I did, and I fully expect that Gordon Lightfoot’s music will continue as beloved in our family.
It is such a beautiful and poetic song; the first time I heard it I was swept away, and when I first thought of how I would structure this tribute, the one thing I knew for certain was that I was going to end it a montage set to Don Quixote. Thank you for watching, and for commenting. I'm glad you appreciated the video, and long may Gordon's music live in you, and your family.
Goodby my friend, I love your music. It was a huge honor when I met you here in California at a concert you played in the Bay Area. You'll always be greatly missed.
Thank you so much,! Lightfoot was my hero for years. I used to play a lot of these songs and still do. I got to meet him once in 1970 at a concert backstage. And i'm still playing today! I had forgotten what a big influence he was in my 20's. T H A N K S. A. L O T !!
I’ve been an American fan of Gordon Lightfoot since I was 14. I’ve always recognized him as a troubadour, from the stories his songs told. Thanks for sharing this most accurate description and more information than I’d known. You’ve done a beautiful job here.
You are very welcome, and thank you for watching and commenting. i'm glad the video did honor to him in your eyes, and that it helped give you a deeper appreciation and understanding for this exceptional talent and human being.
Great tribute. This guy shaped my life, I was 13 when i heard the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and I’ve still got a painting of the ship on my wall. I so wish I could’ve met him. Sleep well Gord ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It was the same with me; I heard "If You Could Read My Mind," and "Sundown" when I was about 10 or 11, and they really stuck with me. Then, just a few years later, The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. When I was old enough to get a job, one of the things I did with my first paycheck was buy "Gord's Gold" on a cassette. Listening to that cemented my appreciation and love of his music.
@ferallutheran2608 I had the profound pleasure of meeting him after hanging out after a small concert on the Oregon Coast. He seemed surprised at first, but realized I was just a polite fan wishing to tell him about how I came to know his music and he told me about a special on OPB that featured his song and what happened with the actual wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think his security people decided my sister and I were not a threat and were kind enough to let us stay. What a trip.❤❤❤ 36:17
Gordon Lightfoot was one of a kind❤ I'll always be a fan. Canada has produced many great artists of all types. I loved GL, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, all the comedians!!!! Many musicians influenced my own music, he was one of them.
For me, Gordie makes all of my memories of being a kid in the 70’s, (which are mingled with my own music playing) that of black and white photographs, of a bubble screened TV set with rabbit ears in the midst of a living room filled with wood furniture and sofa set ordained with oranges, browns, and leaf greens. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Gardens, my dad, fishing. We ate dinner at the table at 5:00 EVERY night, together. All the kids ran out after supper to play hockey, and laughter everywhere. The tv was black and white, that gives a very beautiful feel to the world. All of this wonderful life of a Canadian boy growing up in a typical town. There were little solid state radios in what seemed like every room in every building you visited, on which Gordon Lightfoot was playing more often than not. For me, his music made me long for the Maritimes, to see the east coast of Canada was my deepest desire. His music was, to make a very cliche statement, the soundtrack of my 70’s love of family, and of the beauty of Canada. Snowball fights, fishing with dad and my brother in a small aluminum boat, in the rain and yet smiling at each other. Going to a cottage every summer throughout my whole life. We were family. It was beautiful. The music of Gordon Lightfoot, made this a living dream. Thank you Gordie. A Canadian who seemed to know what we were all living and he sang about it. I know, without any doubt, that there are a great many people who have just read this and thought…”Geez eh, this guy could have been a brother in my family, as we had those same experiences” We all miss those days. At least we can turn on the radio, or flip on a disc (preferably an 8track in my 76 Chev. Impala-THAT is great sound!) and step back, if only for 3 and a half minutes, into those beautiful days.
I noticed a mark or a comment on my comment from about a month ago. I said this was the nicest tribute to Gordon Lightfoot I've seen so far. Or something like that. I watched it again and it is just a lovely, lovely thing that you've done here. It's so sad that he's gone, but I ponder what he said about experiencing death before. He said it was the absolute most peaceful thing he's ever experienced and I'm sure he is happy, at perfect rest and in perfect peace. God bless Gordon Lightfoot 🙏 🙏🙏.
Thank you so much for watching, and then watching again! And thank you as well for your kind words, and your positive feedback on the video. Gordon's music has meant so much to me throughout my life, and I wanted to honor him as he was due, and to do so in a way that would resonate with, and move, those to whom he had meant so much as well. A lot of work went into planning out the arc and structure of the video, finding source video and still images and searching through them for the best clips and segments, and editing together the final product. When you make videos, you never know if all of the hundreds of decisions, large and small, and the quality of your creative and technical skills, are going to pay off in something that accomplishes what you wanted and set out to accomplish. I am grateful to every viewer, but especially to those, like you, who take the time not only to watch, but to express their appreciation. It means a lot to me. God bless you, and God bless Gordon Lightfoot richly, as he richly blessed so many of us.
I saw him at Blue Lake in Michigan where he put on an amazing show. A few years later I visited the Museum of the Great Lakes on Lake Superior. His song about the Edmund Fitzgerald was playing softly in the background. They have the actual ship's bell there and I got to ring it. Hearing the song and listening to the bell ring sent chills up and down my spine. Thank God for him and his music.
GORDS GOLD !! THANKS FOR THE TUNES GORDON. EVERY TIME I PLAY EDMOND FITZGERALD I MEET AND HAVE A CHAT WITH A NEW PERSON WITH A CONNECTION TO THAT SONG. AND THANK YOU FOR THE TIPS IN MY JAR. 👍🎶🎵🎸🎤
Excellent job on this documentary. His death over a year ago was a hard one to take. He just seemed that he'd carry on forever. I wasn't aware of the large impact he had on so many fellow singer songwriters, and I probably should've appreciated how good his lyrics, music and recordings actually were. He was everywhere it seemed in my youth (I'm 67), maybe that familiarity caused me to gloss over the skills. On listening now after he's gone and having taken the songs for granted.....I'm startled by how incredibly good the musicianship is, and the production level on these records are fantastic. Well I guess better late than never. What a prodigious talent and he was smart enough to surround himself with superb talent as well!
I think you're right on the money that his longevity made it easy to overlook his skills and his influence on modern music; that, and he was never one to play the celebrity card or try to translate his talent or success into a narcissistic effort to glorify himself or seize the media and entertainment business spotlight. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and that it added to your appreciation of Gordon and his genius. Thanks for watching, and for the feedback.
Thank you for watching, and for commenting. I am very, very glad the video moved and inspired you. Gordon was definitely a genius, often overlooked in his later years due to his age and genre. He was very influential on me in my teens and 20's, and his music has always been with me since.
His music has been a big part of my life! The first song i consciously remember hearing was GO-GO ROUND when i was about four! It was on a two record set released by K TEL records of his greatest early hit songs from the '60s that my parents had acquired from somewhere! I've still got it in my record collection!Those records were played and played many times in those days! Then, over the years growing up, i would hear all of his hit songs mostly on the car radio in my dad's car! It made me a fan for life! I took my mom to one of his concerts, he was one of the first artists to perform at the newly opened Winspear Centre in Edmonton in November 1999! He sounded SPECTACULAR that night! The acoustics in that place were amazing! Every song he sang sounded just like the original recordings! Never got to meet him though! The place was jam-packed and we were in the nosebleed section! Its a night I'll never forget! He put on a great show!
You are very welcome, and it was a bittersweet pleasure to do so. His music was such a part of my life that I couldn't have NOT done something. Thank you for watching, and for commenting, and may his words and music always live on in you.
His song 'Stay Loose' deserves a high ranking , although it didn't do as well as we think it should have. It really cuts through the morass of relationships, and the inevitable grinding disappointments that people endure . His message: With hurt and the agony of loss, it's important for a person see the other side and realise that life will have it's ups and downs. Stay Loose, in time , things should get better. The melody and beautiful harmonies are unique and just mind altering. We rarely hear songs like this on the airwaves anymore. They should play it everyday, especially these days.
Thank you so very much for making this video available! I was 13 years old when I was washing dishes at my grandparents’ house and listening to the radio. The DJ introduced a brand new song and a singer that I’d never heard of before. There was a soft guitar intro followed by the most beautiful man’s voice I’d ever heard. Time stood still for me, and I found myself crying because of the beauty of the song and that voice. When it ended my world had changed. I wanted to make music that brought that kind of heartfelt emotion to others. That experience and soon after seeing a world famous cellist convinced me that I wanted a life in music. From that first time I heard Gord until today I continue to be a huge fan and try to introduce new people to Gord’s artistry. May he rest well knowing that his music has touched and changed lives all over the world for the last 60 years. He certainly did mine.❤️🎵
Thank you for watching and commenting! It is amazing how similar were our first experiences with Gordon and his music. I was nine when I first heard "If You Could Read My Mind" on the radio, and when I did, I was immediately amazed with the composition and fascinated by the brilliant poetry of the lyrics. But even more than these, it was his voice, and his masterful control of its power, tone and depth to wring every nuance out of the lyric, in resonance and harmony with the music, which captivated me -- and still does. The well of emotion and personal trauma from which he drew was obvious, even if, at that age, I could not fully understand, let alone had never experienced, the heartache and loss of love gone wrong. I was instantly then, and remain now, enthralled by the artist and his work. I came from a musical family; my mother was an actress, musician, singer and dancer; my father, a professor of literature, an actor, director and audiophile who himself had no musical ability, but a great depth of passion and appreciation for all kinds of music, and a great library of reel to reel tapes and albums; my sister was a prodigy at the piano. Thus, I grew up in a house filled with music, and music was an ever-present part of my life back to my earliest memories. At that time, for me, there were only two other artists (really, artistic groups) who had affected me in a similar way with their mastery of music, lyric, voice and depth of emotion -- The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkle. A few years later, when I was able to buy my own music, my first three cassettes were each their respective greatest hits. Their impact on me, my life and my own creative journey was formative, and still powerful and generative, half a century on. This video is the inevitable consequence of that journey and history, and it has been my great honor and privilege to try to honor Gordon and his legacy as best as I can. It has also been my great pleasure and satisfaction to know that, for so many people whom this video has reached, it has resonated deeply with their own experiences with and of, and love for, Gordon. Thank you again for sharing your story.
As a Canadian, Gord is on my Canadian music Mt Rushmore. With Randy Bachman, Oscar Peterson and Gord Downey. Honourable mention to Leonard Cohen. I was a kid in the 60's, but I'd give anything to go back and watch Gordon do a set in the 60's in Toronto's Yorkville. I did get to see him in '79 at Massey Hall.
I found this by accident while listening to some concert videos. I’ve listening to his music a lot lately with my kids, much I did with my own dad. I live in the prairies now and I cried while listening to Canadian Railroad Trilogy while in the car the other day. It struck me as I drove back to our family farm that was homesteaded in 1885 while the ink was still drying on Confederation. My FIL still remembers how the train linked our little farm to the world. Anyway, there’s something about him that is so deeply Canadian that I don’t think I can put my finger on. This is a beautiful documentary and thank you for making it ❤
Thank you for watching, and for commenting. I am very happy you enjoyed it. I grew up far from the Canadian prairies, but it was The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, along with If You Could Read My Mind, Love, that kindled my love of Gordon Lightfoot when I was a boy. You might also enjoy my video interpretation of The Canadian Railroad Trilogy: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9O_qxJAmW4c.html
This is a wonderfully 'painted' tribute from a wide palette of interview and performance videos and stills that presents a beloved troubadour full spectrum (as Gord would want it all shown) and was a delight to watch. Thank you for your work on this! Shades of Ken Burns here for sure.
Thank you very much for watching, and for your comments. It especially means a lot to me that you think Gordon would have approved, and that you appreciated my intent and desire to show him for the whole of his experience, life and evolution both as a musician and a human being. To me, it is precisely these things, and the complexity of humanity itself, that mark the best troubadours and make their work truly sing.
You are very welcome, and thank you for watching. I'm very gratified it affected you that way -- that was one of the intended effects I hoed to achieve for those who, like us, grew up with Gordon.
God bless you Gordon may you Rest In Peace . I love your music I had never heard of you until my American Air Force husband introduced me to you . We dated to your music in the 80S we love you ❤
@@ferallutheran2608 I commented that this tribute is the best one I've seen in all of RU-vid. It was so well presented and so very touching at the end. I think it just became clear that he has passed eventhough I recognized that intellectually, this tribute made my heart realize it. 💔 Thank you so much. Rock on....
Thank you for watching, and for your kind words. I am very glad I could contribute something meaningful to his memory and for all those who loved him and his music
Great musician, I have liked his music since the late ‘60’s as a kid. Saw him 5 times. Met him and Terry Clements once nice gentlemen! RIP men Heaven gained a great singer/songwriter. Enjoy!
I have been a Gordo fan since his career commenced. Back in the 60's he rented a cottage next door to my grandparents. He kept to himself writing songs. My wife was born in Orillia thus we have a strong connection to GL's roots. We had the pleasure of attending two of his concerts - Toronto"s Massey Hall and The Opera House in Orillia. My father-in-law was a big Gordo fan. He is interred in the same cemetery as GL.
Wow, cool that you have a personal/familial connection both to him and Orillia. Also jealous that you got to attend two of his concerts. I have been a GL fan since I was eight, and heard "If You Could Read My Mind" for the first time. Born, raised and living more than half my life in Florida, his concerts were a bit too far away :) I did end up living in a little town on the southern shore of Lake Ontario for three years, but was too busy and too poor for a concert, a fact I now regret.
Yeah, age takes its toll, unfortunately. It's a shame that he lost his clarity, tone and range, but loved performing so much that he didn't want to quit. I don't blame him, because performing and the music and his audiences were what kept him going. RIP indeed.
Trivia:- Gordon Meredith Lighfoot Jnr.: b: 1938-2023 May 1st: He is of Scottish descent: Born Ontario Canadia: died age 84 of natural causes: He was a travelling troubadour: Married 3 times with several children: He is buried in home town Ontario, next to his parent:
When you get in to the choir part at about 5 minutes, to confirm, because my Dad grew up with him, Gord sang in the choir with Dad but the irony is that Gord was never chosen as a choir lead... he was really into my Aunt Leslie a long with a few others lol and he was shunned from the choir because at the age of 13 or 14 he was vocally questioning the doctrine They werent even Catholics. I think they were Anglicans actually... they were a lot more strict than now. In a typically classy way, he quit one Sunday morning by saying his aunt down in Toronto had taken ill and he needed to tend to her.
Wonderful film with such great background of his life, his music, and his artistry. I only missed seeing Ronnie Hawkins as a part of this film, as I know they were great friends from the early 60's and throughout their lives. Really well done! Thank you! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5r6aNtwFnWE.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pXCzHT8L3gc.html
I loved that answer too; the question of how do you want people to remember you, or your legacy. Very simple and emblematic of one who is thinking of others who will survive him.
Gordon says The Wreck being a hit was a fluke but I believe this was a story the Lord wanted told, by Gordon Lightfoot. After all, it was God who gifted him with the ability to write such beautiful music. As Alec Baldwin said in the documentary, Gordon sang poems
I had just started grade 7 that week at the middle school right next door to McMaster Hospital when Gord had his aneurysm and was rushed there; my music teacher never said anything about it!
A lot of people believed Gordon had died, and still continued to for many years. When he actually passed, some people were surprised, because they thought he had died long ago.
Life is hard. You do the best you can, and sometimes laugher is the most appropriate response to really terrible situations. I'm sorry for you troubles and struggles.
I didn't think he was bad, either -- especially for someone with no training or experience. But Gordon was a perfectionist, and also shy -- I am not at all surprised he felt uncomfortable seeing himself on the screen, and was not satisfied with his performance. We all see ourselves differently than others see us, whether we see ourselves as being better or worse, smarter or dumber, more beautiful or more ugly, more of this or less of that, than we actually are.
@@ferallutheran2608-- Yep, well said. I think that's what it very likely boiled down to in why he turned away from it. But I would think that the professionals behind the movie would have assured him that he was good. Well, if they did, he begged to differ, haha!
“The Last Troubadour” was not, sadly Mr Lightfoot. It was the Swedish teacher of that honey voiced singer Richard Dyer-Bennett and a few of the songs of his teacher can be found on RU-vid
The song is called "I'll Tag Along," off Gordon's "East of Midnight" album in 1986. There are several different recordings of it at various points in his life. This is the track off the original album. It is, indeed, a beautiful song. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-riFSrJar-PA.html
