Tuesday, May 2, 2023

RIP Gordon Lightfoot




Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme. 

June 2018 - Toronto ON
Reposting May 2, 2023

July 1 is Canada Day so I am going to feature Canadian songs/songwriters for the month.

I'll start with an easy one since we had the honour to attend Gordon Lightfoot's concert at Massey Hall on Friday.

But what song to pick??? So many, I asked John to choose one.

Did She Mention My Name - this version was recorded in 1968 by a much younger Lightfoot. But it drew just as much applause at 79 years old.


There were no restrictions on photos and recording in the Hall which I assume was at Lightfoot's request.




I'm going to include one other song that he did, Early Morning Rain.

His version.


In an interview, he said his favourite version was Peter, Paul and Mary's.


He was also proud of Elvis' version.



I took this photo of his star on Canada's Walk of Fame, on King St. West.







In 2007 Canada Post celebrated his legendary career by creating a limited-edition stamp.



Ken Danby, "Portrait of Gordon Lightfoot", 1987, oil on canvas.
www.kendanbyart.ca Click on Danby in the tags/labels below this post to see more of his work.
Ken Danby was a Canadian artist born on March 6, 1940, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is best known for his hyperrealist paintings and prints that depicted everyday life, nature, and sports, particularly hockey.


During the late 1980s, Ken Danby painted a series of four portraits of his friend, Gordon Lightfoot. One of the paintings depicts Lightfoot dressed in the white suit he wore on the cover of his album, "East of Midnight." What sets this painting apart is the unique lighting effect that Danby used. He placed Lightfoot in front of a backlight sourced by the sun, resulting in a visually striking image that has become an iconic representation of the singer.











8 comments:

  1. ...I hope that I will still be rocking when I'm 79! What a treat to Lightfoot in concert. I hope that you had a great Canada Day.

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  2. Lovely songs and I like all three versions from the second (I'm not a big Elvis-fan, but that tune is very nice)

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  3. My favorite song of his is Sundown!

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  4. You just hope they don't screw up the renovation at Massey in such a way that it does something to the atmosphere of the building.

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  5. Great new banner. I sadly never heard of this singer before... how?

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  6. I land in here after posting about our Gordy!! And thank you for this wonderful post, Jackie, you capture his life and fantastic contributions so very well. I loved that he died with upcoming concert dates he couldn't fulfil - sadly - but still the man was a star and died with his boots on.

    XO
    WWW

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