Gordon Lightfoot
- Origin
- Orillia
- Born
- 1938
- Genres
- folk, folk rock, musique country, pop, rock
- Labels
- Linus Entertainment, Reprise Records, United Artists Records, Warner Bros. Records
Listen
Biography
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, he had numerous gold and platinum albums, and his songs have been covered by many of the world's most renowned musical artists. Lightfoot's biographer Nicholas Jennings wrote, "His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness." He began chart success in Canada in 1962 and continued to produce major hits throughout the 1970s, including "If You Could Read My Mind" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
Highlights
- Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.
- Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
- Inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Multiple Juno Awards, including Folk Artist of the Year several times from 1970 to 1978.
- International success with hits like "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown."
Discography
- Lightfoot!1966
- The Way I Feel1967
- Back Here on Earth1968
- Did She Mention My Name?1968
- If You Could Read My Mind / Sit Down Young Stranger1970
- Summer Side of Life1971
- Don Quixote1972
- Old Dan’s Records1972
- Sundown1974
- Cold on the Shoulder1975
- Summertime Dream1976
- Endless Wire1978
- Dream Street Rose1980
- Shadows1982
- Salute1983
- East of Midnight1986
- Waiting for You1993
- A Painter Passing Through1998
- Harmony2004
- Solo2020
- Est‐Ce Que Je Suis (Live) · EP2020
Awards
- 🏆médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Élisabeth II (2012)
- 🏆Songwriters Hall of Fame
- 🏆compagnon de l'Ordre du Canada
- 🏆Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame
- 🏆Allée des célébrités canadiennes (1998)
- 🏆Ordre de l'Ontario
- 🏆Panthéon des auteurs et compositeurs canadiens
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1970)
- 🏆prix Juno du compositeur de l'année (1973)
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1974)
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1975)
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1976)
- 🏆prix Juno du compositeur de l'année (1977)
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1977)
- 🏆prix Juno de l'artiste folk de l'année (1978)
- 🏆Panthéon de la musique canadienne (1986)
- 🏆Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2001)
- 🏆prix du Gouverneur général : poésie de langue anglaise (1997)
- 🏆Golden Plate Award (2022)
- 🏆Folk Alliance International
FAQ
How old is Gordon Lightfoot?
Gordon Lightfoot was born in 1938.
Where is Gordon Lightfoot from?
Gordon Lightfoot is from Orillia, Canada.
What genre of music does Gordon Lightfoot perform?
Gordon Lightfoot performs folk, folk rock, country, pop, and rock music.
What are his biggest hits?
Some of his biggest hits include the albums "Lightfoot!" (1966), "Sundown" (1974), and "If You Could Read My Mind / Sit Down Young Stranger" (1970).
Since when has he been active in music?
Gordon Lightfoot began to achieve success on Canadian charts as early as 1962.
Has he won any awards?
Yes, Gordon Lightfoot has won several awards, including the Diamond Jubilee Medal from Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 and multiple Juno Awards.
