Canadian singer and composer Gordon Lightfoot, known for songs such as “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown,” died in a hospital in Toronto on Monday at the age of 84. His publicist has announced this, reports the Canadian broadcaster CBC.
A guitarist and folk singer, Lightfoot rose to international acclaim for his soulful melodies and poetic lyrics. He is considered a Canadian icon and one of the most legendary songwriters the country has produced.
Born in the Canadian province of Ontario, Lightfoot made his breakthrough in North America in the 1960s with songs that explored the vast Canadian landscape as well as personal relationships and love affairs. After hits for the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, among others, he became a sought-after songwriter in the United States.
“His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness,” wrote his biographer Nicholas Jennings.
International success
International recognition and success followed in the 1970s, including songs such as ‘Carefree Highway‘, ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ and ‘If You Could Read My Mind‘, which was inspired by the end of his first marriage. His songs have been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand.
“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter. “Gordon Lightfoot captured the spirit of our country in his music – helping to shape Canada’s soundscape.”
Beginning in the 1980s, his chart popularity waned, but he continued to perform. During his career, Lightfoot struggled with a series of health problems. In 2002, just before a concert, he was rushed to a hospital with a stomach bleed, after which he was in a coma for six weeks. Last month he canceled twelve planned concerts due to “health problems”.
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