There has been no end to the tributes for folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot, whose poetic songs captured the hearts of his fellow Canadians and millions worldwide, since his death Monday night at 84.
The singer-songwriter’s longtime publicist, Victoria Lord, reportedly confirmed his death. Saying he died at a Toronto hospital. No cause of death was given.
“It is with profound sadness that we confirm that Gordon Meredith Lightfoot has passed away,” a statement on his official Facebook page read, noting that Lightfoot “died peacefully.”
Known for his soothing style and stirring lyrics, Lightfoot rose to prominence in his native Canada in the early 1960s, and developed an international following after penning the now-folk music standard “If You Could Read My Mind” in the early ’70s.
The Canadian singer-songwriter once described by fellow Canadian Robbie Robertson of the Band as a “national treasure,” topped charts with songs like “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
Lightfoot was nominated for five Grammy awards throughout his career and his music has been covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins and the Grateful Dead.
“Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape,” Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau tweeted following the news of Lightfoot’s death. “May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”
Solo, his most recent and 21st album, arrived in 2020, but Lightfoot also maintained a consistent touring schedule up until last month, when he announced the cancellation of his upcoming shows, citing ongoing health issues. “That’s the best part of this whole thing: getting out there and playing live,” he told the Digital Journal in 2020.
See the tributes on Twitter compiled by ultimateclassicrock.com here
