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Gordon Lightfoot music biography continued...

choir as a youth and taught himself to play several instruments in his teens. Soon he began performing with the folk group The Swingin Eight, as well as playing his own solo gigs on the side. In 1962, he teamed with performing partner, Terry Whelan to release a debut album, Two Tones at the Village Corner (Chateau). Lightfoot followed this up with a tour of Europe and an appearance at the Mariposa Folk Festival. By 1965, he had begun to establish somewhat of a name for himself as a songwriter with such American folk artists such as Judy Collins, Harry Belafonte, Peter Paul and Mary, and the Kingston Trio performing his songs. That same year, he signed a recording contract with United Artists and released his debut album, Lightfoot!, which brought him increased recognition as both a singer and a songwriter. It featured many now-famous songs, including "For Lovin' Me," "Early Mornin' Rain," "Steel Rail Blues," and "Ribbon of Darkness." On the strength of the Lightfoot! album, which blended Canadian and universal themes, Lightfoot became one of the first Canadian singers to become a star in his own country without having to move to the United States. In 1970, Lightfoot signed with Warner Brothers/Reprise and came out with his biggest hit to date, "If You Could Read My Mind Love" which made him an international superstar, and paved the way for iconic hits of the 70s as "Sundown" (1974), "Carefree Highway" (1974), "Rainy Day People" (1975), and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976).



Lightfoot continued to record and perform up until 2002, when he suffered a serious health scare that kept him sidelined for a few years. In 2004, he made some surprise comeback performances in Ontario. Lightfoot returned to the music business with his new album selling well and an appearance on Canadian Idol, where the six top contestants each performed a song of his, culminating in a group performance - on their own instruments - of his Canadian Railroad Trilogy. In 2005, he made a low-key tour called the Better Late Than Never Tour. In a career spanning 40 years, with over 200 recordings, he can definitely afford to rest on his laurels.