Bob Dylan brought Gordon Lightfoot into my life with his cover of Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain in the album ‘Self Portrait’. I fell in love with the lyrics and then I went on to discover many of his other great songs like Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, among others. This great Canadian singer songwriter passed away on the 1^st of May at the age of 84.

Born on 17^th November, 1938, in Orillia, Ontario, Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. showcased his love for music at a young age. His first public performance was when he was in grade 4 at a parent’s day meet. His musical journey began with the guitar, and then he moved on to master piano and percussions as well. And by the mid-1960s, he emerged as a key figure in the folk music revival, becoming one of Canada's most celebrated singer-songwriters.

Gordon Lightfoot's illustrious career spanned over five decades, during which he penned and performed numerous unforgettable songs that have become part of the fabric of popular music. His music, often described as a tapestry of storytelling, blended elements of folk, country, pop and rock, creating a distinctive and soul-stirring sound. He scored eight Top 5 albums in Canada during the 1970s (including the 1975 compilation Gord’s Gold), four of them reaching No 1, and Sundown (1974) topping both the Canadian and the US chart.Apart from Dylan, his songs were covered by giants like Elvis Presley, Peter Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Johnny Cash and even Duran Duran.

Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1997 he received the governor general’s performing arts award, and he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003. In 2012 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife and six children, as well as countless fans who will miss him dearly. Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot, and thank you for the music.

By Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Dubai based marketing and communications professional, poet and a musician with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 33 years old Technics (SL Q3) turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Rock, Classical, Blues, Jazz, Indian Classical are his prized possessions. He is also the author of a bestselling book of poems in Hindustani called, 'Khyaalon Ki Tapri'.

He can be reached at +971 522766809 and meraj.hasan@gmail.com.