Gordon Lightfoot Biography
No male Canadian performer has earned a greater
right to be inducted in the CAB Broadcast Hail of Fame than Gordon
Lightfoot.
His voice, his songs and his records flooded the Canadian airwaves from 1964.
Born in 1938 in Orillia, Ontario, Gordon
Lightfoot became
active in musical productions at an early age. His professional career dates
from 1958 when the CBC hired him as a studio singer, an engagement that led to
singing and dancing on TV's Country Hoedown, and several guest shots and
public engagements. In 1964, the Canadian Talent Library "discovered"
Gordon while he was performing at a coffee house on Avenue Road and offered him
the opportunity to make his first record. On CTL LP#49, Gordon Lightfoot
performed six
songs, two of them his own - The Long River and Betty Mae's a Good
Time Gal.
The Canadian duo, Ian and Sylvia (Tyson) included
two of Gordon's songs on their next album - Early Morning Rain and For
Lovin' Me - the latter also recorded instrumentally for CTL by Ben McPeek.
Gordon signed a recording contract with United Artists, and went on to make five
albums, including the only "live" album he ever released. During this
period, Marty Robbins recorded Gordon's Ribbon of Darkness taking it to
the top of the Billboard Country charts. Gordon Lightfoot then signed a new recording
contract, this time with Warner/Reprise and from 1970 to 1996 released more
original songs, including If You Could Read My Mind, Summer Side of
Life, Sundown, Cold on The Shoulder and Summertime Dream.
In 1999, Rhino Records released Songbook, a four CD boxed set of Gordon
Lightfoot recordings.
Canadian radio stations have played a dominant
part in bringing the many talents of this native son to the attention of fellow
Canadians. Gordon Lightfoot arrived on the scene about the time that the CRTC instituted
its Canadian content regulations, and Gordon's records helped the broadcasters
to meet its requirements.
Gordon Lightfoot has to his credit five Grammy nominations
and 17 Juno Awards. In 1970, in recognition of his contributions to furthering
Canadian Culture, he was inducted as an Officer into the Order of Canada. In
1997, ho was presented with the Governor General's Award, and subsequently
honoured as a charter member of Canada's Walk of Fame.
In 2001, Gordon Lightfoot was inducted into the
CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
