Gordon Meredith Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, and this is his 73rd year. He performs at The Carson Center in Paducah on Thursday, September 27, a week from today. Kate Lochte spoke with Mr. Lightfoot one evening a few weeks back, for a conversation heard on Sounds Good. He was in his Toronto home’s office and music room where the band practices in advance of the tours like the one bringing him to our region.
Writing for the Toronto Globe and Mail, Jack Batten said that Lightfoot fills the role of “journalist, poet, historian, humorist, short-story teller, and folksy recollector of bygone days.” He’s won Canada’s Juno Awards and national non-music accolades like the Companion of the Order of Canada. This year he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City, and Lightfoot says this award in particular spurs him on to keep moving.
In 2002 Mr. Lightfoot suffered an abdominal aneurysm and fell into a coma for six weeks. He recovered and went back to performing and four years later suffered a stroke onstage.
Nonetheless, Lightfoot tours relentlessly and works out in a gym daily. He and his band perform what he calls a “tight two hour show with a 20 minute intermission, performing all the songs you really want to hear.”
He’ll perform in Cincinnati the night before he’s in Paducah, Bowling Green the night after he’s here. He and his five-member band fly to each venue; with crew and equipment travelling by bus and eighteen wheeler.
