Legendary folk singer Gordon Lightfoot, best known in English Canada for his poetic ballads inspired by the country’s natural beauty, died Monday at the age of 84.
The composer, who leaves a catalog of more than 500 songs, died in a Toronto hospital, Victoria Lord, a family representative, told various media outlets. The cause of death was not specified.
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Gordon Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario in 1938. He was interested in music from an early age and composed his first ballads in high school. But his career really took off in the mid-1960s, when the song “Early Morning Rain” was covered by big stars Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.
His love of Canadian landscapes was beautifully summed up in the 1967 song “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” which takes anyone who hears it on a coast-to-coast journey.
Dedicated to his music, Gordon Lightfoot never let his health issues stop him, even in 2002 when he was seriously ill, in a coma for a month and a half and undergoing multiple surgeries. The singer also suffered a stroke on stage in 2006, only to give a show again just nine days later as if nothing had happened.
The masterful work of Gordon Lightfoot allowed him to multiply the awards and accolades, notably dominating the Juno Prizes ceremonies in the ’60s and ’70s in the folk category. He was also made a Companion of the Order of Canada.
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