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Thought-about one of the vital famend voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folks membership scene within the Nineteen Sixties, Lightfoot went on to report 20 studio albums and pen a whole lot of songs, together with “Carefree Freeway” and “Sunset.”
As soon as referred to as a “uncommon expertise” by Bob Dylan, dozens of artists have coated his work, together with Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Money, Anne Murray, Jane’s Habit and Sarah McLachlan.
Most of his songs are deeply autobiographical with lyrics that probe his personal experiences in a frank method and discover points surrounding the Canadian nationwide identification.
His 1975 music “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” chronicled the demise of a Nice Lakes ore freighter, and 1966’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” depicted the development of the railway.
“I merely write the songs about the place I’m and the place I’m from,” he as soon as mentioned. “I take conditions and write poems about them.”
Typically described as a poetic storyteller, Lightfoot remained keenly conscious of his cultural affect. It was a job he took very significantly.
“I identical to to remain there and be part of the totem pole and take care of the tasks I’ve acquired through the years,” he mentioned in a 2001 interview.
Whereas Lightfoot’s dad and mom acknowledged his musical abilities early on, he didn’t got down to develop into a famend balladeer.
He started singing in his church choir and dreamed of changing into a jazz musician. At age 13, the soprano received a expertise contest on the Kiwanis Music Competition, held at Toronto’s Massey Corridor.
“I bear in mind the joys of being in entrance of the group,” Lightfoot mentioned in a 2018 interview. “It was a stepping stone for me…”
The attraction of these early days caught and in highschool, his barbershop quartet, The Collegiate 4, received a CBC expertise competitors. He strummed his first guitar in 1956 and commenced to dabble in songwriting within the months that adopted. Maybe distracted by his style for music, he flunked algebra the primary time. After taking the category once more, he graduated in 1957.
By then, Lightfoot had already penned his first severe composition — “The Hula Hoop Tune,” impressed by the favored children’ toy that was sweeping the tradition. Makes an attempt to promote the music went nowhere so at 18, he headed to the U.S. to review music for a yr. The journey was funded partially by cash saved from a job delivering linens to resorts round his hometown.
Life in Hollywood wasn’t an excellent match, nonetheless, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Lightfoot returned to Canada. He pledged to maneuver to Toronto to pursue his musical ambitions, taking any job accessible, together with a place at a financial institution earlier than touchdown a gig as a sq. dancer on CBC’s “Nation Hoedown.”
His first gig was at Fran’s Restaurant, a downtown family-owned diner that warmed to his folks sensibilities. It was there he met fellow musician Ronnie Hawkins.
The singer was dwelling with a number of buddies in a condemned constructing in Yorkville, then a bohemian space the place future stars together with Neil Younger and Joni Mitchell would study their commerce at smoke-filled golf equipment.
Lightfoot made his standard radio debut with the one ”(Bear in mind Me) I’m the One” in 1962, which led to a variety of hit songs and partnerships with different native musicians. When he began taking part in the Mariposa People Competition in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario that very same yr, Lightfoot cast a relationship that made him the competition’s most loyal returning performer.
By 1964, he was garnering optimistic word-of-mouth round city and audiences had been beginning to collect in rising numbers. By the subsequent yr, Lightfoot’s music “I’m Not Sayin’” was successful in Canada, which helped unfold his identify in america.
A few covers by different artists didn’t damage both. Marty Robbins’ 1965 recording of “Ribbon of Darkness” reached No. 1 on U.S. nation charts, whereas Peter, Paul and Mary took Lightfoot’s composition, “For Lovin’ Me,” into the U.S. Prime 30. The music, which Dylan as soon as mentioned he wished he’d recorded, has since been coated by a whole lot of different musicians.
That summer season, Lightfoot carried out on the Newport People Competition, the identical yr Dylan rattled audiences when he shed his folkie persona by taking part in an electrical guitar.
As the people music increase got here to an finish within the late Nineteen Sixties, Lightfoot was already making his transition to pop music with ease.
In 1971, he made his first look on the Billboard chart with “If You May Learn My Thoughts.” It reached No. 5 and has since spawned scores of covers.
Lightfoot’s reputation peaked within the mid-Seventies when each his single and album, “Sunset,” topped the Billboard charts, his first and solely time doing so.
Throughout his profession, Lightfoot collected 12 Juno Awards, together with one in 1970 when it was referred to as the Gold Leaf.
In 1986, he was inducted into the Canadian Recording Trade Corridor of Fame, now the Canadian Music Corridor of Fame. He acquired the Governor Basic’s award in 1997 and was ushered into the Canadian Nation Music Corridor Of Fame in 2001.
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