Gordon Lightfoot Dies: Rockers React
Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer-songwriter who topped charts with songs like "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," died at the age of 84 on Monday.
"It is with profound sadness that we confirm that Gordon Meredith Lightfoot has passed away," a statement on his official Facebook page read, noting that Lightfoot "died peacefully."
Lightfoot, who was once described by fellow Canadian Robbie Robertson of the Band as a "national treasure," was nominated for five Grammy awards throughout his career. His music has been covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins and the Grateful Dead.
Solo, his most recent and 21st album, arrived in 2020, but Lightfoot also maintained a consistent touring schedule up until last month, when he announced the cancellation of his upcoming shows, citing ongoing health issues. "That's the best part of this whole thing: getting out there and playing live," he told the Digital Journal in 2020.
"Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada's soundscape," Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau tweeted following the news of Lightfoot's death. "May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever."
You can see Trudeau's tribute, plus others in the below collection of Twitter reactions.