Legendary folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84
TORONTO — Gordon Lightfoot, the legendary folk singer whose silvery refrains told a tale of Canadian identity that was exported to listeners worldwide, has died at age 84.
The musician died at a Toronto hospital on Monday evening, said Victoria Lord, a representative for the family.
Considered one of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot went on to record no less than 20 studio albums with songs that include “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown.”
Once called a “rare talent” by Bob Dylan, Lightfoot’s compositions have been covered by dozens of artists including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Sarah McLachlan.