Tony Rice

[Rob1956]

Condolences to the family of Tony Rice, a world renown bluegrass musician and expert guitarist. He was especially profound using the "flatpicking" style which is difficult to learn and perform. Tony was a big fan of Gordon's. His CD, "Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot" was released in 1996 and is still available on Amazon. Tony died Christmas "suddenly" according to the family.

[paskatefan]

I wasn't familiar with him, but am so sorry to hear of his passing. Condolences to his family & may he rest in peace


Gail

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

I am very sad hearing that. Tony Rice's album of Gordon Lightfoot covers triggered my love of bluegrass music. He died suddenly on Christmas Day aged 69 while making his morning coffee.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/12/bluegrass-guitarist-tony-rice-dies-at-age-69

This is the album I bought in the 1990s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Rice_Sings_Gordon_Lightfoot

And the "Go My Way" track from it is the one I chose for my "60th birthday" album compiled earlier this year and described in Corfid's Small Talk forum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKNTbL6zxT0

[imported_Ordinary_Man]

I was a big fan and have several of his albums. That he was a Lightfoot fan was just icing on the cake. Was very sad to hear of his passing. RIP.

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVl1ibykWZU


I just discovered this live video of "Freeborn Man". An awesome set of talented musicians, led by Tony Rice. He has often been called the greatest ever acoustic guitarist.

[Andy T.]

It's rather ironic, because I recently decided I needed to fill some gaps in my already-extensive collection of GL covers. I knew that Tony had done more than had been collected on that one album, which was all I had. So, last week, I spent a couple of hours digging on YouTube, finding the others I had missed and, well, transferred them from YT to MP3 for my files. That was on December 23.

Today I look at corfid and find the news. *sigh*

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

For those interested in video of Tony performing a Lightfoot song, here is a live version of "Home From The Forest":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRNeLb2tkWE

[Off Yonge Street]

I'm sorry to learn of the passing of Tony Rice. Thank you sharing the very sad news and the links.

I have several albums where artists cover songs only written by Lightfoot ("Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot", "The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot" by J.P. Cormier, "Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot" (by various artists), "Love and Maple Syrup - The Piano of John Arpin Plays Gordon Lightfoot", "Tapestries - The Music of Gordon Lightfoot" by Perry Novak and Bob Volkman with Ernest Lyons, "Lullaby Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot" (by the Lullaby Players) and "Max Wiseman Sings Gordon Lightfoot"). The albums by Tony Rice and J.P. Cormier are my two favourites among such albums.

If you are open to bluegrass interpretations of Lightfoot's music, I strongly recommend the album "Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot".

On the back cover of "Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot", Lightfoot is quoted as saying the following about the album: ". . . fantastic contemporary bluegrass renditions of these songs . . . the musicianship on the collection is marvellous, getting into some high profile instrumental work. Thank you, Tony." (The ellipses are part of the quotation that is included on the back cover of the album.)

If an album is good enough for Gordon Lightfoot . . .

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

A live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Shadows":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rR1bPgKOA

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

And here's a live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Cold On The Shoulder":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPiOAK08-a4

[BendRick]

That's sad news about Tony Rice. I have two CDs of his, Tony Rice sings Gordon Lightfoot and Bluegrass Guitar Collection.

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

A live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=608tDKO6aL0

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

A live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Song For A Winter's Night":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oonDSMMj88

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

A live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Bitter Green":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQmx-0Ziwq8

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

A live Tony Rice version of Lightfoot's "Ten Degrees And Getting Colder":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nikO4Yls52Y

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

Tony Rice's studio performance of Gord's "Whispers Of The North":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUJGTsNXOA

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

And for my final YouTube offering, here is Tony Rice's studio performance of Lightfoot's "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctrhodBCXv4