Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

and from the NY Times:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...icleInline.jpg
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ghtfoot&st=cse
February 19, 2010, 9:57 am
Gordon Lightfoot Lives!
By DAVE ITZKOFF
Reuters The singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.

If you could read Gordon Lightfoot’s mind right now, what a tale his thoughts would tell. On Thursday, the Canadian news media (not to mention the general population of the Twitterverse) was abuzz with apparent news that Mr. Lightfoot, 71, the smooth-voiced singer-songwriter of “Sundown” and “Carefree Highway,” had died while on tour. But like the man sang in “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” the legend lives on: Reuters reported that Mr. Lightfoot called into Toronto’s CP24 news station to say he was very much alive. “It seems like a bit of a hoax,” Mr. Lightfoot said. “I was quite surprised to hear it myself.” He added: “I feel fine.”

The mistaken report of Mr. Lightfoot’s death, which appears to have originated on Twitter, was carried by the Canwest News Service as well as the Web sites of the Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen, and Calgary Herald newspapers, all of which have since corrected their stories. Mr. Lightfoot, meanwhile, has walked away like a movie star who gets burned in a three-way script, whatever that means.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Thanks for posting that. Couldn't get it here in the states.

That newswoman is annoying! Kept stepping on Gord's lines. If you are interviewing someone it would eb nice to let them talk...

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

OMG! I had a meeting this morning, so I didn't check in first thing like I normally do. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad this isn't true. This fine Friday would have turned into a Black Friday for sure. LLL!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

that's a beauty, kate...i'm struggling with placing those words coming out of the saucy, young gal with the multicoloured mohawk hair, but i should know better than to judge a book by it's cover:)

i love some of the other quotes and info in this thread also

- Gord, too busy to be dead....lol, true, this is no time to croak, there's some interesting olympic hockey games coming up...love that he's got his canuck and troop support pins happening

- thanks for all the links char and for that new live CD update, gordh

- dave, you're right...a new fun tune about this all, something like "no hotel"... maybe "no funeral home"?

- bj, just having fun with Lloyd and all...some irritate me for sure but i do dig williams and laflamme...pierre mcguire, agh

maybe GL was in on the hoax and it's a publicity stunt for his new cd...i am going to play his last CD backwards and listen for any muddle "I'll bury gord" message :cool:

good health to Gord and God bless Mer

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Well holy moly I haven't checked corfid in a few days and what do I find but this! Seems to have been confined mostly to the greater Toronto area - hadn't seen it in US reports, amazingly enough, either reports of his "death" or corrections. And from TWITTER???? Geez Louise, such is the state of "journalism" these days.

Welcome "back" - again, Gord.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

it was all over the place Annie but it's all been pulled from the internet..
just as fast as it was sent out it disappeared..
wowza..

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Just heard about this awful rumor today. Thank goodness it wasn't true. I love you, Gord!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Ronnie Hawkins is too cute and funny! What a nice friend Gord is to call him on his birthday.

Thanks for posting all the links, Char.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

I saw that Ronnie lost his cousin Dale Hawkins - the guy who wrote Suzy-Q - this past Saturday.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ghtfoot-lives/
free meda coverage...ya' cant beat that!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

and it just gets weirder:
this guy has a pic of Ron as Gordon Lightfoot:

http://www.mediastyle.ca/category/blog/

original tweeter rebecca fleming is a friend of ronnie hawkins wife..and there she goes!

Reporter david akins blog - and comments are below.
http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_...8/4459652.html

http://www.threeseven.ca/2010/02/gor...eres-what.html

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Well serves me right for spending my time updating my publications list (zzzz - bo-ring but necessary). I'm surprised one or other of my kids didn't call me with the non-news. Just as well. I'd love to know who it was who called Ronnie posing as Gord's grandson with the news; I suspect a lot of Gord's people would like to know, too. Jerk!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

wow, i wonder if ron will chuckle or be really pissed off...he looks the latter

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

photo from Joe Warmington, Night Scrawler, Toronto Sun. Thanks Joe!\
Lightfoot checking his pulse...Thur.Feb.18, 2010. (and wearing a snazzy new plaid scarf...)
;)

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

I do believe we now have the definition of kerfuffle.

Like many others here, I'm so glad I became aware of this after it was determined that it was a hoax.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain..._holds_up.html

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

he's a true Canadian - he knows the meaning of kerfuffle and how to live thru one!
lol

I wish I'd heard about it afterwards...

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Are you sure that's true ? "Is there something I can believe in".

This has to be one of the greatest Corfid threads ever.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

and I read online somewhere today - "being a polite Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot has apologized for not being dead"...

oh dear.

I feel bad for Ronnie to hear that news about his longtime friend and then get sucked into this hoaxhell.
Wanda Hawkins had no idea what would happen...BUT a quick phone call to the proper sources by the media folks would have ended the rumour in it's tracks...

the source of the phone call with the news needs to be sussed out.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

SICK BASTARDS!! he ain't ready to go yet!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Back a couple of years ago I met Gord after a show. During that show he told the Elvis doing EMR and changing the line to "cold and drunk as I might be." I asked him how about the change from "where the cold winds blow" to "where the pavement never grows." His initial answer was "was it ever where the cold winds blow?" and I assured him he once recorded it with those words. His next answer, my favorite, was priceless - "I have no idea!" He thought about it a second and finally said "That must have been Ronnie Hawkins. Peter, Paul and Mary used those words and Ronnie's the guy that introduced the song to them." His fondness for Ronnie was obvious which makes this fiasco - OK, kerfuffle - all teh more unfortunate.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Gord should have a lot of years left being that he has that great disposition and sense of humor. Thanks for the good news!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Wow I am so glad the report was not true. Known Gordon Lightfoot since the 60's . I worked for his dad. We only lived a couple blocks from each other. I can't believe someone would start a rumor like that. Takes all kinds.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

I've always thought the change was to "with a pain that ever grows". I could be wrong though. Anyway, I'm just happy it was all a mistake, and Gord will go on forever.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

I always thought it was "with a pain that ever grows" too. And that the earlier recording was "Where the cold wind blows."

And for even more off topic business - how about the change in Steel Rail Blues from "with my hat in my hand" to "with my head in the sand." The former always made more sense to me.

Back to on topic - I'm also very glad I learned of the hoax before I heard anything else about it at all. I sure wish Journalists would remember that they're supposed to confirm stories before they publsh them.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

oh, poor char...that is awful (but i guess there must have been a euphoric moment along the way:) )

i was behind on the news that day (most of the week actually) so heard the correction long before the error...not as behind as the wife though, just last night (ie. 48 hours later!) she came home and said, I am sorry to hear about Gordon Lightfoot

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Just to keep life interesting I've found all three posted as lyrics....

When I sing it I mumble there just to be safe.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

[QUOTE=jj;159090]oh, poor char...that is awful (but i guess there must have been a euphoric moment along the way:) )

i was behind on the news that day (most of the week actually) so heard the correction long before the error...not as behind as the wife though, just last night (ie. 48 hours later!) she came home and said, I am sorry to hear about Gordon Lightfoot[/QUOT


LOL!!! Poor Mich...

At least Gord knew right away the whole thing wasn't true!!!...I had about 10 minutes of sheer panic ... it still takes my breath away. I think I aged 10 years in those 10 minutes.
I am now a senior citizen...
lol

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

[quote=charlene;159098]and I bet your hair turned grey too
http://www.focusdep.com/images/Joan_...9611122827.jpg
http://shirleybassey.files.wordpress...pg?w=298&h=424

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

What a sense of humour!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

In this interview, Gordon mentioned there had once been a false rumor @Paul McCartney's death -which reminded me of when this happened to Joe DiMaggio...a couple of years before he passed away. A newspaper had prematurely released his obituary (which, as with many notable persons, are pre-written).

Early last year I was doing a search for "Gordon Lightfoot" via MSN and on the side bar for 'related searches' @Gordon, the 1st listed was "Gordon Lightfoot Death"...and for a moment, I became alarmed! Before Massey, while doing the same search...it was still there! I just looked again and it's still there. Anyone seeing that for the 1st time might wonder or take it more seriously.

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Right about the lyric change -but when I 1st heard him sing it in concert "pain that" sure did sound like 'pavement' to me. And he did not pronounce the "v" in 'ever' so I thought he used the contraction, e're. But then wondered if it could be "ere" as well.

Next time, again he didn't pronounce the "v" but two distinct syllables, for sure I was certain it was e're. But then I did pick up that he sang "pain that" and not pavement...but that imagery has always stuck with me and that's how I sing it. Since then too, I've heard him sing "ever"...with the "v".

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Search for someone dead or alive, just type in the name of the person in the bar. :eek:


http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead....ghtfoot+Gordon

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Ya know, I think that I'd just LOVE to get close enough to the fat headed twits who started the friggin' rumour & give them not just a slap in the face, but a well deserved kick in the seat of the pants & a major wedgy to boot! It really does seem that bean heads like that have no life beyond scaring the wits out of people. I'd almost be willing to bet that when they were children, they used to drown ants or use magnifying glasses to fry them. Anything to get a stir going. Barbarians!!!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Creepy...but it works :p http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead..../Bush+George+W

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

National Post - week in review - Cartoons
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/b...b-20-2010.aspx

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Lightfoot never recorded it with "pavement" but he definitely sang it that way for a short time in the 60s. There is at least one live recording that definitely has "pavement" and "never grows". It's one of 4 GL songs on a strange MP3 compilation of "country, blues and western classics":

www.gordonlightfoot.com/LiveLightfootCutsfromthe1960s.shtml

I love that version of the lyrics!

Re: HE IS FINE - it was a hoax
 

Globe and Mail:


Murder by Tweet: The great Lightfoot blackout of 02/18

Blame bounced back and forth between new and old media on Thursday as each accused the other of starting false reports that musician Gordon Lightfoot had died.

The rumour began as a prank phone call to musician Ronnie Hawkins’ manager. As Ottawa media consultant Ian Capstick explains, Mr. Hawkins told his wife, Wanda, who spread the news by phone, Facebook and even fax. It hit Twitter mid-afternoon with the post “RIP Gordon Lightfoot” from the (now-deleted) Fleminski account, which belonged to Ottawa resident Rebecca Fleming.

According to Mr. Capstick, CanWest News Service called Ms. Fleming, who pointed them to Wanda Hawkins’ Facebook page. A CanWest reporter confirmed the mistaken belief with Ronnie Hawkins by telephone and CanWest issued an in-house news alert, which reporter David Akin relayed to his roughly 2,500 Twitter followers: “Gordon Lightfoot has died, sources close to the singer say.”

Tweeters at Roots Music Canada tried to quell rumours by posting: “Gordon Lightfoot was on the phone and fine half an hour ago.” But the shipwreck had already happened. Over the next two hours more than 3,000 new Tweets spread the false news. Meanwhile, CanWest newspaper websites had run with their story and before long Gordon Lightfoot was listening to radio reports of his death while driving to a dentist appointment in Toronto.

Roughly an hour after his initial post, Mr. Akin Tweeted that Mr. Lightfoot’s manager had denied the rumour. Media retractions followed, and the tide of false Twitter posts gave way to relief, media commentary, and, of course, snappy one-liners.

The Twitter reaction:

“What a day for Canada, 3rd GOLD medal won in Olympics & Gordon Lightfoot un-dies. Who says Canada is boring?”

“Blaming Twitter for spreading the false news of Gordon Lightfoot's death is like blaming trees 4 incorrect newspaper article.”

“This just in: Gordon Lightfoot among 6 billion humans NOT dead.”

“If You Could Read My Obit: Gordon Lightfoot comeback song.”

“I'll never forget where I was when I heard Gordon Lightfoot was alive.”

“It might have been more believable if Gordon Lightfoot had tweeted about the National Post’s demise. Just sayin'.”

“Headline: Canada media still learning Twitter. In related news: Gordon Lightfoot still not dead.”

“Does this mean Lent is over? The resurrection of Gordon Lightfoot – bring on the choco bunnies.”

“Gordon Lightfoot's condition upgraded to ‘alive.’ “

“I just learned that Gordon Lightfoot is still alive before I had even heard he had died.”