[lighthead2toe]

Hope this works folks.
Hello there “superfan!”
That was the greeting that graced my ear as I sauntered into my traditional comfort
zone at the Hugh’s room bar for another monumental weekend of Gordon Lightfoot
Tribute shows.
Seems that Peter, our ever smiling friendly Hugh’s Room bartender has twigged onto
the fact that this Jones guy might just be a fan of of Gordon Lightfoot.
Well, if there was any monumental weekend of Gordon Lightfoot tribute shows this one
has to be up there at the top.
Seated strategically in the room are Gordon Lightfoot and his bass player and close
confidant, Rick Dutkiewictz Haynes, together with their Lovely Ladies.
Jory Nash, the guy who makes it all happen took this particular event to a whole new
level.
This is the first time Scott Shea has appeared in the shows and boy, did he make an
impression.
Scott is the son of Red Shea, the accomplished resident guitarist of the Country
Hoedown and Tommy Hunter Shows which ran on the CBC during the sixties.
Gord appeared on both those shows.
Red Shea later would become an integral part of the Gordon Lightfoot sound.
Scott did just the one tune, “Farewell To Annabel” and he really didn’t have to do
anything else. Or maybe that’s just me. I mean, well, we all have our songs don’t we?
That’s the song alright and Gord even got the names correct.
Yes, her name was Ann and her nickname was Annabel. All true, and throw in the
Carefree Highway even.
And yes, when the snow was on the ground she left and the next day the rain began to
fall and from there on word for word, exactly how the lines progress in that song is a
huge part of what my life’s story carries in it’s basket.
.
Pour me another one there Peter.
Dear friends, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Imagine; the offspring of Gordon Lightfoot and Red Shea performing Gordon Lightfoot
songs on the same stage, with Gord present in the audience.
Hard to top that.
Meredith sang her Dad’s power hitter song “The Way I Feel” and the emotion she
released in that performance with every note, every word in every lyric, she had her
whole audience not only captivated but convinced just exactly the way she felt.
She let it all unleash. This is what it’s all about. It’s a show called “The Way We Feel”
and Meredith bought that feeling to fruition for her audience with that magnificent
outpouring of emotion singing her Dad’s great song in the presence of her Dad.
Peter looks over, I give him the nod and a fresh pint of ale awaits me.
What a fantastic blowout weekend it was here at Hugh’s. It’s Gordon Lightfoot’s Toronto
weekend!
As we see in Char’s videos (that gal is amazing) the slate of entertainers Jory put up
there had the room lit up the whole three nights.
And wonderful folks they all are. Good vibes all around. Very open and friendly and of
course very much appreciative of the works of the “great composer” in our midst.
The Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Weekend event held each year in mid January seems to
sort of shorten the winter, minimize the bleakness and jumpstart things into springtime
and roll it on this year to November when we have the Massey shows scheduled. And of
course there are the little sweeties that happen in between like the Mariposa Folk
Festival and the Orillia Tribute days as well.
What a great feeling to think about life and the joy we derive from this wonderful music.
It makes me reflect on that lyric in Gord’s brilliantly written song, Face of a Thousand
People:
“To taste the pleasures of the night
To know the joy of love’s embrace
To cherish every moment that is mine
To share my laughter with a friend
To sip the wine and not pretend
That there are those less fortunate that I.
Thanks Gord.