I really think the problem is a lack of exposure on this side of the border. Ask any Canadian, no matter what age, if they know who Gordon Ligthfoot is, and most of them will say they know of him. Step on this side of the border and ask the same question, and most people will say, "Gordon Light what.. who?" It seems that he has a very dedicated group of fans, but other than that, people don't know of him unless you sing a bar of Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind, or Wreck. I often think, "Oh, you poor soul. You don't have any idea what you've missed."
I think the fan websites have helped his exposure some. I remember back before I had access to the Internet, I didn't have a clue that Gord was still touring and recording. I thought of him as a has-been, a relic from the 70s. I honestly did not know that he had recorded anything after Summertime Dream. You know, life kept me busy and I didn't really keep up with him. I was literally shocked when I found Val's and Wayne's websites and discovered that I had missed two decades of great music. Since that time, I've turned a great many people on to his music. My mother and all of her friends started buying Lightfoot CDs, as did my fiddling friends, many guitar playing friends and musicians I associate with online. Even my young employees know who Gordon Lightfoot is, and a good many of them even LIKE him!
Cathy
http://www.cathycowette.com