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Written by
Jake Sorich
Tribune Staff Writer
To call Gordon Lightfoot a veteran musician is like saying Charlie Russell was a competent painter. While accurate, it hardly describes the mastery both Lightfoot and Russell have brought to their craft.
Lightfoot, 74, is considered by many to be one of the greatest folk singers who ever lived, in the same way that many consider Russell the greatest Western artist to pick up a brush or chisel.
Lightfoot started playing music professionally in 1958, which was before roughly 70 percent of Great Falls’ population was born, according to the latest census data.
Still going strong, the hall of fame Canadian singer/songwriter performs in the Electric City on Sunday. His show at the Mansfield Center for the Performing Arts theater starts at 8 p.m. He last played here in 2009.
This year’s set of shows marks Lightfoot’s 50th anniversary of touring the globe. He embarked upon a 70-date trek, the “50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour,” which started in March and finishes in November in Boston.
Lightfoot has garnered a slew of awards and honors, including 16 Junos (Canada’s music award), several ASCAP songwriting awards and five Grammy nominations.
In 2003 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada by the Canadian government.
At some of his recent shows, Lightfoot has performed a collection of his hits including “The Watchman’s Gone,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Early Morning Rain” and “Ribbon of Darkness.”
The lyrics to Lightfoot’s songs have long been considered pieces of poetry that tell rich stories together with the music.
In perhaps his most-famous song, “If You Could Read My Mind,” he sings:
“If you could read my mind love; What a tale my thoughts could tell; Just like an old time movie; ’Bout a ghost from a wishin’ well; In a castle dark or a fortress strong; With chains upon my feet; You know that ghost is me; And I will never be set free.”
Some of Lightfoot’s other accomplishments include playing at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, receiving an honorary Doctor of Lawsdegree in 1979 and being presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the lieutenant governor of Ontario. He also was inducted into the songwriters hall of fame that same year.
Bob Dylan, who has named Lightfoot as one of his favorite songwriters, once famously said once he heard a Lightfoot song he wished, “it would last forever.” Dylan also introduced Lightfoot into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986.
Lightfoot’s latest album, “All Live,” features 19 of his greatest recent live performances recorded between 1998 and 2001 including “Fine As Fine Can Be,” “Blackberry Wine” and “Song For a Winter’s Night.”
The album is a rarity in that all of the songs feature the original concert mix, whereas most live albums feature some remixes of sound quality.
In interviews following the album’s release, Lightfoot said he specifically wanted the original mixes because he believed they sounded better than any remix would.
Throughout his career, Lightfoot has written songs for many other great musicians including Dylan; Peter, Paul & Mary; Ian & Sylvia; Richie Havens; Glen Campbell; Anne Murray; Nana Mouskouri; Harry Belafonte; Elvis Presley; Barbra Streisand; and George Hamilton IV.
Lightfoot also branched out into acting, appearing with Bruce Dern and Helen Shaver in the 1980 feature film “Harry Tracy” and several other 1980s TV shows and movies.
Tickets to Sunday’s show are $35, $45 and $65 per person. They can be purchased online at ticketing.greatfallsmt.net, by phone at 455-8514 or at the Mansfield Center Box Office.
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