Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement honoring legendary folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who died on Monday at the age of 84.
Trudeau recalled meeting Lightfoot as a child when his father Pierre was prime minister in the 1970s and '80s.
Lightfoot's music told stories that captured the Canadian spirit, none more so than his iconic ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy’.
Lightfoot's biggest U.S. successes came in the 1970s, with top hits including ‘Sundown’, ‘If You Could Read My Mind’, and ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’.
All three songs reached No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart, as did ‘Carefree Highway’ and ‘Rainy Day People’.
With a career that spanned seven decades, Lightfoot rose to prominence in the mid-1960s, penning such folk standards as ‘Early Morning Rain’, ‘For Loving Me’, and ‘Ribbon of Darkness’.
Lightfoot's contributions earned him a place as a legend in his home country.
Trudeau expressed deep sadness over the passing of Lightfoot, who was one of Canada's greatest singer-songwriters.
Lightfoot's music will forever be a part of Canada's musical heritage.
Lightfoot's ambitious ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy’ was a Northern equivalent to Mickey Newbury’s ‘American Trilogy’.