Legendary singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot died May 1, 2023. His lasting influence in acoustic and pop music is well established with hits like Sundown, Carefree Highway, and the haunting Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Lightfoot was one of the artists that defined radio playlists in the 1970s. However, many of his songs were also covered by Bluegrass artists. Tony Rice released a compilation cd of Lightfoot's music in a tribute cd in 1975. His brother, Larry Rice, would include a Lightfoot tune in his final cd "Clouds over Carolina" that was released in 2007. Bill Emerson, Cliff Waldron, Bobby Osborne, Alison Krauss, The Punch Brothers, and the Issacs also recorded his music. Upon his death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, " We have lost our greatest storyteller." Two years after his untimely passing, the lasting influence of Gordon Lightfoot is still being felt in acoustic and bluegrass music. Tune in for this archived edition of Pickin on WHRV and a look at Gordon Lightfoot in Bluegrass. Sunday night at 7 on WHRV.
Pickin: Gordon Lightfoot Remembered
