Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success and played a significant role in defining the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Considered one of Canada's most influential songwriters, he released numerous gold and platinum albums, and his songs have been covered by many prominent musical artists. Lightfoot's biographer Nicholas Jennings described him as being known for "timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness." Recognition for Lightfoot grew in the mid-1960s through covers of his songs by other artists, including "For Lovin' Me", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Home From The Forest", and "Ribbon of Darkness", which became a number one hit on the U.S. country chart for Marty Robbins. Lightfoot achieved chart success with his own recordings beginning in Canada in 1962 with the No. 3 hit "(Remember Me) I'm the One", and he continued to have major hits domestically and internationally throughout the 1970s. He reached the top of the US Hot 100 or Adult Contemporary charts with "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970), "Sundown" (1974), "Carefree Highway" (1974), "Rainy Day People" (1975), and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976). Lightfoot received widespread acclaim from fellow musicians. Robbie Robertson of the Band described him as "a national treasure," and Bob Dylan commented, "I can't think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don't like. Every time I hear a song of his, it's like I wish it would last forever." He performed as the featured musical artist at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics and received numerous honours and awards during his career. Studio albums Lightfoot! (1966) The Way I Feel (1967) Did She Mention My Name? (1968) Back Here on Earth (1968) Sit Down Young Stranger (1970) Summer Side of Life (1971) Don Quixote (1972) Old Dan's Records (1972) Sundown (1974) Cold on the Shoulder (1975) Summertime Dream (1976) Endless Wire (1978) Dream Street Rose (1980) Shadows (1982) Salute (1983) East of Midnight (1986) Waiting for You (1993) A Painter Passing Through (1998) Harmony (2004) Solo (2020)