Gordon Lightfoot’s indelible song about the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is perhaps his best known work.
But of course, the late singer-songwriter’s music goes far beyond his musical retelling of the 50-year-old maritime disaster.
The original members of The Lightfoot Band will put some of that music on display in Traverse City this coming weekend.
IPR spoke with Barry Keane, Lightfoot’s drummer for 48 years. Listen to the interview using the audio player above, or read some highlights below.
What: The Lightfoot Band, playing the music of Gordon Lightfoot
When: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5
Where: Milliken Auditorium, Traverse City
Tickets and info
Interview highlights
On how Lightfoot wrote music: "When he wrote a song, he heard it, he heard the finished product in his head, and he would have us try to replicate the idea that he had in his head — how he wanted the songs to sound in the end. One of the funny and sad things about Gord was, he wrote so many songs that he would give us a lead sheet, we'd have it in front of us at rehearsal, we'd run it down for the first time, and if it didn't match what Gord thought it should sound like, he would scrap the song and say 'Well, this is no good.' I can't tell you the number of great songs that Gord just scrapped because he didn't like the way it sounded right away."
On growing to like Lightfoot's work: "In the very beginning, I was not a Gordon Lightfoot fan. It was a job. It was great on the resume, and I thought if I can get a year out of playing with Gordon Lightfoot, it will be great for the resume. But then there was a moment: 1977, which was my second year with Gordon. We were playing the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel threw a party for Gord the night before we started .... Gord and I were talking over in the corner and I could feel people gathering around Gord. These were fans that wanted to have a moment with Gord. ... I looked up because I was going to back away and let the fans talk to Gord. These fans were Robert Goulet, Joan Baez, Glen Campbell and Roy Orbison. ... I stood back and I thought, "That's Roy Orbison over there. He's a fan of Gordon Lightfoot.' And I'm thinking, 'What is wrong with me?'"
On playing the music after Lightfoot's death: "It is the absolute range of emotions every time we play one of Gord's great songs. We found a fabulous singer to sing the songs. There will never be another Gordon Lightfoot, but we found this guy who was a fan of Gord's for something like 50 years, and he does an amazing job of singing these songs. ... When we present the songs they're darn good, but Gord's not there. Our friend. The man who created this music. There is a lot of melancholy and there's an awful lot of joy in being able to still play Gord's great songs and see the reaction of old fans, new fans, people who are just discovering Gordon Lightfoot music. It is such a joy to be able to present that to the full range of the fans that we play to."
