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Music legend Gordon Lightfoot is not dead

2

23skidoo

Admiral
Admiral
We just had a weird situation happen up here in Canada. You could almost call it our version of the Abe Vigoda fiasco of years ago.

Several major media outlets, including the National Post, reported a couple hours ago that Gordon Lightfoot had died at the age of 71. But it was soon apparent that something wasn't right. And just now the Globe & Mail reports that reports of Lightfoot's death are, indeed, a hoax:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/gordon-lightfoot-very-much-alive/article1473102/

What's weird here is a national newspaper chain went with the story which apparently started out as a Twitter prank. Shows these days you just can't take anything for granted.

I considered just ignoring this but once these bogus reports get out there someone's bound to miss the retraction and I wanted to get in here before someone started a Gordon Lightfoot RIP thread.

Alex
 
exodus said:
Then again, I listen to allot of fusion Jazz.
So maybe that's why I associate him with it.
Click to expand...

The great thing about Lightfoot is his music crosses genres, and performers of his music tend to cross genres. Sundown was very much a pop song, and there was a hip-hop cover done of it a few years ago. Canadian Railroad Trilogy was definitely folk. And then you have songs like Early Morning Rain that tends to cross into country. The only other iconic Canadian songwriter that comes to mind who similarly crosses the lines is Leonard Cohen. I think the only musical genre not to have some version of Cohen's Hallelujah is polka.

Incidentally, Lightfoot was interviewed by a radio station a couple hours ago and he seems to be taking it in good humor, remarking he hasn't heard his music played so much on radio in ages! He's in good company. Besides Abe Vigoda, I recall Bob Hope was prematurely declared dead by no less than the US Senate after someone accidentally posted a premade obituary on a news website.

Alex
 
I have nothing against Gordon Lightfoot, but how bored could someone possibly be to start a rumor on Twitter about Gordon Lightfoot dying? Thank goodness I've never been that bored.
 
Yeah, I heard about this on the radio at work... at first all I heard was "Gordon Lightfoot has died", which made me kind of sad. Then I heard the word "hoax", and the interview with Lightfoot himself, and all was well again. Not only is he alive, but apparently he's planning to go on tour soon. I wonder how these things get started.

So, anyone here going to create a Gordon Lightfoot "NOT. DEAD." avatar? :p
 
Gah! I initially missed reading the "not" in the thread title, so thanks for the minor heart attack. :p
 
Good to hear. Absolutely LOVE that man's music. Grew up listening to it while sailing on the Great Lakes. :techman:
 
GL is one of my favorite singers. Saw him in concert in Omaha a few months ago. I'm very much glad to hear he's still with us. :techman:
 
Didn't know this rumor had been started...whew good thing. Come to think of it, I think I'll add some to my iTunes right now.
 
Well, first of all we're metric in Canada, so his name is technically Gordon Lightmetre (or Gordon Light.304metre if you really want to get down to it).
:))

On another note, it's too bad a major newspaper doesn't, you know, check the accuracy of a story! It really undermines the credibility of not only them, but all major news outlets, when their reliability is that of a blog.
 
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