'A genius': Celebrities, musicians share stories and condolences after Gordon Lightfoot's death

Condolences and tributes streamed in Tuesday following the death of Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot.

Lightfoot’s family confirmed that the musician died of natural causes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Monday evening. He was 84.

Speaking to media prior to a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Lightfoot “one of Canada's greatest songwriters.”

“I remember spending a little time with him a few years ago when he was playing for Canada's (150th anniversary) on Parliament Hill, and was touched by his thoughtful grace and generosity,” Trudeau said. “It was really sad news to wake up to this morning.”

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The singer-songwriter, who rose to prominence in the 1970s, was known for injecting distinctly Canadian stories and sounds into his music, such as in his enduring ballad, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which tells the true — if dramatized — story of a ship sinking in Lake Superior.

Numerous musicians shared their memories of Lightfoot Tuesday, applauding him for his mark on the music world.

Lightfoot “walked among the greatest,” singer-songwriter Jann Arden wrote in a tweet. “His songs (are) woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. We all know the words, even if we don’t think we do. What a legacy you leave behind.”

Rock singer Tom Cochrane, who has twice honoured the “If You Could Read My Mind” and "Sundown" singer-songwriter for his musical contributions — including when he inducted Lightfoot into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 —posted on social media his thanks to Lightfoot “for helping to define us.”

Bryan Adams wrote on Twitter that he was “lucky enough to say Gordon was my friend,” and that “the world is a lesser place without him.”

Randy Bachman, one of the founding members of the band The Guess Who, took to Instagram to share the story of attending a Lightfoot concert when he was younger, saying he was “mesmerized the entire time."  

“It was poetry, folklore, legend and music,” he wrote. “I knew him a long time and he was a wonderful person.”

The feelings stirred by Lightfoot’s passing stretched beyond the world of Canadian music with other artists noting their admiration and condolences.

“What a genius,” actor Ben Stiller tweeted. “His music is such a big part of my life.”

Actor Kiefer Sutherland said that “Canada lost part of itself” and that he had “lost a hero.”

“Gordon Lightfoot has died,” author Stephen King tweeted. “He was a great songwriter and a wonderful performer. Sundown, you better take care/If I catch you creepin' 'round my back stairs.”

“Sundown,” was one of Lightfoot’s most well-known and successful songs, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. charts in 1974.

Politicians also chimed in on the death of the Canadian singer-songwriter. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted that “his songs brought Canada’s stories to people all over the world,” while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre shared Lightfoot’s song “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” calling him “Canada’s bard.”

Lightfoot’s impact on music was undeniable to many. Bob Dylan, who inducted Lightfoot into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986, once said of his work that he couldn’t think of a Lightfoot song he didn’t like.

"Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever,” Dylan wrote in the liner notes for 1985’s Biograph box set.

Radio personality and former MuchMusic VJ George Stroumboulopoulos shared a video on Twitter of a previous interview he had held with Lightfoot.

When asked if he reflected on his life, Lightfoot said, “Do I ever.”

He added that it “feels good” to reflect back on some of the things he regrets and feel repentance.

“It’s felt better at some times as it has at other times. But right now it feels pretty good. It’s been better, but right now it’s pretty good,” he continued.

“I like to be kind, I like to be nice to people. I like to be polite.”

“He sat on top of the mountain,” Stromboulopoulos wrote in the tweet. “He shared what he saw. For so many around the world, they knew our stories because of him.” 

With files from the Canadian Press