Our favourite archival moments with Gordon Lightfoot
Including an interview with Alex Trebek, we look back at more than 4 decades of footage with the late singer
Gordon Lightfoot's songs helped form the foundation of Canada's musical identity, and the CBC took many an opportunity to interview the singer-songwriter across his storied career.
Below, we've highlighted five of our favourite Gordon Lightfoot moments from the CBC archives, spanning from the 1960s to a more recent 2013 interview for The National.
Do you have any other favourite moments with Lightfoot? Let us know via Instagram @cbc_music.
Lightfoot's early days as a 'famous country dancer'
Before Lightfoot was known as one of Canada's greatest songwriters, he was famous for another reason: as a square-dance singer. From 1960-62, Lightfoot appeared on the CBC show Country Hoedown as a member of the Singin' Swingin' Eight.
"The only reason I was on Country Hoedown was because I was a crackerjack sight-reader and I sang in the vocals chorus," he told Elwood Glover in 1973. "As a matter of fact, I was probably the best singer and harmonizer on it, but every night they'd make us get out there and clog for a minute. That was part of the trip."
Alex Trebek interviews Lightfoot on teen dance show
This interview with Alex Trebek on the CBC's Music Hop, a live music show for an audience of teenagers, took place in 1963 — three years before Lightfoot released his debut album, Lightfoot!. In the interview, Trebek calls Lightfoot "Gordie," Lightfoot calls Trebek "Al," and Trebek hopes Lightfoot's upcoming songs "turn out real well" for him. It's all very endearing.
On writing songs with a Canadian 'atmosphere'
In this short clip from a 1970 interview, a Vancouver teen asks Lightfoot when he started to write "songs about Canada" — and his answer gets to the heart of his more atmospheric approach to songwriting.
How his love of sports helps him practise
In 2013, the CBC's Nick Purdon joined Lightfoot at his home, where the singer talked about his love for football — and how he practises his songs in front of a small TV in his den, watching sports at the same time.
"Just watch the game, and don't make any mistakes," he said, of his practice strategy.
