We asked our audience if they had any Gordon Lightfoot stories. Here’s what they sent us:

Hi Belfry!

Thanks for asking for Gordon Lightfoot stories. Here is mine.

In 1969, I was in grade 4 in Ontario. My school was rural and located in Simcoe County, which happens to be the same county that Gordon Lightfoot was born in. (He was born in Orillia.) Anyway, my teacher was Mrs. Goldie Martin who was ancient, strict, a fiercely devoted Canadian, and a strong believer in pedagogical practices such as rote learning and punishments that included standing in the corner for misbehaving and having to write “lines” such as “I shall not talk in class” for more serious infractions. Anyway, one day, we nearly all fell out of our seats (in fact, we might have done just that if we weren’t so scared of getting punished for it), Mrs. Goldie Martin wheeled a record player into class. 

Be quiet and listen, she said. Now you are all going to hear a work of pure genius, and this work is by a person born and raised in our own county—Simcoe County. She dropped the needle on the record, stood back, crossed her arms, and beamed with so much pride that one could be forgiven for believing she had written the Canadian Railroad Trilogy herself.

Can you imagine a group of eight- and nine-year-olds, most of them listening to the Guess Who, Andy Kim, Edward Bear, and other Canadian teen heartthrobs of the day, hearing for the first time that “old” man with a gravelly voice singing a song that had nothing to do with love and romance and which seemed to NEVER END? To be fair, the song was about twice the length of the pop songs of that day. Honestly, it was enough of a shock for us that Mrs. Goldie Martin had brought a record player into class and was actually playing music for us and what was this world coming to and most important of all—was there going to be a test? The room was completely silent while the record played for 6 minutes and 22 seconds. We didn’t even dare look at one another.

But Mrs. Goldie Martin seemed unperturbed by our lack of enthusiasm. When the record was over, she simply lifted the needle, shut down the machine, packed everything up, and wheeled the record player back out of the classroom. Eventually, we discovered there would be no test. But for the rest of the day, I swear Mrs. Goldie Martin kept a nearly indetectable smile on her face.

Gordon himself sings, “Time has no beginnings and history has no bounds.” I think about that day with a lot of affection for my introduction to the music of Gordon Lightfoot and for finding out that a woman I knew only as stern, demanding, and fearsome had a softer and dreamier side that was awakened through music.

So lovely to have a chance to remember this!! Going to share shortly with a couple of classmates I’m still in touch with. Gordon was a legend, but so was Goldie!

Peggy Herring

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Hi There!

I was going to ignore your invitation, until my Gordon Story came to me like a bad flashback!

Gordon Lightfoot played at Wolfville University in the Annapolis Valley, NS auditorium on a fine fall day in 1976.  About six of my friends hitchhiked down to the valley for the show.  On arrival in the auditorium, we were surprised to see there was not a seat in the house!  We all sat on the floor; us up front alongside the stage.  We had an excellent view of him and the rest of the jam-packed audience.

You can imagine a 1000 groovy young Nova Scotians getting into each and every one of his songs.  When he hit one particularly lively song the audience erupted into clapping in time (as we couldn’t thump our heels on the hardwood floor, being as we were sitting on the floor!).  Soon into the song, he abruptly stopped playing and told us, “Shut up, stop clapping!”  1000 scorned fans simultaneously gasped in horror of the insult!  Only a few polite fans clapped nervously at the end of his songs for the rest of the show.  The rest of us remained silent in our indignation!

I begrudged Gordon Lightfoot for his bad manners for many years.  That said, I always loved his music!  Still do!  I have more empathy for him as I have come to know more about his life and struggles.

Mary Coakley

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My older sister Margaret went to high school with Gordon. They attended The Orillia District Collegiate & Vocational Institute. ODCVI. Gordon and his Band Partner Terry Whelan were asked to perform at the School Assemblies.

Gordon could be a bit of a jokester, and one story was he taught his Swedish wife naughty words which she used in conversation with Gordon’s parents at the dinner table.

Lynda Doll

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I am from Orillia. It was a great town to grow up in on two lakes. We swam all summer long and skated all winter long. I sang in the church choir together with Gordie for quite a few years. Three Sundays out of four he would have a solo. He certainly wasn’t shy; he was outgoing and cocky but behaved himself in church on Sunday mornings.  I knew him around the school as well, but he sure didn’t know me because Gordie was about three grades ahead of me in the high school, we attended from grades 9 to 13. My best friend Jackie sang in the chorus of the Mikado one year when he had the starring role as the Mikado.  It was pretty obvious by the time he was finishing grade 13 that he was going to make a name for himself.

I have been attending the Belfry for 48 years. We are looking forward to opening night and always go to the Fernwood Inn before the show.

Leslie Farmer, Belfry Director’s Circle member

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When I was in high school, good old Vic High, I had an evening job working as an usher/doorman at the rejuvenated MacPherson Playhouse. This would have been back in ‘68 to ‘71. During my time there, I had the good fortune to be working when Gordon Lightfoot had shows there. I very much liked Gordon; my older sister Trudy had his first LP, and she played it all the time. Gordon always sold the place out, so it was all hands on deck. While the concert was on, us ushers and doormen all hid at the top of the stairwells so that we could watch without being detected. Fantastic, a free Lightfoot concert.

Afterwards, there were always a lot of admirers who waited in the lobby to shake his hand or get an autograph. Finally, Gordon would show. He was tall, quiet and dignified. His hair was down to his shoulders, he wore a long, dark leather overcoat that almost reached his ankles. He would stay and chat and autograph as long as folks were there.

He was an admirable man. 

A great Canadian.

Thanks

Hans de Goede

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The only time I saw Gordon Lightfoot in concert was at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.  This was in the early 60’s.  He shared the billing with Ian and Sylvia.  He was just starting his career.  From then on, I became a huge fan of his and loved his songs for their beautiful melodies and the lyrics, which told stories only he could tell.  I still play his music to this day.

Donna Flood

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Our thanks for the memories. If you have a story you would like to share, please send it along to pr@belfry.bc.ca.