A Tribute to One of the Greatest of All Time

One of the world’s greats passed away this past spring.

Gordon Lightfoot’s voice sang out from the stereo of my childhood home pretty much every day of my young life.

I grew up listening to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, and Christian Island, and I would spend my days dreaming of adventure in the forests and on the water.

My dad would sing us The Pony Man before bed, and I would drift off to sleep and dream of riding into the stars and eating apple pie.

When I started writing my own stories, The Minstrel of the Dawn gave me the inspiration for one of my most beloved characters, Kiernan Kane.

Gordon Lightfoot’s music shaped who I am. His soaring melodies, his beautiful acoustic guitar, his love of the wilderness, the stories he told, his determination to break the rules of what the acceptable length for a “radio” song is… these things are all a part of the person I am, the writer I am. He inspired me and the stories I write every bit as much as Lewis, Tolkien, MacDonald, Lawhead, and Zahn.

When I had the chance to see him live in concert a few years back, of course I jumped at the chance.

And now he is gone.

But the magic he wove with his words and his voice lives on.

The minstrel of the dawn is gone. But his stories will continue to inspire future generations and future creatives.

Many of you know that my favorite musician is Brittany Jean. Well, she has just recorded a brand-new song that she’s been working on for the past 3 years, and this song is a beautiful tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. She recorded the song in April and was hoping to be able to send it to him as a “thank you” for all the inspiration and joy and beauty he had given to her.

Sadly, he never got the chance to hear it.

Thankfully, those of us who loved this legend can still hear it. I’ve listened to it several times this week and it makes me cry, but it eases the ache a little. So if you also loved Gordon Lightfoot, and if you already miss him, you can hear this new tribute song before it releases, as it is currently playing exclusively on 89 WBSD FM.

You are most likely to hear this song if you listen after 6pm CDT.

If you listen to the station and hear this beautiful song, would you mind letting me know? I’d love to know what you think of it, and where you’re tuning in from!