On September 7th 2002, Gordon was felled, during a concert in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario by a burst artery. He underwent emergency surgery and slipped into a coma for six weeks. The process of recovery was long, but Gordon has since recovered. His legacy continues with a concert tour planned for the spring of 2005 and the release of his latest album of original songs.
The new CD, Harmony is Gordon Lightfoot's 20th album. A stunning collection of new and previously unreleased songs which he has been working on over the last two years. Harmony was released May 11th, simultaneously in Canada on Linus/Warner and in the USA on SpinART/Ryko. The video for Inspiration Lady was released in March 2004. Producer Bob Doidge and Gordon's band went to work on the recordings, overdubbing parts and bringing their work to Gordon in the hospital for his approval and changes. The result is Harmony. The title track is a truly haunting ballad, followed by the traveling tale of River Of Light. The first single Inspiration Lady is yet another inspiring ballad of love and adoration. The album ends on a song of hope and dreaming with the song Sometimes I Wish. This story is told by Gordon himself in the liner notes of Harmony: "In early September of 2002 I was playing a two day event in my birthplace of Orillia, Ontario, when felled by an burst artery followed by total blackness. The fall tour was cancelled. When I awoke from that dark slumber a few weeks later, the hospital was already being prepped for Hallowe'en. Even the post operative discomfort had passed. My memory and my thinking felt pretty much normal as my mind recalled a day in the distant past when a muse would say, "don't spin your wheels". The problem right now was mechanical failure. After the visitations of family and friends had been accomplished and put into perspective, I started asking myself how I might go about picking up the slack in my current condition with a bloodshot eye on the future when bingo, I was back in the past, back to the music of course. It's the only real refuge I'd ever had anyway. I remembered months before, having recorded on multi-track, a considerable number of fresh songs, with guitar and vocal only, at two solo sessions in the recording studio. Perhaps my radar was telling me to get ready for a rainy day, I don't know. I remembered that quite a few of those performances had sounded reasonably valid at the time and wondered if they would hold up under scrutiny now, almost a year later. Thoughts about orchestration began entering my mind. We could pick out the best of the practice tracks and use them as basic tracks. In the final analysis, the job was what mattered. It was good being preoccupied in a very constructive way with a project in the works; one which would carry itself forward, right up through the artwork and editorial, until it's ultimate completion. A feeling of confidence was in the air. Meanwhile, the simple practice tracks had served us well, and for the first time ever, I had an opportunity to proceed with an album while lying on my back."
Gordon Lightfoot has five Grammy nominations and 17 Juno Awards in his native Canada. In 1970, in recognition of his contributions in furthering Canadian culture, he received the prestigious Order of Canada citation; in November 1997 he was presented the Governor General's Award-the highest official Canadian honor, which is conferred on very few, for their international efforts in spreading Canadian culture. Gordon was also honored as a charter member of Canada's Walk of Fame and most recently was elevated to the "companion" of the Order of Canada (highest level) in December. Lightfoot also was just inducted into The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Artists who have recorded Lightfoot's songs include Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Sarah McLachlan, Barbra Streisand, Peter Paul & Mary, Harry Belafonte, Jane's Addiction, Richie Havens, Glen Campbell, Anne Murray, Nana Mouskouri and George Hamilton IV.
