The sad news that music legend Gordon Lightfoot passed away yesterday at the age of 84 is reverberating through the entertainment world, with celebrities from all walks of life bemoaning the passing of the Canadian icon. With the Tony awards airing in June, it would be an incredible shame if they snubbed him in the “In Memoriam” tribute. Unfortunately, it’s happened before.
The singer — who died Monday of natural causes — had been suffering from health issues for over a decade, per NPR. He sang about loss and longing in a subtle way that was never melodramatic or drenched in overt emotion. It was a difficult balancing act that gained him international fame starting in 1971 with his hit “If You Could Read My Mind.”
American horror writing legend and Twitter empresario Stephen King bemoaned the loss of Lightfoot and his singular talent in a straightforward tribute that called the singer a “great songwriter.”
His accolades include five Grammy nominations, three platinum records and nine gold records.
This brings us to the Tony Awards, an annual ceremony honoring live Broadway theater for the year. Like the Grammys and the Oscars, it features an “In Memoriam” segment honoring late performers who passed away recently. Sure, Lightfoot wasn’t a Broadway performer, but he was one of the artists who transcended genres.
It would be a shame if he was snubbed, seeing as his songs are archetypal story songs telling sweeping tales. Unfortunately, the awards have done this before. For example – beloved comedian Bob Saget was excluded from the 2022 segment, and perhaps even worse, due to a protocol change the segment wasn’t even aired.
“In 2014, CBS decided that during its telecast of the 68th Tony Awards, it would not play the annual in memoriam segment on television, opting instead to let the memorial montage be shown exclusively to the live audience at Radio City Music Hall during a commercial break. This decision was backed by the ceremonies’ producers, but was panned by many Broadway insiders.”
Not sure who’s in charge over there, but this legendary singer-songwriter should be recognized for the joy and melancholy he brought to the world. Few artists have had not only the longevity of career but the deep catalogue of instantly recognizable songs.
Seeing as the Tony nominations just dropped, it’s the perfect time to consider Lightfoot and his creations. “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and “If You Could Read My Mind” are all worth the price of admission on their own.