Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 7th, 2023

A concert venue in Birmingham, Ala., has canceled a Ted Nugent show after a backlash regarding the singer's controversial political views. Nugent -- a high profile supporter of conservative policies and former president Donald Trump - had been scheduled to play the Avondale Brewing Co. venue in Birmingham on July 18 as part of his "Adios Mofo" tour. However after being flooded with thousands of comments protesting the show, Avondale Brewing Co. cancelled the show and wrote: "We have heard the concerns of the Avondale community, which is so important to us, and in conjunction with our partners, have taken the necessary steps to to cancel the Ted Nugent concert scheduled for July 18." Some of Nugent's most recent controversial comments include calling Bruce Springsteen "a dirtbag [who supports] communists" and calling Neil Young "a complete punk" over his decision to pull his music from Spotify. - New Musical Express, 5/5/23...... Speaking of Bruce Springsteen, the Boss got to know some local Irish as he and his E Street Band hit the Emerald Isle for three sold-out shows at Dublin's RDS Arena on May 5, 7 and 9. Springsteen visited The Burrow pub in Rathangan, Co. Kildare, on May 4 and had a pint with with some townspeople, even treating them to an a cappella first verse of his 1985 Born in the U.S.A. single "My Hometown." He then looked at the fans gathered in his family's ancestral home and led them in the chorus of, "this is your hometown," telling them afterwards, "you guys, I'm firing the E Street Band and I'm hiring you." Fan shot footage has been shared on Instagram. Springsteen made another stop as well, visiting former Pogues singer Shane MacGowan's home in Dublin, captured in a sweet pic posted by the beloved singer's wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, on Instagram. - Billboard, 5/5/23...... Former Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock has announced he'll play an intimate London gig on King Charles III's Coronation night on May 6. The bassist, who co-wrote the punk rock band's infamous anti-royalist song "God Save The Queen," will perform at London's 100 Club to support the release of his newly released album, Consequences Coming. "I wonder what kind of warrant I'll get?! Come on down to the 100 Club this Saturday and find out," Matlock joked on Twitter. Matlock says he won't be changing the words of Sex Pistols' controversial song to "God Save The King" because it "apparently wouldn't rhyme well." - NME, 5/5/23...... Lawmakers in Minnesota have decreed that a seven-mile stretch of State Highway 5 in the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie will be renamed in honor of late pop superstar Prince. On May 4 the Minnesota Senate voted 55-5 to rename the highway that runs past Prince's Paisley Park museum and studios the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway. Among those watching the bill being passed was Prince's oldest sister, Sharon Nelson. The bill passed the House unanimously in April on the seventh anniversary of Prince's death, and now goes to Gov. Tim Walz, who is expected to sign. Prince's friends and fans are footing the bill for the new signs and labor, said the lead sponsor, Republican Sen. Julia Coleman, of Waconia. "Prince was a true genius, a visionary artist who pushed the boundaries of music and cultures in ways that will never be forgotten," Coleman told her fellow senators. "His influence can be heard in the work of countless musicians who came after him, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists to this day." Paisley Park, where Prince lived and recorded, now draws visitors from around the world. It is also the location where Prince died on Apr. 21, 2016, of an accidental fentanyl overdose at age 57. The 65,000-square-foot complex in Chanhassen is now a museum run by his estate as well as an event venue and recording studio. - Billboard, 5/5/23...... In related news, Tom Petty has been honored with a posthumous doctorate of music degree from the University of Florida. In a May 4 Instagram post, the estate for the "Runnin' Down a Dream" singer announced that UF had awarded him a posthumous, honorary Doctor Of Music degree. "I don't think anyone in our family, including him, thought that he would be linked with the University of Florida this way," Tom's brother Bruce Petty shared in a statement. "It's such a powerful thing, it was his life-long dream, and I know he would just be over-the-top, crazy happy about it." Petty, who died in 2017, was previously awarded the university's Distinguished Achievement Award in 2006. UF School of Music director Kevin Orr shared in his own statement that the institution was "privileged to honor Tom Petty with an honorary doctorate degree in Music, celebrating not only his extraordinary achievements as an artist, but the ways in which his music has and continues to unite us as a community." Petty's estate has partnered with the university to form the Tom Petty Endowment for Guitars & Innovation, donating $100,000 (79,000) to the music school's guitar and music business programs. - Music-News.com, 5/5/23...... In a new interview in Metal Hammer magazine conducted by two of Ozzy Osbourne's biggest fans -- Jack Black and Kyle Glass of Tenacious D -- Ozzy said even though he's retired from the road he's determined to rock on, even if he has to "get someone to wheel me out there." "I mean, doing a live show is what I live for," Osbourne explained. "I've had to cancel my [2023] European tour but I'm determined. I've gotta do more gigs if I have to get someone to wheel me out there. I mean, you can't retire from this game. It's not a job, it's a f---ing passion. I don't know how to do anything else. The thought of sitting in my house all day... I'm a road dog, you know? I've been doing it f---ing 55 years. It's the best thing to have ever happened to me." In February, Osbourne posted a note to fans on social media announcing that his touring days have come to an end and that his rescheduled European/UK tour dates have been canceled. - Billboard, 5/4/23...... Contemporary pop star Ed Sheeran won a plagiarism case on May 4 after the Manhattan Federal Court ruled that he did not copy Marvin Gaye's song "Let's Get It On" for his 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud." The case was brought against the pop star in 2016 by Ed Townsend -- one of the co-writers on Gaye's classic 1973 track -- who accused Sheeran of copying the song on his 2014 hit. The accusations alleged that Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge copied the rhythm of "Let's Get It On," as well as an ascending four-chord sequence. The case also referenced "striking similarities" between the two tracks that violate the copyright. Sheeran denied claims he copied Gaye's song, and earlier in the week took to the witness stand to insist he would be "done" with music if found guilty. However the jury ruled that he "independently" created the song. Sheeran hugged his lawyer after the verdict, while Wadge and his wife Cheery Seaborn were reportedly in tears. After the ruling was handed down, Sheeran told reporters outside the court: "I am obviously very happy with the outcome of the case and it looks like I am not having to retire from my day job after all. But at the same time I'm unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all." Earlier in the week, Sheeran played songs by Van Morrison and various other artists including Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Nina Simone before the jury to contest musicologist Alexander Stewart's claims about his melodies and intentions. - NME, 5/4/23...... Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed the inductees for its Class of 2023. Art rock cult fave Kate Bush, rootsy yet polished hitmaker Sheryl Crow, hip-hop mastermind Missy Elliott, blue-eyed pop/soul king George Michael, outlaw country legend Willie Nelson, rap-rock firebrands Rage Against the Machine, and long-running '70s vocal group The Spinners were all inducted into the performer category. The "Musical Influence Award" was given to Bronx-based DJ DJ Kool Herc and distortion guitar rock rebel Link Wray, while the "Musical Excellence Award" was given to frequent RRHOF nominee and funk queen Chaka Khan, veteran rock player/producer Al Kooper, and Elton John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. Finally, Don Cornelius -- who hosted the R&B and Black culture bedrock Soul Train on TV from 1970-1993 -- is inducted with the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson gained entrance on their first nomination. Among those nominated but passed over for 2023 are Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon. To be eligible for the Rock Hall, an artist's first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. The RRHOF induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 3. - Billboard, 5/3/23...... Reacting to his RRHOF induction, Bernie Taupin says a magnanimous gesture from his songwriting partner Elton John could have been the reason why he wasn't inducted into the Cleveland-based hall and museum until now. "That's the big thorn in the paw because in a lot of people's minds, that's the reason I was not inducted before now, because certain elements of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame didn't like the fact Elton brought me up on stage... and gave me his award," says Taupin of John's RRHOF induction way back in 1994. Taupin adds he had the trophy "for years" before returning it to John. "So they just assumed that I already had the award so I didn't need to be inducted myself, which is pretty puerile, if you think about it, and pretty childish and churlish at the same time. But, hey, that's all in the past. What's gone is gone and it's all forgotten now and God's in his heaven and all is good." Taupin's induction will come after the September publication of his memoir Scattershot. He spent two years working on it -- including editing it from an 800-page draft to "just under" 400 pages -- and he's recently received the initial galleys for it. "I think people will be surprised by it," he says. "It's not a conventional rock slog biography It's not an A-to-Z life story. It's non-linear. It's more vignettes of my life... I'm not comparing it to Dylan's Chronicles, but it has the same sort of free-form feel to it. I couldn't be tethered to any restrictive autobiographical code. I just had to write it as I felt it. It's pretty exciting, I have to say. I never pat myself on the back about things. I'm my own worst critic. But I'm absolutely thrilled with it. It's probably the best thing I've ever done in my life. It's incredibly satisfying, and... I'm looking forward to having it out." - Billboard, 5/4/23...... On May 4 KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley walked back his recent comments about gender-affirming care for minors. In his original statement on Twitter on May 1, Stanley forwarded misinformation about gender-affirming care for youths, saying that "irreversible" procedures shouldn't be performed on children (despite the facts saying that the vast majority of this kind of care is reversible and often medically necessary for trans kids). "There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification," he wrote. But in his latest statement, he focused on those currently undergoing the transition process, expressing his admiration for their bravery in being themselves. "Most importantly and above all else, I support those struggling with their sexual identity while enduring constant hostility and those whose path leads them to reassignment surgery," he said. "It's hard to fathom the kind of conviction that one must feel to take those steps." As he closed, Stanley said social media may not be the best place for genuine discourse. "A paragraph or two will remain far too short to fully convey my thoughts or point of view, so I will leave that for another time and place," he wrote. - Billboard, 5/5/23...... Beatles legend Paul McCartney famously once said that the Beach Boys' 1966 track "God Only Knows" was his favorite song of all time. Now a new AI-generated mashup of the Beatles covering the iconic Pet Sounds album track has appeared online, and shared on YouTube. While the creator of the video doesn't offer much explanation into what inspired the project or what tools he used to develop the track, McCartney has previously described the song as "one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it." "It's really just a love song, but it's brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian [Wilson]," he said. While AI-generated mashups can often be conceived as controversial by fans, the Beatles/Beach Boys collaboration has received mostly positive reactions online. The video has over 1,100 likes on YouTube, versus just 10 "thumbs-down" reactions. "Paul and John [Lennon] are finally reconciled in the chorus, it's the most beautiful thing I've heard. Thank you," wrote one fan in the comments, while another added: "This is incredible. I have dreamed of hearing Paul sing this for my whole life. Amazing." Over recent months, music lovers have been using AI methods to create "new music" and collaborations featuring several of their favorite artists, including The Weeknd, Drake and Kanye West. In April, an AI-generated "lost" album by alternative faves Oasis also emerged online and also received a wave of praise from fans online. - NME, 5/4/23...... Kool & the Gang have announced plans to celebrate their upcoming 60th anniversary next year by hitting the road this summer on the Kool and the Gang "Rock the World Tour." Sponsored by group founder Robert "Kool" Bell's own Le Kool Champagne, the tour kicks off May 5-6 in Las Vegas, and wraps in Saratoga, Calif., on Sept. 24. Stops along the way include London (6/1), Cambridge, Great Britain (6/11), Plovdiv, Bulgaria (6/12) and Los Angeles (7/14-15). More tour information is available on the group's website. In April, Kool & the Gang performed on Good Morning America and released its latest single, "Let's Party," and will release its 34th studio album, People Just Wanna Have Fun, in July. Keyboardist and drummer George "Funky" Brown produced People Just Wanna Have Fun, recorded at his Alley Cat Studio in Woodland Hills, Calif. He also has a book set for release on July 11, Too Hot: Kool & The Gang & Me, in which he shares "my memoirs and cautionary tales." Founded in 1964, the band is behind a string of timeless hits that include "Celebration," "Ladies Night," "Get Down on It," "Summer Madness" and "Hollywood Swinging." Their music has also been featured on various film soundtracks including Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction and Wreck-It Ralph. Their "Let's Party" single can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/3/23...... Neil Young has paid tribute to his fellow Canadian singer/songwriter legend Gordon Lightfoot, who died on May 1 at age 84. "I just spoke to Gordon a few weeks back and he sounded happy, although he had cancelled some shows and was re-organizing his touring. I was saddened when I learned today of his passing," Young wrote of Lightfoot on his Neil Young Archives site. "Gordon was a great Canadian artist. A songwriter without parallel," Young continued. "His melodies and words were an inspiration to all writers who listened to his music, as they will continue to be through the ages," said Young, 77, who was born in Toronto. "There is a unique and wonderful feeling to Gordon's music. Lightfoot is a Canadian legend." Young covered Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and "If You Could Read My Mind" on his 2014 lo-fi covers album A Letter Home. Young joined a number of other artists and admirers singing Lightfoot's praises, including Billy Joel, who covered the folk singer's 1971 Billboard No. 5 hit "If You Could Read My Mind" in a home recording and posted it on Facebook with the caption, "Sad morning over here. Rest easy Gordon Lightfoot. So sad to hear of the death of Gordon Lightfoot. He was a lifelong musical hero of mine..." Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on Twitter that "[Canada has] lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters....[Lightfoot] captured our country's spirit in his music -- and in doing so, he helped shape Canada's soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever. To his family, friends, and many fans across the country and around the world: I'm keeping you in my thoughts at this difficult time." Lightfoot also received online tributes from the likes of Bryan Adams, Brian Wilson, Stephen King, Jake Tapper and Belinda Carlisle. - Billboard, 5/3/23...... As Paul McCartney and Wings' classic 1973 set Band on the Run turns 50 years old this year, former Wings guitarist Denny Laine has reflected on the tumultous "gamble" taken by McCartney and the band that would become was has been hailed by many as McCartney's top post-Beatles triumph. To record his fifth post-Beatles album and third LP with new band Wings, McCartney decided to relocate to Lagos, Nigeria for a change of scenery and musical inspiration. It was exactly the sort of bold gambit that his three former Beatle bandmates, just before the split, probably would have shot down without blinking. "In order to move forward, you have to try new things," Laine tells Billboard in a phone interview from his home in Florida while describing how he thinks about the landmark album now. "It's like being a gambler. You gamble with things because it's more exciting. It's more appealing. It's not the normal, everyday 9-to-5 job, it's more of a "Let's try something new." Following two defections from Wings just before they were all due to fly out to Nigeria, shrinking McCartney's existing quintet down to a trio, Laine was now the only remaining member of the group with a surname other than McCartney. He remembers the finished album that emerged from the Lagos sessions as largely a grand adventure. "I know why it was appreciated so much," Laine says. "Because it had a certain feel. It was basically just me and Paul doing the backing tracks. And it was more of a relaxed approach to doing an album than if you're going in with a band and there are all these parts. We were thrown into that as a last resort because two of the guys didn't come to Lagos." The critical and commercial acclaim that followed Band on the Run (it was nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year Grammy) prefaced the success of Venus and Mars two years later, which was the Wings album McCartney used to reestablish himself as a major touring artist. And there were still other benefits of his African sojourn, including a bit of unstinting praise from the most improbable voice of all: John Lennon. In 1975, Lennon told Rolling Stone that Band on the Run was "a great album," adding, "It's good Paul music." - Billboard, 5/2/23...... Def Leppard have announced details of an intimate gig in their Sheffield hometown later this month, in collaboration with the Music Venue Trust. The British rock veterans will be hitting the stage at The Leadmill for the most intimate show they have played in the city in over four decades, all in a bid to support grassroots venues in England. Announced on Instagram on May 3, the venue confirmed the show will be presented with a percentage of ticket sales going to MVT, and will mark "one of the most historic nights in Shefflield's grassroots music history." Tickets go on sale on May 12. The future of the historic venue was first thrown into question in March 2022, when the operators announced to fans the "devastating news" that they were facing eviction. As well as announcing the gig, the update also shared footage of founding member and bassist Rick Savage, in which he explained the The Leadmill's legacy and how the city would be impacted if it were to close down. "It has come to my attention, along with many others, that our great institutional club in Sheffield, The Leadmill, is in danger of extinction," he said. "We really really need to keep buildings like this and we need to keep venues like this. It's important to recognise how influential and iconic The Leadmill was, and still is, in the music scene in Sheffield." In other Def Leppard news, later this summer the band are set to play a series of live UK dates with Motley Crüe -- which will see them perform in cities including London and Glasgow. Among these stadium appearances is another performance in Sheffield, taking place at Bramall Lane on May 22. In other Def Leppard news, later this summer the band are set to play a series of live UK dates with Motley Crüe -- which will see them perform in cities including London and Glasgow. Among these stadium appearances is another performance in Sheffield, taking place at Bramall Lane on May 22. Allen also recently shared a health update following being attacked outside a hotel in Florida in April. "I am still recovering and getting my mind and body ready for the upcoming tour... Just wanted to say hi and let you know, There Will Be Rock!," he posted on Instagram. - NME, 5/3/23...... The Grateful Dead announced on May 3 that they're set to share a series of previously unreleased concerts from 1973 in a new limited-edition boxset. Titled Here Comes Sunshine 1973, the boxset will be comprised of 17 CDs, and feature audio from the group's shows in San Francisco, Santa Barbara and two shows in Washington D.C. The concerts took place between May 13 and June 10 fifty years ago, and remained unreleased up until now. The release also features live performances of songs taken from Wake Of The Flood, which would be officially released the following year. The boxset, which will cost $190 (151), will be limited to 10,000 copies. This, as well as digital versions of the release will be available on The Grateful Dead's website. Each of the physical copious will feature vibrant, graphic artwork designed by Masaki Koike, liner notes contributed by Ray Robertson and an illustration poster created by Mary Ann Mayer. Additionally, each of the five live shows included will come in their own custom-designed segments. In addition to Here Comes Sunshine 1973, the band are also set to release a 4 CD, 8 LP set of their performance at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. -- the performance of "Ramble On Rose," taken from the show, will also be released as a digital single. - NME, 5/3/23...... British singer Linda Lewis, who enjoyed hits in the 1970s with "It's In His Kiss" and others, and was the envy of fellow singers due to her five-octave range, died on May 3. She was 72. "It is with the greatest sadness and regret we share the news that our beloved beautiful sister Linda Lewis passed away today peacefully at her home," her sister, Dee Lewis Clay, posted on social media. "The family asks that you respect our privacy and allow us to grieve at this heartbreaking time." Born Linda Ann Fredericks in West Ham, London, Lewis attended stage school, and landed film roles, including a part as a screaming fan in the Beatles film, A Hard Day's Night. Later, fans would scream for Lewis, as she reeled off U.K. hits through the 1970s with "Rock-A-Doodle-Doo," "It's In His Kiss," "Baby I'm Yours" and "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You." Written and composed by Rudy Clark, "It's In His Kiss" would give Lewis a U.K. top 10 appearance, peaking at No. 6 in 1975, and a spot on the Billboard Hot 100, at No. 96. Her extraordinary vocal range, and her gifts across folk, soul, pop and reggae, would catch the attention of rock music's superstars, including David Bowie and Rod Stewart, both of whom recruited her for backing vocals. She would also work with the likes Joan Armatrading, Basement Jaxx, Turin Brakes and Jamiroquai. Across her career, Lewis cut ten studio albums, including Say No More, her 1971 debut, which was inspired by living with fellow artists in a commune in Hampstead, north London, a place where Cat Stevens, Marc Bolan and Elton John would drop by. In 2002, Warner Music released a collection of her '70s music, Reach for the Truth. The following year, BMG issued a career retrospective The Best of Linda Lewis, and later, the 3-CD boxed set Legends, including hits and rarities. In 2017, to celebrate her 50th anniversary in the music business, Lewis released Funky Bubbles, a 5-CD box set including rarities and live versions. She was mourned on social media by Armatrading, Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and The Waterboys frontman Mike Scott. - Billboard, 5/4/23.

Legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, the composer and performer of such enduring songs as "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," "Early Morning Rain," and "Rainy Day People," died on May 1, the CBC has confirmed. He was 84. News of his death comes after his rep announced on Apr. 11 that Mr. Lightfoot had been forced to cancel his U.S. and Canadian concert schedule for 2023 "due to health issues." Born Nov. 17, 1938 in Orillia, Ontario, Mr. Lightfoot's parents recognized his singing ability at a young age and placed him in Orillia's St. Paul's United Church. He eventually taught himself piano and guitar, playing in large-ensemble pop-folk groups across Canada. After a stint at the Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles, he began playing in folk clubs around Canada. He released two singles in 1962 ("It's Too Late, He Wins" and "[Remember Me] I'm the One") that charted regionally, and his profile grew considerably when such mainstream folk acts as Ian and Sylvia, the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary and Judy Collins turned his songs -- most notably "Earning Morning Rain" -- into hits. After signing a management contract with famed manager Albert Grossman in 1965, Mr. Lightfoot landed spots on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and gigs at the Newport Folk Festival. He played an acoustic set at the Newport Festival shortly before Bob Dylan made history by playing his first electric set. Dylan later said, "I can't think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don't like. Every time I hear a song of his, it's like I wish it would last forever." In 1966, he released his debut LP Lightfoot!, which he followed up the next year with The Way I Feel, featuring notable session men, guitarist/bassist/harmonica player Charlie McCoy and drummer Kenny Buttrey. Dylan would soon use those musicians on his John Wesley Harding album. The success of his 1970 hit "If You Could Read My Mind" from the album of the same name (originally titled Sit Down Young Stranger) was the start of a stunning run of hits, including "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," and "Rainy Day People." The biggest came in 1976 after he read an article in Newsweek about the the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. He called the epic maritime disaster song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." "It was quite an undertaking to do that," Mr. Lightfoot said in a 2014 Reddit conversation. "I went and bought all of the old newspapers, got everything in chronological order, and went ahead and did it because I already had a melody in my mind and it was from an old Irish dirge that I heard when I was about three and a half years old... I think it was one of the first pieces of music that registered to me as being a piece of music." Despite his huge success as a recording artist, many of his songs are best known by their cover versions, with Dylan covering "Early Morning Rain" on his 1970 Self Portrait LP, and Elvis Presley covering the song two years later. "I was really impressed with the recording," Lightfoot said in 2015. "It was probably the most important recording that I have by another artist." Other artists covering his material include Neil Young, Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett and The Replacements, to name a few. In the late Seventies, Mr. Lightfoot developed a severe drinking problem that took a tremendous toll on his personal life and career. "I was either writing, recording, touring, or doing television," he once said in an interview. "I drank way too much. But I gave that up in 1982 thanks to the help of my sister and a bad breakup. I knew I had to quit to keep myself sharp and stay in the game." By the time he sobered up in the early 1980s, MTV was ascendent and his album sales took a major shift downward. But he continued to tour and record heavily, and his popularity never waned in his native Canada. He was back in the news in 1986 when he noticed that Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" was melodically very similar to "If You Could Read My Mind." He initiated a plagiarism lawsuit against Houston's producer, but dropped it three weeks later after he saw how it was negatively affecting Houston. In 2002, Mr. Lightfoot suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm and spent six weeks in a coma. He eventually recovered after four surgeries. "I was ashamed at the amount of blood they went through," he told Rolling Stone. "It would have been better off if I had died. I think it was 28 units." Doctors performed a tracheotomy on him during his hospital stay, causing vocal cord damage that greatly weakened his singing voice, but he was back onstage by 2004. "I wanted to recover, I wanted to sing again," he later told the Springfield, Ill. State Journal-Register. "I wasn't sure -- they had to take a lot of muscles out of my stomach and I wasn't sure if I would have the kind of breathing control that I would need. But gradually it worked back and I started practicing." In 2019, Mr. Lightfoot was the subject of the documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Around that time, he celebrated his 80th birthday with an extensive tour that wrapped up in Oct. 2022 at the Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg. He was due to return to the road in April, but canceled at the last minute due to unspecified health problems. "We thank you for respecting his privacy," his team wrote in a statement. "He continues to focus on his recovery." - Rolling Stone, 5/1/23.