Canadian Folk Singer Gordon Lightfoot Dead at 84

The beloved baritone and traveling troubadour first earned widespread notice for his hit "If You Could Read My Mind" in the 1970s

Folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot, whose poetic songs captured the hearts of his fellow Canadians and millions worldwide, has died. He was 84.

The singer-songwriter's longtime publicist, Victoria Lord, confirmed his death at a Toronto hospital on Monday night to multiple outlets including the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. No cause of death was given.

Known for his soothing style and stirring lyrics, Lightfoot rose to prominence in his native Canada in the early 1960s, and developed an international following after penning the now-folk music standard "If You Could Read My Mind" in the early '70s.

The traveling troubadour was also known for songs such as "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," "Rainy Day People" and "Sundown."

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Music icons began to take note of Lightfoot's deft touch with lyrics, and he earned famous fans who later covered his songs — including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand.

"Gordon's songs are works of art, every bit as relevant as classic poetry," Tom Cochrane said at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame gala in 2003.

He added at the time, "But even more importantly, Gordon Lightfoot led the way and he showed us … that you can be true to your roots. You can draw on your influences at home and country and you can incorporate those inspirations into the fabric of your work and still be internationally successful."

The Orillia, Ontario native — who was a Bob Dylan devotee — drew inspiration for his music from the landscape in which he was born, per the CBC, and his music often touched on his country's geography, history and culture.

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Late Monday, as word of his death filtered across Canada and across its borders, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those who shared his condolences.

"We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters," Trudeau wrote on Twitter. "Gordon 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."

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Despite health issues over the years, including a bout with Bell's palsy and an abdominal aorta rupture that left him in a coma for six weeks in 2002, Lightfoot continued to perform.

"I want to be like Ralph Carter, Stompin' Tom and Willie Nelson," Lightfoot told the CBC, per The New York Times, in 2004. "Just do it for as long as humanly possible."

The beloved baritone is survived by his wife Kim Hasse, six children and several grandchildren, Lord told The Times.

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