The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald

[rcooley25]

I was greatly sadden as I imagine many of you were with the recent death of Gordon Lightfoot who wrote and recorded the song mentioned above.

It is my understanding that upon his death at the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral in Detroit they had a very  special service where they rang the bell 30 times.

[IRonMaN]

He had a lot of songs released over the years, but that will always be my favorite.  

[BobKamman]

You're referring to the final lyric of the song,

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors' cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Canada has certainly sent the world some wonderful singers.  Along with Gordon LIghtfoot there are (my favorite) Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion, Drake, Neil Young, Shania Twain, Michael Bublé and Avril Lavigne.  Almost enough to forgive them for Justin Bieber.  

[BobKamman]

And how could I forget Joni Mitchell, who wrote "Both Sides Now" when she was 23 and performed it last year at the Newport Folk Festival at age 78.  The two best female vocalists of my lifetime are Joan Baez and Judy Collins, but she is a close third.

[IRonMaN]

How can you list out best female vocalists and not include Linda Ronstadt in that list? 

[rcooley25]

That is exactly what I am refering to. They added 1 to make it thirty in honor of Gordon Lightfoot.

[BobKamman]

Everyone from Tucson has a great voice.  My brother sang in the Tucson Boys Chorus with Linda's brother (later, Tucson chief of police).  The family hardware store was the go-to place before Home Depot.  But her initial hit was something of a one-trick Stone Poney.  I'll give her a Career Achievement Award, but not for best vocal cords.  

[IRonMaN]

Maybe folks hear things differently in Arizona than they do in Minnesota.

[sjrcpa]

Eva Cassidy. Chuck in heaven would agree with me.

[IRonMaN]

But Chuck was also a Linda Ronstadt fan.