Screening with closed captions. More about accessibility >>
Find additional screenings of Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
Featuring directors Joan Tosoni and Martha Kehoe and singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot
One of Canada's most beloved musical icons joins Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind directors Joan Tosoni and Martha Kehoe to share stories about his unparalleled career, his inspired songwriting and his connection to Toronto, the city that loves him back. Hosted by Tom Power
About the film
From the song he refuses to perform to his admiration for Drake, a songwriting legend reflects on his lyrics and longevity with candour and humour. At 80 years young (and currently recording another album), Gordon Lightfoot continues to entertain and enlighten. Personal archive materials and studio sessions paint an intimate picture of an artist in his element, candidly revisiting his idealistic years in Yorkville's coffeehouses, up through stadium tours and the hedonistic '70s. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Barbra Streisand are only a handful of the stars whose recordings of "Early Morning Rain" and other hits helped Lightfoot's artistry leap across borders, but no matter how far his music travelled, he continued to write passionately about the country he called home. As fellow music icon Burton Cummings sums it up, "Gordon's stuff screamed Canada." With his instantly recognizable voice and masterful guitar playing, Gordon Lightfoot remains influential and timeless. Alexander Rogalski
About the host
Tom Power, Musician and Broadcaster
Tom Power is an award-winning musician and broadcaster who hosts the national arts & entertainment program q on CBC Radio One. Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Tom started his career programming folk music on college radio while pursuing a B.A. in Folklore from Memorial University. In 2008, after a stint as a news announcer for a local radio station, Tom joined CBC as the host of Deep Roots. In 2011, Tom became the host of Radio 2 Morning, the CBC’s flagship daily morning national music program.
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind also opens at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema May 24.
Big Ideas presented by
