Gordon Lightfoot was born on 17th November 1938, in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, and is an award-winning musician, singer and songwriter, who is internationally known as one of the most notable pop-folk artists, and probably the best Canadian songwriter. Many of his albums have achieved multi-platinum status, while plenty artists have covered of his songs. Lightfoot’s career started in 1958.
Have you ever wondered how rich Gordon Lightfoot is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Lightfoot’s net worth is as high as $30 million, an amount earned through his successful career as a musician.
Gordon Lightfoot Net Worth $30 Million
Gordon Lightfoot is a son of Jessica and Gordon Lightfoot, Sr., who owned a dry cleaning company. From an early age, Gordon was a successful performer, initially a member of the choir of Orillia’s St. Paul’s United Church in Ontario. His first appearance – at Massey Hall in Toronto – came at the age of 12, and later he taught himself to play the piano, percussion and drums. Lightfoot went to the Orillia District Collegiate & Vocational Institute, where he learned to play folk guitar, and his talents secured him a place in McGill University’s Schulich School of Music and the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music.
Gordon’s career started in 1958 when he moved to Los Angeles, California to study at the Hollywood Westlake College of Music, meantime supporting himself with writing, producing, and arranging various commercial jingles. Lightfoot stayed in L.A. for two years, but went back to Toronto because he was homesick. Gordon started developing as a songwriter, and collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Elvis Presley, The Clancy Brothers, Richie Havens and Spyder Turner, The Kingston Trio, and Chad and Jeremy, among others. Gordon’s debut self-titled studio album came in 1966, and although he released four more albums by the end of the ‘60s, Lightfoot failed to achieve any significant commercial success.
However, in 1970, Gordon’s next album entitled “Sit Down Young Stranger” topped the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada, reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, achieving platinum status in the process. In 1972, Lightfoot’s “Don Quixote” topped the Canadian RPM 100 chart, and reached No. 42 on the US Billboard 200. The only Lightfoot album that reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 was “Sundown” in 1974, which also achieved platinum status in both Canada and the United States. By the end of the ‘70s, Gordon had released two more influential albums – “Summertime Dream” (1976) and “Endless Wire” (1978).
In the ‘80’s, Lightfoot’s career slowed down a bit, and he released only four albums with “Dream Street Rose” (1980), “Shadows” (1982), and “East of Midnight” (1986) as the mentionable ones. Although he stated that “East of Midnight” would be his last album, Gordon recorded “Waiting for You” in 1993, and then “A Painter Passing Through” in 1998. More recently, he released “Harmony” in 2004 and “All Live” in 2012, which also contributed to his net worth.
Gordon Lightfoot has received numerous award during his rich career, including sixteen Juno Awards in the ‘60s and ‘70s. He also won four ASCAP awards for songwriting in the ‘70s and was nominated for five Grammy Awards. In 1986, Gordon was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 2001 into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Regarding his personal life, Gordon Lightfoot was married to Brita Ingegerd Olaisson from 1963 to 1973 and has two children with her. He married Elizabeth Moon in 1989, and has two children with her, but they divorced in 2011 after a separation of nine years. In December 2014, Lightfoot married Kim Hasse.
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