He has had a minor stroke. He was able to play last night in Minneapolis but was struggling at times.

PJP

Hi PJP - Seafarer mentioned the stroke earlier - did you speak directly with him? Today?

This is going to be a very long week for everyone....until he safely home.

We saw Gord in concert last night in Minneapolis.
They did the whole set straight through. (Have to go backwards and read these posts.) But, yes, we pray for him, too. Have been VERY concerned, as has been husband. By last night, Gord was using his hand. He said that the pointer finger and the pinky worked, so he had been practicing that way. He did play on most of the songs. He said that he felt great. He did at one point address his fingers to work correctly. No, I have never seen him like that before, but it was poignant, and something thing else that I can't explain, all at the same time. He was Gord, he sounded and looked like Gord, but there was a feeling of "oneness" in that auditorium. Something that I have never before felt. God, please keep him safe.

Thank's louise, for this latest update.

Charlene, I imagine there is nothing in the Toronto papers? Ive been checking newsflash, and health news, breaking news, nothing on our poet genius.

This new character PJP, if not a former corfidian should answer your question, I suspect a fraud. Just my opinion tho.~Jesse~

At the risk of casting aspersions.....

I find it interesting that 3 new members made their appearance today : #1462, #1463, and #1464. There is nothing in their posts that could not have been gleaned from what others had already stated, except for the PJP assertion that he/she had a conversation with Lightfoot today.

Yea........right......Is someone talking to themselves again ?

I suspect there are a lot of people out there that just lurk, and never felt they had anything they wanted to share before. Since our newcomers were at the show, they probably felt they could contribute posts that no one else could.
Just my assumption.
Jenney

Oop! I did belong before, but then my husband became ill, and I got away from it. I don't remember what my screen name was. Probably John Fowles would know, as he had tried at one time to help me get into the chat room, as I was so computer challanged. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

But, after experiencing last night's performance and the bravery of Gord on the most human level, I had to come back. He is just "one of a kind". I was painful to see, and on the other hand it was almost like a religious experience. It was people experiencing another's pain and dedication and tenacity, intimately on a whole new level.

There is a whole in my heart for Gord and for my husband, because they are not what they were, but
they are even MORE than they were before.

WE were in seats "T 7 and T 8" last night in Minneapolis.

Louise

I suspect they're lurkers in real life, and their concern for Lightfoot's health has finally given them a reason to post.

Poor Gordon. He is in my thoughts and my fingers are crossed that he will be ok! I am supposed to see him for the first time this upcoming Sunday. Of course I would be disappointed if the show was cancelled but I am more concerned for his health and would like to see him with us for many more years, so I hope he takes care of himself first.

I am experiencing a whole slew of emotions: the first being concern for his well-being/health, the second being disappointment that I might not get to see the greatest singer/songwriter ever, and last I must say I am amazed and a bit in awe that this man continues to go on with the show at his age with said health concerns. What a trooper he is.

I suspect there are a lot of people out there that just lurk, and never felt they had anything they wanted to share before. Since our newcomers were at the show, they probably felt they could contribute posts that no one else could.
Just my assumption.
Jenney [/QB][/QUOTE]Jenney,

I considered the fact that the news of Lightfoot's
limitations might evoke responses from those who never post. I understood the risk and took it. I think I still need to learn how to "Let it Ride".

I hope, as Louise stated, that Gord's condition is improving. Personally, I'd pay to hear him read/sing his "poetry" without musical accompaniment, but I hope it doesn't come to that.

Get better soon...

Strange you mention this. I watched a show about this very subject on CBC awhile back.
The problem is, I already have Type 2 Diabetes. The first time they checked my blood sugar, it was up in the 380 range. I now have it down around 200, which is still high, but it's dropping steadily every day. And I go to the gym early each morning and walk for 45 minutes to an hour, then do stretching exercises with light weights about 4 times a week. Hey, it's working! I've lost 20 lbs, now that my thyroid, which was damaged by the aneurysm, is back to normal.
Thanks for the concern, and the great advice, Jesse.
I'll save this in my Diabetes folder. :) [/QUOTE]Good for you Cathy, losing 20 pounds. And your very welcome. Im glad it was of some interest for you.
~Jesse~ :)

Thanks everyone who has seen him in the last few days for posting. What else can you say ? We'll keep praying for him and hope for the best. Sad that he's so far off the mainstream radar that he doesn't even rate a mention in the 'entertainment' press any longer. What do they know anyway...

Bill :(

Right on BILLW. The press (and other media) persistes in thinking or maybe hoping is more appropriate, that no one over the age of 10 or those w/ a high school diploma read their paper. The NY Times, Christian Science Monitor, and WSJ may be exceptions. 'Lisbet. Thanks again for that name Sir John

I plan to see Gord Saturday in Aurora, IL no matter what state his right hand playing is in.

Going to a Gordon Lightfoot concert has become a family event for us (family of 5). I even have a picture of Terry Clements tying my son's shoe lace (he was 4 years old at the time).

My prayers have already gone out to Gordon.

Quite correct Louise you even signed in (in duplicate I seem to remember) on the guest book on my lightfoot page, Fortunately my memory remembers such trivia as the fact that you used to post as "LAM" something so a search for that in the directory quickly found your member name most recently as
"LAM3346E" member(Member # 534) from Minnesota
see a list of your postings at:-
http://www.corfid.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ul...sts;u=00000534
I think you did at least once succeed in getting into the chat room . If I am wrong please try again this coming Friday at 9 pm EST at:-
http://www.glchat.notlong.com.
If you, or for that matter anybody else wishing to join in to no doubt discuss the latest news, do not have a non-java applet challenged old computeer you will have to get and install mIRC
John Fowles
edited to add what i consider in the circumstances is a most appropriate
graphic:
http://members.myepath.com/rskmjgrossman/gordlive3.jpg
Being the most recent and brilliant, not to mention earily prophetic, creation of arch graphic designer zoneranger

[ September 19, 2006, 10:02: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

What a great photo, thank's for posting this John, and Zoneranger, for a beautiful piece of work, as usual...~Jesse~ :)

John, thanks much for "finding" me. Yes, I did manage to get into the chatroom a couple of times. Sure would like to be able to again. Still have that same old computer. Am supposed to be getting a new one, it's just a matter of when.

Thank you SO MUCH for the photo. That is exactly how he looked Sunday night. That's a "keeper"!!!
My husband agreed that this was the most touching , beautiful and poignant concert ever. What a lesson in life Gord taught us, by example.

We also drove 300+ miles for the Saturday nite concert and were terribly disappointed. I saw the band in the restaurant that night and really wanted to talk to them, but thought that it would be rude to interrupt their dinner. I did, however, take several trips to the salad bar (they were in the same room) and I was sort of waiting by the exit, but they got by me! I was feeling like a 16 year old groupie (I'm 50+)and really did not know what I was going to say, so it's probably just as well. The stroke story was going around, but someone said that Gordon got checked out and was alright.

On Monday night in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, I talked to a man in the elevator about it. He was from Niagra Falls, Canada. He said that Gordon was suffering from throat cancer!!! Any thoughts on this? I just figured it was another one of those 'telephone' rumors, you know, the illness changes everytime someone passes it on.

I'm hoping and praying that I will be able to see him next time and hopefully there will be a next time!
Kathy in Michigan

Dear Kathy in Michigan, I hope the throat cancer thing is a rumor. I have not heard anything about this. Thanks for posting your evening tho, it was an interesting read...~Jesse~ :)

The throat cancer is an absolute rumor! No truth what so ever about it.
Besides, look at it logically, people that have seen him before (Seafarer for example) said he sounded better than ever, just a bit hoarse on the high notes. It appeared that the problem was with his hand, not his throat.

I think that throat cancer rumor has gone around before.
Jenney

Thank goodness Jenney, it is true that people can say anything. Like a grain of sand, turning into a mountain. Funny also not a mention of his past days, on ET Canada, and other show biz news.~Jesse~

Thank goodness Jenney, it is true that people can say anything. Like a grain of sand, turning into a mountain. Funny also not a mention of his past days, on ET Canada, and other show biz news.~Jesse~

Yes, the throat cancer rumor goes back to the days between "Waiting for You" and "Painter Passing Through" when the internet was brand-new and some of us got to know each other. It was a thread on the old alt.music.lightfoot newsgroup !! (If any of you remember that..... take a bow.)

As I recall, the rumor appeared in some newspaper or publications and was quickly dismissed.

Gord's voice is not what it was but I have aged a lot too in the 29 years since I first saw him in concert. Having just seen him twice in the past five days, one observation strikes me. The range of his voice is largely gone but for a line or two of a song, I can see and hear the Gord of years gone by. That's the magic for me: It transports me back to another time and for an entertainer to be able to do that to someone.... that's rare.

John/MN