Gordon Lightfoot Brings Fans and Countrymen to the Sunrise

Whether it’s his hits “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind” or his songwriting credits from Bob Dylan to Jane’s Addiction, Gordon Lightfoot’s music is part of our collective soundtrack. In a return trip to the Sunrise, the laid-back musician played to a sold-out crowd that mixed out-of-towners with area residents, many of whom came to the Theatre for the first time.

Bob and Shiela Douglass of Fort Pierce have been Lightfoot fans for years.

“I grew up on Gordon Lightfoot,” Bob Douglass said.

His wife echoed the feeling.

“I’d have come if he didn’t want to,” she said.

“I like to patronize the theater. We come down and have dinner and it’s an event. The theater is great.”

Mark Oler came from Cocoa for the concert. He saw Lightfoot at the Sunrise two years ago and has traveled to venues throughout the state.

“I’m a big, big, big fan,” he said.

Lightfoot is not only a great singer, but a Canadian icon. The Ontario native is a Companion to the Order of Canada, one of the highest honors in the country. Fans swayed maple-leaf flags during the concert, creating a stream of pride near the waters of the Indian River Lagoon.

Shelly Koppel
Writer