Legendary Canadian folk singer-songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, passed away on May 1, 2023 of natural causes at the age of 84.
Toronto Star is reporting that dozens of Lightfoot’s personal belongings - including guitars, artwork, even his highest awards - are up for grabs in an auction that has some fans questioning why the items weren’t rescued by a museum.
Texas-based Heritage Auctions is leading the sale of the artifacts in co-operation with Lightfoot’s estate.The auction is currently being held online and closes with an in-person ceremony on November 17, the late musician’s birthday.
Among the items being auctioned are nine artist-signed paintings inspired by “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” that hung in Lightfoot’s living room, and a Rand McNally map of the United States pinned with tour stops that the singer-songwriter also displayed in his home.
There’s an array of Lightfoot’s most recognizable outfits, a selection of his amplifiers, his Canada’s Walk Of Fame trophy and his Songwriters Hall of Fame award presented to him in 2012 by Steve Miller.
Some of the guitars in the auction are particularly significant.
His 1967 Gibson B45-12 Sunburst acoustic will be familiar to fans as it was nestled beside Lightfoot on the cover of his 1974 album Sundown and used in other photo shoots. The auction house calls it “a vital part of Lightfoot’s musical journey.”
His 1975 Ed McGlincy acoustic guitar is described as “likely a one-off custom piece” by renowned luthier Ed McGlincy which Lightfoot carried on tour. There’s proof of its use in the remnants of tape on its back where he likely stuck his set lists or lyrics during his concerts, it said.
Some fans took to Lightfoot’s Facebook page to criticize the auction, saying the estate should have worked with Canadian cultural institutions to protect items that belonged to such a historically important singer-songwriter.
Requests for comment from members of Lightfoot’s estate were not returned.
Read the full story at Toronto Star.
