In 2002, Gordon Lightfoot told the News Tribune that he enjoys performing in cities near the Great Lakes because he feels a special connection with its residents after recording the ballad that immortalized the victims of the Nov. 10, 1975, gale.
"You never get tired of playing it and the people love to hear it," Lightfoot said of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." "We hope now it's a little more dramatic than when we first did it."
In 2000, he said the song was the centerpiece of his set and that the ballad, which at 6½ minutes was never intended to be a single, "probably prolonged my career by about 25 years."
"When we play it in Duluth it means three times as much," Lightfoot said. "It has very special meaning when we play it in because that's where the ship left from, Superior."
Gales of November
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The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, as usual, will be a highlight panel discussion at the 23rd annual Gales of November maritime convention in Duluth this weekend. The event, which features dozens of expert speakers on many maritime subjects, runs Friday and Saturday at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, sponsored by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. Cost is $60 for nonmembers. Call (218) 722-2497 or e-mail info@lsmma.com .
Split Rock beacon shines tonight
The beacon at the Split Rock Lighthouse on Minnesota's North Shore will be lit tonight in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. A film about the Fitzgerald will be shown in the Visitor Center theater continuously throughout the afternoon. The lighthouse and the fog signal building will be open from noon to 6 p.m. The lighthouse will close temporarily at 4:30 p.m. while the names of the 29 lost crew members are read to the tolling of a ship's bell. After the ceremony, the beacon will be lit and the tower once again opened for visitors to tour. (This is usually the only opportunity each year when visitors can climb to the top of the tower at night and see the beacon lit and revolving.) Call (218) 226-6372.
The Duluth News Tribune and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
