For years to come, Gordon Lightfoot will remain part of the Mariposa Folk Festival.
In a ceremony featuring members of Lightfoot’s family and his dedicated touring band, the main stage of the festival was renamed the Lightfoot Stage as part of an emotional tribute to one of Orillia's favourite sons Sunday night.
The decision to rename the stage was an easy one, explained Pam Carter, President of the Mariposa Folk Foundation.
“Gordon was such a huge supporter of the Mariposa Folk Foundation that we wanted to find a way to honour his memory,” Carter said. “It needed to be something lasting. We could have had artists come up and present tonight, but we wanted to leave something. So, naming it the Lightfoot Stage will live on forever and will always keep Gord in our memories.”
It was “hugely important” to rename the festival’s biggest stage after its biggest artist and biggest icon, Carter added.
Lightfoot died in May at the age of 84. Even though he was inherently connected to the festival, honouring him in this manner wasn’t discussed until after his death.
“I think we always thought Gord would live forever,” Carter said. “You don’t plan for the demise of somebody that’s a hero.”
It was a tribute Lightfoot’s family was eager to support, Carter said.
“They were all so overwhelmed by the notion we would do something,” she said. “They’re all very humble. His wife Kim said he’d be so thrilled by it. He’d be humbled by it, but he’d be so honoured.”
Carter was joined on the Lightfoot Stage by Lightfoot’s widow, Kim, daughter Meredith Moon – who had performed at the festival throughout the weekend – and the newest member of the Order of Canada, Tom Wilson, who performed a poem he’d written for the occasion to rechristen the stage.
Wilson got to know Lightfoot when the former was tasked with curating a tribute for the 40th anniversary of Sundown, Lightfoot’s 1974 album. Wilson recalled answering Lightfoot’s phone calls, being met with his bellowing baritone on the other end of the line, inquiring – if not warning – about the quality of the band, and informing Wilson that while he was going to be in attendance, under no circumstances would he be performing.
“Night of show, after soundcheck, a giant SUV pulls up and a little guy gets out with a guitar. It’s Gordon.” Wilson said. “He walks right to me, he doesn’t say hello. He says, ‘How’s the band, Tom?’ I say, ‘The band’s great, Gord.’ Then he says, ‘Where’s my dressing room?’”
The stage crew quickly displaced Ron Sexsmith to give Lightfoot his space, and when he took the stage for 20 or so minutes later that evening, Wilson said it might as well have been like none of the other musicians existed. It was all worth it for Wilson to pay tribute to the man he says made it possible to become a singer/songwriter.
“He lives in my blood,” Wilson said. “The guy opened up the door of possibilities to me and he opened up the door of possibilities to endless, countless amount of musicians around the world. He made artists believe that they could do it.”
Paul Langlois, who was performing in support of his upcoming record Guess What, was another of the artists who looks at Lightfoot as an influence.
“He was pretty awesome,” Langlois said. “I saw him a few times and was very precise live. He’ll be with us forever because all his songs will keep on living. It’s nice to be up here at Mariposa and just sort of picture him here and that kind of thing. Love him.”
Lightfoot had a kindred spirit in John Prine, who was scheduled to headline the festival in 2020, prior to his death from COVID-19 and the festival’s cancellation due to the pandemic.
The two men became friends, and the mutual admiration they had for each other was also shared by many of the more than 30,000 who were attending over the weekend, as there were perhaps more John Prine t-shirts in the crowd than any other musician.
While Langlois might not have been wearing the t-shirt, listening to his songs can give you a sense of how much he values both Lightfoot and Prine.
“Three chords and the truth is really how I go about it, and that’s what they did. You know, you could tell they were talking true,” Langlois said. “We were going to see John Prine in New York City in May and he died, unfortunately. Just both great songwriters and I’m glad they had a good relationship and a mutual respect there.”
After the renaming, Lightfoot’s band took the stage with a rotating cast of singers to perform some of Lightfoot’s best-known tunes, including Moon, Wilson, Steve Poltz, The Weather Station and The Trews. In a weekend of magic moments and tears – particularly when Judy Collins performed Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now and Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain – few were as emotional as when Sundown closed the impromptu set, as the golden hour of the day began.
It was a fitting way for the 2023 edition of the festival to wind down, prior to the final performers, Rufus Wainwright and Feist taking the stage.
Carter was thrilled with how the festival turned out.
“The festival was great (and) everyone’s happy,” she said. “We’ve had some weather and some really creative problem-solving, but the patrons love the festival and they’ve been patient. It’s been a great weekend.”
Langlois, longtime guitarist for The Tragically Hip, had never been to Mariposa before this year and was taken by the atmosphere of the festival, perhaps summing up the experience as best as anyone can.
“I love it. Very friendly,” he said. “Crazy friendly vibe and very chill. It’s very chill and really cool.”
Mariposa will return to Tudhope Park July 5-7 2024.
