Look back at Gordon Lightfoot's early days as a 'famous country dancer'
In honour of the iconic singer-songwriter, we look at his time as a TV square-dance singer
Before Gordon Lightfoot was known as one of Canada's greatest songwriters, he was famous for another reason — as a square-dance singer.
From 1960-62, Lightfoot appeared on the CBC show Country Hoedown as a member of the Singin' Swingin' Eight.
"The only reason I was on Country Hoedown was because I was a crackerjack sight-reader and I sang in the vocals chorus," he told CBC's Elwood Glover in 1973. "As a matter of fact, I was probably the best singer and harmonizer on it, but every night they'd make us get out there and clog for a minute. That was part of the trip."
Lightfoot also appeared on CBC's Talent Caravan with his singing partner Terry Whelan. Billed as the Two Timers (later to be known as the Two Tones), the guitar duo, in sharp suits and short haircuts, painted a polished picture of professionalism as they played and harmonized together (no doubt a skill they perfected during their time together in a barbershop quartet). Talent Caravan was like an early version of American Idol, except it had weekly winners who were decided by viewers sending in postcards.
These were just a few of Lightfoot's TV appearances early on in his career. Over the years, he appeared on many CBC live music shows on his way to the top, including Music Hop, hosted by Alex Trebek, Show of the Week, Wayne & Shuster and more.
You can watch Lightfoot's pre-fame, square-dancing appearances in the CBC Archives video above.