The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Story Behind Gordon Lightfoot’s Legendary Song (Part 7 of 8)

In Part 7 of our 8-part Edmund Fitzgerald series, Lake Effect takes a different turn as we dive into Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and the remarkable story behind its creation.Just months after the Edmund Fitzgerald vanished in a brutal Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, Gordon Lightfoot began turning the tragedy into what would become one of the most famous story songs ever recorded. But Lightfoot worried about getting the story right, respecting the families of the 29 men who were lost, and whether a nearly seven-minute song about a shipwreck could ever find an audience.We explore how Lightfoot researched the disaster, how the song was recorded, the haunting first take that became the version millions know today, its unexpected rise to the top of the charts, and how Lightfoot continued to change portions of the song as new information about Fitzgerald emerged.Most importantly, we look at the extraordinary relationship that developed between Gordon Lightfoot, the families of the lost crewmen, and the Great Lakes community, and how one song helped ensure that the Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 men would never be forgotten.