Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot, one of the country’s folk legends, He died on Monday at the age of 84. in a Toronto hospital, according to his publicist.

In April, Lightfoot he canceled the concerts he had planned for this year due to health issues, although he did not provide details on his situation.

Artists like Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton, Olivia Newton-John or Jerry Lee Lewis have performed some of the most 500 songs he wrote.

In Canada, Lightfoot is considered one of the artists who has best embodied the essence of the country in his songs, from its climate to its landscape, including its people.

After learning of her death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that Canada “has lost one of its greatest singer-songwriters”.

“Gordon Lightfoot he captured the spirit of our country in his music, and in doing so, helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations and may his legacy endure forever,” Trudeau added.

Lightfoot released his first album, ‘Lightfoot!’, in 1966 after working in the US and UK and build a reputation as a songwriter.

The album, which earned him recognition in both Canada and the United States, contains some of his most popular songs, such as ‘For Lovin’ Me’ and ‘Early Morning Rain’which has been performed by Presley and Dylan, among others.

Dylan, who has been friends with the Canadian artist for nearly 60 years, went so far as to say of Lightfoot: “Every time I hear a song from him, It’s like he wants it to last forever.”

Following the release of their debut album, Lightfoot toured Canada, the United States and Australia while releasing new albums with a wide range of themes, including “Don Quixote” (1972), his eighth album, in reference to the character of the writer Miguel de Cervantes.

In the 1980s, after years of alcohol abuse and being convicted of drunk driving, Lightfoot changed his lifestyle and revitalized his career with the album ‘Salute’ (1983) .

His last album, his twenty-first, was “Beginnings”, in 2021.