TORONTO - Terry Clements, a Detroit native who played guitar for Gordon Lightfoot since the early 1970s, has died. He was 63.
Clements died on Sunday, 10 days after suffering a stroke. The news was confirmed by Lightfoot's publicist.
Born in 1947, Clements began playing guitar when he was only five years old.
After graduating from high school, Clements spent two years in the Navy before joining a '60s outfit called Golden Sunflower, managed by Lou Adler, who also steered the careers of the Mamas & the Papas and Carole King.
In the early '70s, Lightfoot met Clements while working on an early Burt Reynolds movie and soon brought the guitarist up to Toronto to audition to join his band. A 40-plus-year collaboration was then born.
Clements contributed to nearly all of Lightfoot's most memorable tunes, including "Carefree Highway," "Sundown" and, of course, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," which features a haunting solo from the guitarist.
RIP Terry,,,,,,,,,,,Cheers from Verdun Fans
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Lightfoot guitarist Terry Clements dies
Terry Clements, a Detroit native who played guitar for Gordon Lightfoot for 40 years, has died. He was 63.
Clements died on Sunday, 10 days after suffering a stroke. A posting on Lightfoot's official website acknowledged Clements as "an integral part of the signature Lightfoot sound."
He plays the haunting guitar solo on The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and is a dexterous guitar picker on Carefree Highway. The two created more than 15 albums together.
They met in 1970 while Clements was working on the soundtrack to an early Burt Reynolds movie. When Lightfoot's then-partner Red Shea wanted to get off the road, Lightfoot called Clements to ask him to join the band. He eventually accepted and the two played together since 1971.
"He was always so creative, yet never repetitive, his style inhabiting the music, never seeming to be added on as an afterthought, but instead always feeling like a part of the fabric of the song," said a tribute on Lightfoot's website.
Clements was born in Detroit and grew up in California, before joining the navy, where he hurt his hand. He always played with a flat pick and his ring finger.
In the 1960s he wrote and arranged songs for a group called Golden Sunflower, managed by Lou Adler, who also steered the careers of the Mamas & the Papas and Carole King.
He then got into working on film scores, where he met Lightfoot.
"Gord is personable and more down to earth than a lot of people I've been around, people who believe their own hype and have heads the size of watermelons," Clements "Gord doesn't have many airs about him. I guess to be in the business this long, you have some sense of decorum."
He said Lightfoot often left it to him to hit on the right sound for a song.
"If Gord has specific idea, he'll tell me. Otherwise, it's, 'Come up with something,'" Clements said.
As they say the 'Haunting' guitar playing from this song was played by Terry Clements
Play it Loud ,......Cheers !! HF&RV
Cheers !! HF&RV
.........concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms,it left fully loaded for Cleaveland....
"Could it be the North Wind they'd been Feelin"
Les. I did not recognize the name. Thanks for including his picture. I know who he is now. And thanks again for all the items you send out to us. Not living in Montreal (which I really miss), or Canada for that matter, (which I also miss), I am very appreciative of all the info we get from you. Thanks you so much.
Seems an odd coincidence that Terry Clememnts was born in Detroit & only later on hooked up with Gordon Lightfoot on a movieset (soundtrack musicians) ..........and Lightfoot only a few years earlier had a song that was big (when I was teen) that was banned in many States (if not all) but Particularly Detroit as Lightfoots song 'Black Day in July' was banned because of those riots in the Motor City...................................Remember That ?
I don' t know who did this version but it's well done it seems :
Hey glad you liked it Winston: Cheers !! HF&RV
Hmmmmmm !! I wonder if "fuelled by brutality" the youth of the Mid-East have had enough.....& will now want to experience the Freedom we talk about................Let's Hope So.
How Far Have We Come........well here is one perspective: Again -You Decide
............................................................Can we point the finger at other nations ? HF&RV
Same for me Les...Always a Gordie Lightfoot fan, but never knew the guitarist by name. I do recall his face though. The guy was younger than me...just a reminder that we all shouldn't buy green bananas anymore!...Diane
...........................................Touche !
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Cheers!! HF&RV
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