If You Could Read My Mind....

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Here is a brief story about singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. And as always, your comments and reactions are appreciated.


GORDON LIGHTFOOT

On a snowy winter night during the 1977-78 season, the Memphis State University basketball team shuffled into the old Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri to play the St. Louis Billikens in a division one NCAA Metro conference game. This place was a mausoleum, really archaic. But it was rich with history having been built in 1934, and was the home of the old St. Louis Hawks of the NBA, and had hosted several NBA All Star games.

It was the norm for the team to get to the arena quite a bit before game time to get dressed, taped, stretch, and go through the normal pre game warm up routine. Normally only a few die hard fans were there on our arrival since the tip off was about two hours away. I mentioned to my teammate John Kilzer that the parking lot was unusually crowded when we got there, and he mentioned he had heard there was a concert at the arena this night. “A concert”, I said quizzically, “How can there be a concert on the night we are playing a game?” He informed me that Kiel was split into two parts and could house both events simultaneously. “Who is performing?” I inquired. “Gordon Lightfoot, I think”, was his reply.

Gordon Lightfoot was a native Canadian and folk singer who had a string of hits starting in 1970 with his classic “If You Could Read My Mind”. He followed that up with other hits like “Sundown”, “Carefree Highway”, and my personal favorite, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. He was truly a balladeer and his songs always told an interesting story. I was a big fan and excited to hear he was in town.

So the team is dressed and lined up in the staging area waiting to go onto the court, when Kilzer and I notice that we are also sharing the backstage area of the concert arena. We poke our head out the stage curtain, and see the place is packed with excited fans. “Wow”, John says, “I think there are more people in here than to see our game”, which didn’t surprise me since the St. Louis University program at the time wasn’t having much success. We are both acting like a couple of kids when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

“Good crowd tonight?” was the question the stranger asked me. I turned around to reply, and I’m standing face to face with Gordon Lightfoot himself. “What song do you think I should start with?” he asks. “Do you have a favorite?” I was stammering and blubbering trying to think of a witty reply when he erupted with a big laugh and extended his hand. As I shook it, I noticed something strange. He had the longest fingernails I had ever seen on a man. Kilzer, being a musician himself, explained to me that it is common for acoustic guitar players to grow them long so they can pluck the strings. We quickly said our goodbyes, wished each other well on our respective performances, and hustled off to do our business.

I don’t remember the outcome of that game, but we were the better team and finished the regular season 20-6, so I’m pretty sure we won. I didn’t get to play much, and I can remember sitting there on bench sorry that I wasn’t on the other side of the arena listening to Gordon Lightfoot.

One final note; my ex teammate John Kilzer went on to a recording career himself playing and singing Bob Dylan type music, and had quite a following in the south. He never really made it to the big time however, and quit to become a preacher in Tennessee. Gordon Lightfoot, who has been nominated for five Grammy awards, is still playing and singing his unique brand of music. Hopefully he has the entire arena all to himself.