50th Anniversary of ‘Fitzgerald’ Sinking Remembered with Concerts

November 10th marks a grim anniversary this year — the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Great Lakes ore carrier S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

I remember WDIO Duluth TV news anchor Dennis Anderson interrupting “Monday Night Football” with the news the ore carrier was missing on Lake Superior.

(See comments at 3:21 mark of this YouTube video.)

That news bulletin started a 50-year public fascination with the Fitzgerald and her crew of 29 who perished when the ship went down in Canadian waters during a terrible storm 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan.

The story of the Fitz and her crew was immortalized by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot who released a 6-and-a-half minute historical tribute in 1976.

The song became one of his signature works.

The song is played from time to time throughout the year, but especially on November 10th each year as the world remembers that night in 1975 and the sinking of “The Pride of the American Side.”

REMEMBERING GORDON LIGHTFOOT…AND THAT SONG

This November 10th marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking.

Special events are planned throughout the Great Lakes area:

READ MORE: Where To Attend Memorial Events For The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald

CENTRAL MINNESOTA REMEMBERS THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

The Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Band will be marking the anniversary with two Central Minnesota performances.

In addition to performing the iconic Gordon Lightfoot version of the song, there’ll be “additional comments and information about the ship, crew, storm, and the memorial ships bell will be part of the program. A bell will chime 29 times.”

Performances will be held:

Here’s more about the Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Band and lead singer David James Carlson.

Here are some other versions of that iconic song.

Home Free‘s tribute to “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”

The song was also re-recorded by Marc Robillard and used as the theme song for the History Channel series “Great Lakes Warriors.”

CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS SONG? HERE’S A PLAYLIST…