Gordon Lightfoot Salute to benefit JWF
Singer-songwriter Tom May assembles local musicians to honor his old friend: March 30 at The Alberta Rose Theater 4 PM doors 5 PM show.
Tom May, Gordon Lightfoot and David Rea - photo Kathleen Stokes.
By Claire Levine
In 1971, Gordon Lightfoot was on his way to becoming one of the most admired musicians to come out of the singer-songwriter movement of the 1960s.
A chance meeting with Lightfoot that year changed Tom May’s life forever.
Tom continues to honor his friend, who died in 2023, while making major contributions to great causes in the Portland area.
In 1971, 19-year-old Tom May went to a party after a Lightfoot concert in St. Louis. Tom played one of his own songs there, and Lightfoot suggested Tom try out the musical opportunities in Canada.
Tom remembers saying to himself, “I’ve got nothing going on here except a failing college career, so why not?”
Tom soon moved to Toronto, where Lightfoot introduced him to his circle of musicians, including renowned bassist John Stockfish. “I went to John’s house every day for three or four months, and John would critique my songs,” Tom said.
During that time, Lightfoot was working on his ground-breaking Sundown album. Tom was soaking up all he could learn from the musicians he met while playing every respected or questionable venue in Toronto.
Matt Snook and Tom May playing at Winterfolk 36 - photo by Scott Docherty
In the years since, Lightfoot became an icon to folk music fans. And Tom May is well-loved nationally and internationally, as well. He has recorded 13 critically acclaimed albums and published two books. Since 1985, he has produced the widely syndicated radio show River City Folk, featuring interviews and performances with contemporary songwriters.
Even before moving to the Northwest in 1996, Tom had a strong connection to Portland. For 36 years, he has produced Winterfolk, an annual concert featuring some of folk music’s most honored voices, like Utah Phillips, Peter Yarrow and Rosalie Sorrell. Many local musicians in the folk, blues and acoustic area participate every year, as well.
Winterfolk has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations working to improve circumstances for people living on the street. The most recent sold-out show helped support the work of Transition Projects.
In 2023, Tom wanted to organize a concert to celebrate Lightfoot’s 85th birthday. Lightfoot passed before the event, but Tom, in partnership with Adam East of The Alberta Rose Theater, held the tribute honoring his memory.
Sundown a Salute to
Gordon Lightfoot
Sunday March 30, 2025
Hosted & produced by Tom May and The Alberta Rose Theatre
Doors 4 PM Show 5 PM
”I have enlisted a terrific group of artists to perform at this event along with me, including Portland's beloved Kate Power; Grammy award winning guitarist Doug Smith; the award winning Americana/Bluegrass excellence of Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, the traditional appeal of longtime Pacific Northwest favorites Terry Prohaska and Rich Gillette.” - Tom May
Tom May, Doug Smith, and Donny Wright are a big part of the show!
Photo by Norm Eder
Sundown: A Salute to Gordon Lightfoot sold out two weeks in advance in 2023 and had many livestream viewers. Its stunning success is evidence of Lightfoot’s enduring influence on the music community – and how people flat out love his songs.
On March 30, Tom and Adam will once again team up for an evening of Lightfoot tunes. In the spirit of Winterfolk, Tom calls on amazing local talent to bring to life Lightfoot’s best and lesser-known songs. And this year, Tom invited The Jeremy Wilson Foundation to be the show’s non-profit partner.
As a life-long independent musician, Tom knows well the financial challenges faced by someone trying to make a living that way. And he has seen how short and long-term illnesses can interrupt or totally derail careers.
“I’m very enthusiastic about what The JWF is doing and about the opportunity to help other musicians who are having a tough time because of health-related problems,” Tom said.
Grab your tickets for the March 30 concert before they sell out. And here are some ways you can get ready for the show.
Just in case you need a refresher of Gordon Lightfoot’s magnificence, you might start with one of his most amazing songs, If You Could Read My Mind.
Vignette was one of Tom’s first recorded songs, and a song that Lightfoot particularly liked. You can listen to it here.
And for a very different musical take, listen to Tom’s son, Dylan. Dylan grew up knowing and listening to Gordon Lightfoot, and was a big part of the first tribute concert. An amazing funk bassist, Dylan carries on the singer-songwriter tradition in his own magical way.
