Gordon Lightfoot Becomes Victim of Internet Death Hoax

BY Jason SchreursPublished Feb 18, 2010

Despite what anyone who stumbled upon Canwest newspapers' websites might have been led to believe this morning, Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot is not dead.

News stories announcing Lightfoot's demise were posted on a number of Canwest sites, mostly in Western Canada, and cited fellow musician Ronnie Hawkins as the source of the bad news.

Lightfoot's manager has since denounced the reports, according to Toronto, ON's NOW Magazine, saying the musician is alive and well and has been in contact with him today (February 18).

It's believed that someone was prank calling the papers as Hawkins, or that the rumour started via Twitter.

Lightfoot, 71, is now the latest in the long line of Internet death hoax victims, which recently included longtime Vancouver punk icon Chuck Biscuits, who we told you was death-pranked earlier this year.

Geez, we know Canwest is busy with their Olympics coverage and all but, come on, it's Gordon Lightfoot, the man who brought us "Sundown." Check your sources!

Canwest papers are now starting to post their own stories about the hoax.

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