Gordon Lightfoot, who died May 1, returned time and again to Erie's stages for decades

Gordon Lightfoot, who died May 1 at 84, performed in Erie many times over the years. I saw him in the 1970s when he was at the top of his game, and again in recent years when poor health had greatly diminished his skills.

Lightfoot was a fascinating person to talk to, and I loved interviewing him by phone on two occasions. His “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” connected with many in Erie who were familiar with the type of men who served on board.

2015: Gordon Lightfoot talks with GoErie.com about 3 of his songs

When Lightfoot learned that an Erie seaman had been in contact by radio with several of the men on the Fitzgerald the night it sank, he made it a point to visit the man. That’s why Lightfoot was special ― he lived his music.

From the GoErie.com vault: The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

● I’m hoping that when Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons perform June 30 at Chautauqua Institution, I won’t be thinking that he stayed onstage too long, as Lightfoot did. Valli recently turned 89 and he and the band are on a lengthy national tour.

He did look pretty good in the photos taken last week at the dedication of Frankie Valli Way in Newark, New Jersey.

● Speaking of Chautauqua, the Institution landed a big star when it booked Diana Ross for a July 2 show.

● “Spooks: The Haunting of the Skowronski Sisters,” a beloved play written by Erie’s Rick Boler nearly three decades ago, just completed a successful three-weekend run at PACA. Bob Dombrowski, 85, who played the narrator in the original cast, returned in that memorable role and, as expected, he was terrific.

The show, directed by the Erie Playhouse’s Richard Davis, worked well in the cozy PACA theater. The only disappointing aspect of the show was that Boler, who recently had knee replacement surgery, could not attend.

● The horse racing season starts May 15 at Presque Isle Downs & Casino, the first of an 80-date schedule. Post time this season will be at 3 p.m., which is an improvement over last year’s earlier starting time. Races will be run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through the end of May. Then more days will be added.

● When Dick Groat, the old Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, died April 27 at 92, his Erie fans might have remembered when he appeared at one of Art Arkelian’s early sports banquets. Groat had been an All-American for Duke University’s basketball team, and he was greeted warmly in Erie by old friend Jim Harding, who was Gannon’s basketball coach at the time.

More: Pirates star Dick Groat, who also played in NBA, dies at 92

● Cleveland pitcher Cal Quantrill had an interesting response when asked what he thought of the new pitch clock that’s designed to speed up the games.

“I notice that the pace of play on the field has picked up,” Quantrill said. “But the advertisements between innings are just as long as ever.”

● Sid Booker, who died April 16 at 73, was one of Erie’s all-time great athletes. He starred in football, basketball and track and field at East High School, and later became a top basketball player at Edinboro University. He also ranked among national collegiate leaders in the high jump.

As kids, my brother Pat and I accompanied our dad, Gene Cuneo, to East High’s preseason football camp, which was held at what later became Brabender Golf Couse. East coach Billy Brabender called aside Booker, then a tenth-grader, and asked him to show us what he could do with a basketball. From a standing position, Sid leaped high and dunked the ball. Needless to say, we were very impressed.

● One of the nation’s top political scientists, Wendy Schiller, will speak Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Jefferson Educational Society. Schiller, a Brown University professor and an expert on the American presidency, is known as a great speaker.

● Jacquelyn Kuhn, who died April 30 at 91, led a rich, full life. She was an excellent musician who could play multiple instruments and performed on her family’s sunset cruise ship. She later became one of Erie’s most talented and popular hair stylists, and she co-owned the Country Tavern with her husband, Edward.

Jackie passed her musical skills down to her children, and especially to son Scott Kuhn, who became one of Erie’s best musicians.

Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gordon Lightfoot returned time and again to Erie PA starting in 1970s