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Lightfoot was born in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. He moved to Los Angeles, California during the 1950s where he studied at Hollywood's Westlake College of Music. He returned to Canada by the 1960s and performed in coffee houses on the Toronto folk scene. In 1966, he released his debut album, Lightfoot.

He is one of the first Canadian popular singers who achieved real stardom in his own country instead of moving to the United States. In June of 1974, his single, "Sundown", went to No.1 on the American charts.

In the fall of 2002, Lightfoot suffered a near-fatal abdominalThe abdomen (from the Latin word meaning "belly") is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. The front of the abdomen is the abdominal cavity, which is separated from the thoracic cavity by the diaphragm. The lining of the abdomen is calle hemorrhageHemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. It is usually used to describe internal bleeding, for example, cerebral hemorrhage, which can have serious complications if left untreated. Nevertheless, the term itself which landed him in a comaFor other meanings of the word "coma", especially in astronomy, see coma (disambiguation In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication ( drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic for a short period of time but returned to the music business with the album Harmony and an appearance on Canadian IdolCanadian Idol is a reality television show on the Canadian television network CTV, based on the popular British show Pop Idol and its US offshoot American Idol''. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in Canada. It is hosted by Ben Mulr.

Lightfoot has received 15 Juno Awards and been nominated for 5 Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in musical recordings, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the Units. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of FameThe Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The ceremony is held each year as part of the Juno Awards. Members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame represent many of the world's great talents. It is al in 1986, the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001 and in May 2003 was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour.

1 Best-selling songs

• "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
• "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"
• "If You Could Read My Mind"
• "The First Time ever I saw your face"
• " Me and Bobby McGee"
• "Rainy Day People"
• "Sundown"
• "Alberta Bound"
• "Bitter Green"
• "Cotton Jenny"
• "Did She Mention My Name"
• "I'm Not Supposed To Care"
• "Ghost of Cape Horn"
• "Does Your Mother Know"
• "The Pony Man"
• "In My Fashion"
• "Shadows"
• "Protocol"

In 1968, Canadian rockers " The Guess Who" wrote a tune about Lightfoot entitled "Lightfoot"; the song includes includes references to some of Lightfoot's own songs.