Edmund Fitzgerald, The Stories, The Song

Two Books Two Communities invites the public to a Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert with Mike Fornes entitled Edmund Fitzgerald, The Stories, The Song, on Monday, September 30 at 7:00 pm in the Peter White Public Library’s Community Room.

Retired from a radio and television play-by-play career that spanned 26 years, Mike Fornes has turned his attention to music, focusing on the woods, the water, and the wildlife found in the North Country music associated with his shows.

Mike’s portrayal of Gordon Lightfoot is an accurate representation of the man and his concerts, built on tireless research and personal interaction with Lightfoot which have led to accurate mannerisms, speaking patterns, clothing, and, of course, identical guitars.  Rarely does he break character, usually only to introduce the band or to give a personal message before the conclusion of the show.

Mike has performed for a decade at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum’s annual bell-tolling ceremony for the lost souls of the Edmund Fitzgerald at Whitefish Point, Michigan.  His interaction with the surviving family members of the lost crewmen, and Lightfoot himself, generate many first-hand accounts of the tragedy and of how the iconic song was written.

There is no admission charge to attend this event which is sponsored by the Carroll Paul Memorial Trust Fund of the Peter White Public Library, Northern Michigan University Office of the Provost, Marion Vander Veen Great Lakes Education Fund via Marquette Community Foundation, Munising Public School Library, and “Book Angel” via Northern Michigan University Foundation.  For more information, visit www.pwpl.info or call 226-4318.