50 years later, the legacy of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald looms as large as ever

[Ban Hammer 14,684]

People are gathering at ceremonies around the Great Lakes this weekend to honor the memories of the 29 crew members who died a half-century ago on Nov. 10, 1975, when the Edmund Fitzgerald — the largest freighter on the Lakes at the time — sank during a ferocious storm on Lake Superior. 

Fifty years later, the loss of a ship known as the “Titanic” of the Great Lakes remains one of the most famous shipwrecks in history.

It’s buoyed in our memories by the haunting song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” released by Gordon Lightfoot a year after the tragedy, and the lingering mystery around what exactly happened to cause the Fitzgerald to go down so quickly that the captain didn’t even issue a distress call.

The anniversary of the tragedy is also a yearly reminder of the size, scale and power of Lake Superior and the Great Lakes, bodies of water the size of inland seas where the ‘Gales of November’ can whip up wind and waves of hurricane-like intensity. 

more at https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/11/09/edmund-fitzgerald-shipwreck-legacy-continues-50-years-later

[Ban Hammer 14,684]

this song is haunting and i remember when it first came out.
 

 

[TBoneTX 48,425]

9 hours ago, Ban Hammer said:

a ship known as the “Titanic” of the Great Lakes

https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection-search?search_api_fulltext=titanic&publish_date_year=&publish_date_year_1=&title=&item_author=&field_has_audio=All&box=&item_id=&field_is_public_domain=All&sort_by=search_api_relevance

[TBoneTX 48,425]

Heck of an informative article about the incident.

[TBoneTX 48,425]

Here's another thoughtful piece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remembering the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

 

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior.  It is not the anniversary of the song; shortly after the Nov. 10, 1975, tragedy, Gordon Lightfoot put pen to paper and took guitar in hand to write a song that continues to resonate even in 2025, but it would not be released until 1976.

The song, of course, played a major role in immortalizing the disaster.  Lightfoot created an honest, raw 20th-century folk song.  Unlike Bob Dylan's interesting and admittedly catchy ramblings with their oddball imagery, or Bruce Springsteen's efforts to create a working-class mythology, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a heartfelt tribute to the men who died.  It is not a dirge, but a ballad in the truest sense of the word.  It tells a real story, about real people.  The melody, lyrics, structure, and Lightfoot's voice all come together to create a sense of loss, sorrow, and empathy.  Even in 2025, the song still evokes feelings of grief and mourning for the 29 lost lives, sometimes among people who were not even born when the Edmund Fitzgerald took her crew to their graves.  [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/lincolnbrown/2025/11/10/remembering-the-ss-edmund-fitzgerald-n4945826

[Ontarkie 15,068]

Growing up on Lake Superior I've seen some pretty nasty storms go through there. Heard lots of stories about the wreck, ghost stories too. Pretty scary stuff all in all.