born Nov. 17, 1938, Orillia, Ont., Can.
Canadian singer and songwriter.
He began writing folk-oriented pop singles in the mid-1960s, including "Early Morning Rain" and "Ribbon of Darkness." His later hits include "If You Could Read My Mind" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ." His songs have been covered by singers ranging from Barbra Streisand to Jerry Lee Lewis .