Before Gordon Lightfoot was a world-famous singer, he was a 'famous country dancer' on CBC's Country Hoedown

Everyone knows the international fame that Gordon Lightfoot reached in his music career, but not many people know he got his start on television.

Before he was a world-famous singer, he was a "famous country dancer" on CBC's Country Hoedown. As an aspiring musician working on his career, Lightfoot appeared as a regular on the weekly variety show from 1960-62 where he clog danced and harmonized. "The only reason I was on Country Hoedown was because I was was a crackerjack sight-reader and I sang in the vocals chorus," he told Elwood Glover in 1973.

The only reason I was on Country Hoedown was because I was was a crackerjack sight-reader and I sang in the vocals chorus,- Gordon Lightfoot in 1973

Television variety shows like this one were powerful tools to introduce new talent to the Canadian public. Stephen Cole, author of Celebrating 50 Years of CBC TV explains the phenomenon of television and its impact for young Canadian hopefuls as a revolution and the beginning of the music boom in this country: "[...] when television arrived, the business that is show business kind of arrived in Canada at the same time."

Following his appearance on Country Hoedown, Lightfoot won one of Canada's very first televised talent competitions, CBC's Talent Caravan. He won as half of the duo The Two Timers, and would go on to make may more CBC variety show appearances.

Appearance on these TV shows were a pivotal part of the Canadian star machine and invaluable to young singers such Joni Mitchell, Paul Anka, and of course, Gordon Lightfoot who sought showbiz success.

"It can't be overstated that those CBC shows shaped him into the performer that became the star, and a star on an international scale. A star who had the number one single and number one album in the world," explains Stephen Cole.