Editing Gordon Lightfoot (section)

===2000s===
In April 2000, Lightfoot taped a live concert in [[Reno, Nevada]]; an edited one-hour version was broadcast by the [[CBC Television|CBC]] in October, and on PBS across the United States. PBS stations offered a videotape of the concert as a pledge gift, and a DVD was released in 2001 in Europe and North America, making it the first Lightfoot concert video released. In April 2001, he closed the Tin Pan South Legends concert at [[Ryman Auditorium]] in Nashville.  In May, he performed "Ring Them Bells" at [[Massey Hall]] in honour of Dylan's 60th birthday.

By January 2002, Lightfoot had written 30 new songs for his next album. He recorded guitar and vocal demos of some of these new songs. In September, before the second concert of a two-night stand in [[Orillia]], Lightfoot suffered severe stomach pain and was airlifted to [[McMaster University Medical Centre]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]]. He underwent emergency [[vascular surgery]] for a ruptured [[abdominal aortic aneurysm]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/gordon-lightfoot-is-happy-to-be-all-live|title=Gordon Lightfoot is happy to be All Live|date=April 27, 2012|newspaper=National Post|access-date=September 20, 2018|last1=Kaplan|first1=Ben}}</ref> and he remained in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Lightfoot endured a six-week coma and a [[tracheotomy]], and underwent four surgeries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1197/is_/ai_n16519941 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210091226/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1197/is_/ai_n16519941 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |title=CBSi |website=FindArticles.com |access-date=December 17, 2016 }}</ref> His remaining 2002 concert dates were cancelled. More than three months after being taken to McMaster, Lightfoot was released in December to continue his recovery at home.

In 2003, Lightfoot underwent follow-up surgery to continue the treatment of his abdominal condition. In November he signed a new recording contract with [[Linus Entertainment]] and began rehearsing with his band for the first time since his illness.  Also in 2003, [[Borealis Records]], a label related to Linus Entertainment, released ''Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot''.  On this album, various artists, including The [[Cowboy Junkies]], [[Bruce Cockburn]], [[Jesse Winchester]], [[Maria Muldaur]], and [[The Tragically Hip]] interpreted Lightfoot's songs. The final track on the album, "Lightfoot", was the only song not previously released by Lightfoot. It was composed and performed by [[Aengus Finnan]].

In January 2004, Lightfoot completed work on ''[[Harmony (Gordon Lightfoot album)|Harmony]]'', which he had mostly recorded prior to his illness. It was his 19th original album and included a single and video of "Inspiration Lady". Other notable entries are "Clouds of Loneliness", "Sometimes I Wish", "Flyin' Blind", and "No Mistake About It". The album also contains the upbeat, yet reflective track, "End of All Time". In July 2004, he made a surprise comeback performance, his first since falling ill, at Mariposa in Orillia, performing "I'll Tag Along" solo. In August he performed a five-song solo set in [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], Ontario, at a flood relief benefit. In November he made his long-awaited return to the concert stage with two sold-out benefit shows in Hamilton. Lightfoot returned to the music business with his new album selling well and an appearance on ''[[Canadian Idol]]'', where the six top contestants each performed a song of his, culminating in a group performance – on their own instruments – of his ''[[Canadian Railroad Trilogy]]''. He returned to the road in 2005 on his ''Better Late Than Never Tour''.

On September 14, 2006, during a performance in Harris, Michigan, Lightfoot suffered a minor stroke that temporarily left him without the use of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/gordon-lightfoot-dead-1.6828991 |title=Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot dead at 84 |author=Susan Noakes |date=May 1, 2023 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=May 1, 2023}}</ref> He returned to performing nine days later and briefly used a substitute guitarist for more difficult guitar work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/lightfoot |title=Music: Stroke doesn't diminish Lightfoots skills as an entertainer |date=September 25, 2006 |website=Onmilwaukee.com |access-date=May 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Denis Armstrong |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/L/Lightfoot_Gordon/ConcertReviews/2006/11/12/2326377.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710212859/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/L/Lightfoot_Gordon/ConcertReviews/2006/11/12/2326377.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |title=CANOE – JAM! Music – Artists – Gordon Lightfoot – Concert Review: NAC, Ottawa – November 10, 2006 |website=Jam.canoe.ca |access-date=June 14, 2010 }}</ref> Full recovery took longer, "I fought my way back in seven or eight months".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/2197822-gordon-lightfoot-making-the-best-use-of-borrowed-time-/|title=Gordon Lightfoot making the best use of 'borrowed time'|date=April 24, 2012|website=thespec.com|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909112036/https://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/2197822-gordon-lightfoot-making-the-best-use-of-borrowed-time-/|archive-date=September 9, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 2007, Lightfoot had full use of his right hand and played all of the guitar parts in concert as he originally wrote them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gordonlightfoot.com/GordonLightfoot-11-2006.shtml |title=Gordon Lightfoot at Massey, November 2006 |website=Gordonlightfoot.com |access-date=June 14, 2010}}</ref>