NEGAUNEE, Mich. — As the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck approaches, Midwest singer and author Mike Fornes made a special appearance in Negaunee on Tuesday to share stories, music, and local history.
Fornes spoke at the Negaunee Senior Center about the tragic 1975 sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an iron ore freighter that went down in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, killing all 29 crew members aboard.
In addition to recounting the story of the ship and its final voyage, Fornes also shared insights about the late Gordon Lightfoot’s iconic ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Fornes, who knew Lightfoot personally, performed the song for the audience during the event.
“I did find out that Gordon made it to the pearly gates,” Fornes told the crowd. “St. Peter was standing there at the podium and he said, ‘Come on in Gordon, bring your guitar, we’ve got 29 men up here from a ship that are pretty anxious to meet you.’”
The 50th anniversary of the wreck will be commemorated later this year, continuing the legacy of remembrance for one of the Great Lakes’ most haunting maritime tragedies.
