In late November 1975, Lightfoot read a "Newsweek" magazine article about the loss of the , which sank on November 10, 1975, on Lake Superior during a severe storm with the loss of all 29 crew members. The lyrics in his song, "The Wreck of the "Edmund Fitzgerald"", released the following year, were substantially based on facts in the article. It reached number two on the United States "Billboard" chart and was a number one hit in Canada. Lightfoot appeared at several 25th anniversary memorial services of the sinking, and continues personal contact with the family members of the men who perished in the "Edmund Fitzgerald."