*1980*
- In January, Lightfoot is declared Canada's male singer of the decade (70's).
- In March, Dream Street Rose is released.
- In May, Dream Street Rose peaks at #60 on the album charts.
- In September, he hosts another benefit for Canadian Olympic athletes, this time at the CNE Grandstand in Toronto.
- Lightfoot goes to Alberta and British Columbia to play US Marshall Morrie Nathan for the upcoming film, Harry Tracy Desperado.
- The documentary film, Ghosts Of Cape Horn is released.
- Facial Hair Tracker. Lightfoot again donned the beard in 1980 and into parts of 1981 in part for his role in the Harry Tracy movie.

*1981*

- Mike Heffernan joins the band on keyboards.
- In February, Lightfoot performs at the NHL All-Star game banquet in Los Angeles and attends the game the following night.
- In March, the Toronto Star sends their opera critic to cover Lightfoot at Massey Hall in an attempt to put a fresh perspective on their review after covering him there for so many years with regular pop music critics.  The verdict?  The opera critic came away impressed and wrote a positive piece.
- In May, Lightfoot makes a triumphant, albeit embattled tour of Britain.
- The film, Harry Tracy Desperado is released, with Lightfoot co-starring with Bruce Dern. Lightfoot joked about his performance, "I'm so awful, I'm good!"
- Lightfoot plans to have Shadows recorded and released by fall, but with 17 songs recorded for the project, it is pushed back until the new year.
- Lightfoot re-signs with Warner Brothers on a long term recording deal.

*1982*

- In February, Shadows is released.
- In March, Shadows peaks at #87 on the album charts.
- In May, Baby Step Back makes it to #50 on the single charts, his last entry on the US Hot 100 to date.
- On Labor Day, Lightfoot gives up drinking.
- In September, Lightfoot is the first performer to play Toronto's new concert hall, Roy Thomson Hall.  It's a one time deal, as he continues to do his annual Toronto stands at Massey Hall.
- Facial Hair Tracker. Lightfoot again returns to just the moustache.

*1983*

- As Lightfoot hits the road in February for a busy year of touring, audiences are immediately struck by two differences.  Lightfoot is now looking trim and fit after dropping 25 pounds and he now is playing electric guitar (as well as the 6 and 12-string acoustics).
- In July, Salute is released.
- In July, Lightfoot jumps on stage at Kingswood, near Toronto, to help out John Denver with Early Morning Rain.

*1984*

- In March, a giant billboard appears in downtown Toronto at the corner of Bloor and Yonge heralding Lightfoot's upcoming Massey Hall stand.
- In November, the rumour that David Foster will be involved on the next album begins to circulate.
- Lightfoot demos 25 songs for East Of Midnight over the next year.

*1985*
- In April, Lightfoot sings the opening lines on the recording of Tears Are Not Enough in aid of the USA For Africa trust along with fellow Canadians Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams and others.
- In July, Salute peaks at #175 on the album charts.
- In November, Lightfoot breaks with his own tradition by holding his annual Massey Hall stand in that month.  The schedule change didn't hurt - the shows were sell-outs!
- While in LA recording Anything For Love with David Foster, Lightfoot plays in a celebrity softball game.

*1987*

- After not playing live the previous year, Lightfoot launches into a busy year on the road beginning in Sudbury, ON in February and crosses back and forth across the continent several times before winding up the year at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City in November.
- Lightfoot has stopped using the electric guitar on stage.
- In early shows on the tour, Lightfoot is singing Anything For Love with taped background music from the album.  He abandons this by the fall shows.
- In mid-tour Pee Wee Charles leaves the band to pursue other business interests.
- In September, Lightfoot goes out to Los Angeles to tape an episode of the TV series Hotel, playing a country singer on the comeback trail.
- Lightfoot plays an all acoustic set in New York as part of a WNEW benefit.  Highlights include an acoustic Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald!

*1988*
- By the winter of 1988, Lightfoot albums were beginning to be reissued on CD. The first to get the digital treatment are If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown, Gord's Gold, Summertime Dream and East Of Midnight.
- In January, the Hotel episode airs on ABC with Lightfoot as guest.
- In February, Lightfoot sings Alberta Bound at the Calgary Winter Olympic opening ceremonies. (Read More...)
- In April, Lightfoot re-records 13 songs plus If It Should Please You for the upcoming Gord's Gold II.
- In July, Lightfoot plays the Stein River Festival in BC to support the move to protect the watershed from logging.  He will continue to play the festival for several years until the movement is finally successful.
- In September, Gord's Gold II is released.
- Lightfoot travels to Brazil with Sting as part of an environmental effort to protect the rainforests from logging and dam builders.
- In November he plays two concerts to support the World Wildlife Fund.