“He had been living in North Carolina for the past few years but returned home about three years ago,” said daughter Jennifer Stockfish. “I guess it brought his life full circle and it seemed the logical place to come back to a few years ago.”
Stockfish remembered her father as a “unique and eccentric individual which is true of many artists and musicians.”
He was a self-taught musician who received further training through the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Stockfish teamed up with Lightfoot and guitarist Red Shea in 1965 after an already extensive career which took him on tour to Europe and across North America as a bassist for Tommy Danton and the Echoes.
He was considered an influential part of the Lightfoot trio, particular with his familiar bass line on the hit single Sundown which topped the music charts in 1974.
The Guess Who paid tribute to Stockfish’s talent by naming him in their song Lightfoot.
In 1969, Stockfish moved to New York and performed with the late Jim Croce with appearances on the Mike Douglas Show and the Today Show.
Upon returning to Toronto in the early 1970s, he played with Dan Hill and Tommy Hunter, appearing on the latter’s popular television shows.
Over the years, he also collaborated with Gene MacLellan, Mel Torme, Cab Calloway and Ron Nigrini.
He was later involved in the music publishing business in Nashville.
“I lived in Nashville for a few years in my early 20s and worked as a waitress,” said Jennifer. “Whenever people saw my last name on the receipt, they knew immediately who my dad was because Nashville is such a music town. “He wasn’t charismatic in the regular sense of the word but he had a way of drawing people to him either in coffee shops or book shops,” said Jennifer.
Stockfish is survived by children Sheri, John, Jennifer and Will, grandchildren Marlee, Travis, Nathan and Mia as well as siblings George, Billy, Gordie and Darlene.
