Arriving at the height of the folk rock boom in the mid-’60s, Gordon Lightfoot has carved out a career as singular as any in pop music. His early songs—“Early Morning Rain,” “For Lovin’ Me” and “Ribbon of Darkness”—were all bigger hits for other artists than they were for himself. When he finally achieved commercial success, it was at the expense of his marriage, the demise of which inspired the 1970 hit “If You Could Read My Mind.”

But that was just the beginning. By 1974, he scored his first U.S. No. 1 hit with “Sundown,” then two years later parlayed a maritime disaster on the Great Lakes into what became his signature song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

At 75, Lightfoot is no longer interested in writing new material, telling the Canadian news magazine Maclean’s, “After a while you’re just making structures,” and dismissing an in-progress piece as “just another love song.” Instead, he’s thrown himself into touring, with recent concerts stretching over two sets and more than 25 songs. Lightfoot’s most recent release, 2012’s All Live, captured him in his element at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

Despite a career full of accolades, including 13 Juno Awards and induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Lightfoot owns the distinction of having been covered by both Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan—a mark of success by anyone’s measure.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, starting at $24 plus tax and fee. 702.749.2000