The 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is being honoured by singer-songwriter Jerry Popiel with a new video, along with his officially-licensed cover of Gordon Lightfoot's classic song.
On Nov. 10, 1975 the ship went down in Lake Superior, losing all 29 crew members. Popiel's new video features rare footage of the official search and rescue, creating his gripping take on what it feels like to be in perial out on big water.
“I’ve served onboard ships and boats during many storms on the Great Lakes, and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and I remember the uneasy feeling of the vessels battling green water over the bow, steel shuddering immensely, and taking rolls big enough to throw you out of your bed, all while being seasick," he said in a release. "Certainly, whatever the crew of Edmund Fitzgerald faced and felt was far, far worse than that."
Following is the complete news release:
Nov. 10, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the well-known sinking of the steamship Edmund Fitzgerald with the loss of all 29 hands on Lake Superior in 1975. In honour of the crew, singer-songwriter Jerry Popiel is releasing a new video for his officially-licensed cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Featuring rarely, if ever seen, official search and rescue case file footage and electrified musical drama, the song and video are one musician-mariner’s take on what it feels like to be in peril out on big water.
As both a folk-rock musician and in his long career as a search and rescue specialist, Jerry has always been moved by the courage of the crew and awe-inspiring story of the final voyage.
“I’ve served onboard ships and boats during many storms on the Great Lakes, and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and I remember the uneasy feeling of the vessels battling green water over the bow, steel shuddering immensely, and taking rolls big enough to throw you out of your bed, all while being seasick. Certainly, whatever the crew of Edmund Fitzgerald faced and felt was far, far worse than that.
"An impassioned lap steel slide guitar solo, in particular, testifies to that seasick feeling along with moments of heartfelt choir voices that conjure up the men’s collective peril and release from this world.”
In rethinking this classic song, while staying true to the original, Jerry takes advantage of opportunities for additional sonic energy in comparison to Lightfoot’s original. Case file shots show search overlays and damage photos obtained by remotely operated vehicles on subsequent searches.
Popiel performed all instruments on the track including acoustic and electric guitars, steel guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. He recorded, mixed and mastered the track at his home studio in Cleveland. The video was photographed, directed and edited by John Popiel of Asheville, N.C.
Popiel is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. As a solo artist, he is a regular performer for luxury Viking Cruise lines and has performed at Live Nation VIP clubs before James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish, Dierks Bentley and many more, and other locations including opening for Girl Named Tom, comedian Paul Reiser, Shawn Mullins, Leon Russell, the Strawbs and more.
He is also a member of the indie bands Birdhouse Gourds and Fox Apts. His best known recording is his cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and his original music can be found on Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, Spotify and all other streaming outlets.