The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 remains a subject of great interest for many people throughout the world. 

 For many years since the tragedy,  writers, poets, singers, songwriters, scientists, maritime workers, educators and numerous other people from all types of professions and endeavors have been captivated by the mystery surrounding this heartbreaking event.  The fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald  has often been associated with other famous stories regarding  tragedies at sea.  The story of the famous Titanic is often referenced when the subject of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald comes up. Why are these types of stories so captivating?

My personal interest in the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald rests in several areas.  First, I lived in Duluth at the time where I served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus. During my years living in Duluth, I spent alot of time along the shores of Lake Superior.  Watching the ships and boats come into and leaving port was of great interest to me.  In addition, I lived next door to John McKenzie who was a retired Captain and had sailed the Great Lakes for many years.  Captain "Mac" was a great friend and we would sit and talk for hours on end about sailing and his experiences on the Great Lakes and other ports of call throughout the world.  Furthermore, I spent alot of time with my friend Mike Myers who was an operator for one of the bridges that let ships in and out of the docks.  Mike was an excellent guitar player and we would spend hours playing guitar together and discussing his experiences as a bridge operator.  Finally, I was there in my living room when the news of Edmund Fitzgerald broke!  I followed the events as they were being reported by television news reporters.  I was simply overwhelmed by the sad news on that early evening of November, 1975.  Over the next three days, I  began writing the song "Twenty-Nine More Men" which would later be recorded in Nashville

  I have spoken with many people over the years about the Edmund Fitzgerald and its fate and have had the opportunity to sift through the various reasons for their individual  interest and have come to these conclusions.  The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald was unexpected, sudden, tragic and the loss of life was complete.  There were no individual eye witnesses to the actual event as it was unfolding and there were no survivors to tell the story.  In addition, the mysteries surrounding the tragedy have become inexplicably intertwined with the ancient mysteries concerning the very nature of Lake Superior.  Lake Superior is truly magnificent but is also mysterious!

For the families, relatives and friends, the answer is obvious.  Twenty-nine men were lost and the grief suffered by those close to the men was and remains tremendous. The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking enough  but when the remains  of those lost loved ones are  never found only adds to the grief and suffering.  There has been no closure for the loved ones and this fact only increases the heartaches endured by them.

The sinking of the "Fitz" remains a mystery!  There have been numerous theories offered by many people but each theory  has been presented with counters.  Some theorists believe that the Fitz was struck by a huge wave which simply inundated the ship and took it to the bottom where it broke into two pieces.  Others believe that the ship suffered damage as a result of striking a rocky bottom near the shore and as a result, water poured in and caused the ship to sink.  What is the exact reason the ship went down into Lake Superior on that cold and windy November night?  Maybe someday we will know the full story.

I would urge that all those interested in the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald visit a website where there exists a great deal of information.  The site was developed by an individual who has a tremendous passion for getting to the truth about the sinking of this famous vessel.  In addition, Elle Andra -Warner, an author from Thunder Bay, Canada has just written and released a book regarding the Fitzgerald.  The book's title is "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and is published by Altitude Publishing of Canada. It is a great book and a must for all persons interested in the Great Lakes, shipping and the Edmund Fitzgerald.  The book is available on Amazon. com and other outlets.

For anyone interested in knowing more about my experiences in writing the song "Twenty-Nine More Men" contact me at Charlie Frederick Music Enterprises on Ebay.

A 30 second clip of my song can be heard on the website listed below!

You will need Music Match as the player.

The website is www.ssedmundfitzgerald.com