On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared beneath the waves of Lake Superior without so much as a distress call. What, exactly, happened out there 50 years ago?
This five-episode limited podcast tells the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald from its launch to its loss — and explores the legacy of what has become one of the world's most famous shipwrecks. You'll hear from a former coast guardsman who was on a cutter participating in the search for the Fitzgerald; from a diver who saw the wreck firsthand; from the news anchor who broke the tragic story; and from over a dozen other experts. This podcast will take you beyond the song, and into the depths.
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com.
How did the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald become more famous than any shipwreck besides the Titanic? When Gordon Lightfoot read a Newsweek article about how Lake Superior "never gives up her dead," he was inspired to write a song that would become one of the most unlikely pop hits ever. Hear from a musician who knew Lightfoot, and from staff at four sites that keep the Fitzgerald's memory alive with artifacts and ceremonies. As author Frederick Stonehouse says, all ships on the Great Lakes "now are wrapped into the legend of the Fitzgerald."
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.
Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.
Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Bruegemann. This episode's Newsweek excerpt was read by Barrett Chase.
Thanks to our guests on this episode: Elle Andra-Warner, Jay Austin, John U. Bacon, David James Carlson, John Crowley, Rob Hofmann, Bruce Lynn, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin, Hayes Scriven, Dave Strandberg, Sara Summers-Luedtke, Frederick Stonehouse and Terrence Tysall. Thanks, also, to Duluth Harbor Cam for permission to use audio from the arrival of the Arthur M. Anderson.
3 Nov 2025
4. The Church Bell Chimed
Duluth TV anchor Dennis Anderson was preparing for the 10:00 news when he received a call asking about a 729-foot freighter that had gone down in Lake Superior. He realized he was going to have to cut into "Monday Night Football" and tell viewers that 29 men had died. Meanwhile, John Crowley was at a Duluth bar with some Coast Guard shipmates when they were all called back to their cutter — immediately. Hear Anderson's and Crowley's accounts of that terrible night, and learn why the official investigation into the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald became highly controversial.
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.
Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.
Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Bruegemann. Newspaper archive excerpts and other historical documents were read by Teri Cadeau, Barrett Chase and Dan Williamson.
Thanks to our guests on this episode: Dennis Anderson, John U. Bacon, John Crowley, Tanner Johnson, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin, Frederick Stonehouse and Terrence Tysall. Thanks also to Maria Lockwood of the Superior Telegram for participating in our interview of Dennis Anderson. Read more stories about the Edmund Fitzgerald, and learn more about this podcast, at duluthnewstribune.com.
27 Oct 2025
3. 'We Are Holding Our Own'
The Edmund Fitzgerald made no distress call. During a Lake Superior storm on the night of November 10, 1975, the ship suddenly disappeared from radar, with no survivors left to tell the tale. What exactly happened out there? You’ll learn what we know — and what we never will — about the circumstances surrounding the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Follow the vessel’s last run across the lake, into the worst storm its experienced captain had ever seen. Hear from experts who debate what might have gone wrong for the ship to founder during a storm that spared a similar ship just 10 miles away.
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.
Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.
Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Brueggemann. Movie dialogue and testimony transcripts were read by Wyatt Buckner, Barrett Chase and Dan Williamson.
Thanks to our guests on this episode: Dennis Anderson, Elle Andra-Warner, John U. Bacon, John Crowley, Tanner Johnson, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin, Frederick Stonehouse and Sara Summers-Luedtke. Thanks also to the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, for permission to share Dennis Hale’s story.
20 Oct 2025
2. The Gales of November
Could anything reasonably have been done to avert the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald? What did Captain McSorley know about the weather he was facing when he steamed out of Superior on November 9, 1975? Listen to what the ship’s last inspection revealed about the state of its hatches, and what we now know about why the next day’s storm turned deadly. You’ll also learn more about the Fitzgerald’s crew, including the captain — who planned to retire after the season’s final ore run.
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.
Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.
Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Brueggemann. Newspaper archive excerpts and other historical documents were read by Teri Cadeau, Barrett Chase and Dan Williamson.
Thanks to our guests on this episode: Elle Andra-Warner, Jay Austin, John U. Bacon, David James Carlson, Tanner Johnson, Bruce Lynn, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin and Frederick Stonehouse.
13 Oct 2025
1. The Pride of the American Side
Why was the Edmund Fitzgerald a legend long before its loss? What was it like to ride on the Great Lakes’ largest vessel? We put the ship in historical context, explaining why ships like the Fitzgerald are crucial to American industry. You’ll hear the story of the Fitzgerald family, learn about the ship’s troubled launch, and hear how regulation changes may have contributed to the vessel’s ultimate fate. Stories from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s prime include a passenger’s glowing review — and the time the ship was slapped with a speeding ticket!
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.
Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.
Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Bruegemann. Newspaper archive excerpts were read by Teri Cadeau, Barrett Chase and Dan Williamson. Thanks to our guests on this episode: Elle Andra-Warner, Jay Austin, Tanner Johnson, Roger LeLievre, Bruce Lynn, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin and Frederick Stonehouse.
15 Aug 2025
The Story Still Echoes
On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared beneath the waves of Lake Superior without so much as a distress call. What, exactly, happened out there 50 years ago?
This five-episode limited podcast tells the story of the Edmund Fitgerald from its launch to its loss — and explores the legacy of what has become one of the world’s most famous shipwrecks. You’ll hear from a former coast guardsman who was on a cutter participating in the search for the Fitzgerald; from a diver who saw the wreck firsthand; from the news anchor who broke the tragic story; and from over a dozen other experts. This podcast will take you beyond the song, and into the depths.
Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com.
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