Leonard Cohen

**Leonard Norman Cohen** (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, novelist, and painter. His work was mostly about religion, politics, sexuality, and personal relationships. All of these ideas can be seen in his best known work, "Hallelujah".

Cohen was added into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor. In 2011, Cohen received one of the Prince of Asturias Awards for literature and the ninth Glenn Gould Prize.

## Early life

Cohen was born on September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec into a middle-class Canadian Jewish family. His mother was Marsha (Masha) Klonitsky and his father was Nathan Cohen. Cohen's father died when he was nine years old.

During his high school years in Westmount, Cohen learned and played the guitar many times and wrote poems. He studied at McGill University.

## Career

Cohen started a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s. Cohen did not start his music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, _Songs of Leonard Cohen_ (1967), was followed by three more albums of folk music: _Songs from a Room_ (1969), _Songs of Love and Hate_ (1971) and _New Skin for the Old Ceremony_ (1974).

His 1977 record _Death of a Ladies' Man_ was co-written and produced by Phil Spector. In 1979, Cohen returned with the more traditional _Recent Songs_, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences.

"Hallelujah" was first released on Cohen's studio album _Various Positions_ in 1984. Cohen wrote around 80 draft verses for "Hallelujah", with one writing session at the Royalton Hotel in New York where he was reduced to sitting on the floor in his underwear, banging his head on the floor. This became Cohen's best known work. _I'm Your Man_ in 1988 marked Cohen's most popular album with the song "Everybody Knows". In 1992, Cohen released its follow-up, _The Future_, which had dark lyrics and references to political and social unrest.

Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of _Ten New Songs_, which was a major hit in Canada and Europe. His eleventh album, _Dear Heather_, followed in 2004. After a successful string of tours between 2008 and 2010, Cohen released three albums in the final four years of his life: _Old Ideas_ (2012), _Popular Problems_ (2014) and _You Want It Darker_ (2016), the last of which was released three weeks before his death.

## Personal life

Though never married, Cohen had two children: Adam and Lorca with his girlfriend Suzanne Elrod. He was also romantically linked with Marianne Ihlen, Janis Joplin and Rebecca De Mornay.

## Death

Cohen died in 7 November 2016 of leukemia and from complications of a fall in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, aged 82.

His funeral was held on November 10, 2016 in Montreal, at a cemetery on Mount Royal, his congregation Shaar Hashomayim confirmed.
As was his wish, Cohen was laid to rest with a Jewish rite, in a simple pine casket, in a family plot.

## Titles and honors

- In 1968, Cohen refused a Governor General's Award (in category for English language poetry or drama) for _Selected Poems 1956–1968_.
- In 1991, Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
- In 1993, Cohen won the Juno Award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
- In 1994, Cohen won another Juno Award this time for Songwriter of the Year.
- In 1996, he was ordained a Rinzai Buddhist monk.
- In 2001, Cohen was awarded a SNEP Award for more than 100,000 copies sold of Ten New Songs in France.
- In 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour.
- In 2004, _Beautiful Losers_ was chosen for inclusion in Canada Reads 2005. It was selected and originally to be championed by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright; however, tour commitments meant that Wainwright had to be replaced by singer Molly Johnson.
- In 2006, Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
- In 2007, Cohen received a Grammy for Album of the Year as a featured artist on Herbie Hancock's _River: The Joni Letters_.
- In 2008, Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- In June 2008 he was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.qc.ca/salle-de-presse/communiques/2008/juin/2008-06-03.shtml

## Related pages

- List of poets from North America

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: Leonard Cohen
- **img**: Leonard Cohen 2 2013 (cropped).jpg
- **background**: solo_singer
- **birth name**: Leonard Norman Cohen
- **birth place**: Westmount, Quebec, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
- **death place**: Los Angeles, California, United States, U.S.
- **years active**: 1956–2016
- **label**: Columbia Records, Columbia