Leonard Cohen
Influential singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen has passed away at the age of 82. Sony Music Canada announced his death via the artist’s Facebook page. The statement reads, “It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away. We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries. A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. The family requests privacy during their time of grief.”
The label added on its own page, “Leonard Cohen was an unparalleled artist whose stunning body of original work has been embraced by generations of fans and artists alike. We are proud and feel extremely privileged to have celebrated his artistry over a career spanning six decades. The Sony Music Canada family joins the world in mourning Leonard Cohen’s passing.”
Cohen began his career as a poet in the 1960s, then moved to New York City and joined the music scene alongside The Velvet Underground and Judy Collins. Cohen released a number of albums throughout his career until 1995, when he stepped out of the spotlight to become an ordained Buddhist monk. He returned to making music in 2001.
In 2008, his daughter Lorca learned that her father’s long-time manager Kelley Lynch had embezzled over $5 million from the singer’s retirement fund. This led to Cohen touring once again, playing well over 300 shows between 2008 and 2013. Just last month, he released his final record, You Want It Darker.
Cohen’s most beloved songs include “Suzanne,” “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Bird on a Wire” and “First We Take Manhattan.” However, he is best known for “Hallelujah,” which received a major boost from the late Jeff Buckley, who covered it on his album Grace in the early ’90s. Buckley’s version led to countless other covers of “Hallelujah” over the next 20 years, including Rufus Wainwright recording a take on it for the soundtrack to the first Shrek film.
Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
