Leonard Cohen Caricature

Leonard Cohen Caricature, shown here, age 35 at a publicity shoot for Vogue Magazine in August, 1969.

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality and personal relationships.

Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1967, at the age of 33, disappointed with his lack of financial success as a writer, Cohen moved to the United States to pursue a career as a folk music singer–songwriter. During the 1960s, he was a fringe figure in Andy Warhol’s “Factory” crowd.

His song “Suzanne” became a hit for Judy Collins (who subsequently covered a number of Cohen’s other songs, as well), and was for many years his most covered song.

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, which was a move away from Cohen’s previous minimalist sound.

Cohen’s songs have been covered by over 200 artists world-wide, notably by Judy Collins, James Taylor, Ryan Adams, John Baez, Jennifer Warnes, Rufus Wainwright, Nina Simone, Joe Cocker, Roberta Flack, Concrete Blonde, Jeff Buckley, REM, and Tori Amos with songs like: “Suzanne”, “Hallelujah”, “Chelsea Hotel #2”, “Bird On A Wire”, “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Joan Of Arc”.

“Hallelujah”, first released on Cohen’s studio album Various Positions in 1984, became one of the most “oft-performed songs in American musical history.” Cohen released 14 albums over the course of his career.

Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Cohen died on November 7, 2016, at the age of 82 at his home in Los Angeles; with leukemia as the contributing cause.

Bob Dylan was an admirer, describing Cohen as the ‘number one’ songwriter of their time (Dylan described himself as ‘number zero’).