Leonard Norman Cohen was born on September 21, 1934, and died on November 7, 2016. He was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. His work often focused on themes such as faith and death, loneliness and sadness, betrayal and forgiveness, social and political issues, love, desire, regret, and loss. He was added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was given the title of Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor. In 2011, he received one of the Prince of Asturias Awards for literature and the ninth Glenn Gould Prize. In 2023, Rolling Stone listed Cohen as the 103rd-greatest singer of all time.

Cohen worked as a poet and novelist in the 1950s and early 1960s. He began a music career in 1966. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), was followed by three more folk music albums: 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, written and produced with Phil Spector, marked a change from his earlier simple musical style.

In 1979, Cohen returned with Recent Songs, which combined his acoustic style with jazz, East Asian, and Mediterranean music. His most famous song, "Hallelujah," appeared on his seventh album, Various Positions (1984). I'm Your Man (1988) showed Cohen's shift to using electronic music. In 1992, he released The Future, which included dark lyrics and references to political and social problems.

Cohen returned to music in 2001 with Ten New Songs, a popular album in Canada and Europe. His eleventh album, Dear Heather, came out in 2004. In 2005, Cohen learned that his manager had stolen most of his money and sold his publishing rights. This led him to return to touring to recover his losses. After a series of successful tours from 2008 to 2013, he released three albums in his final years: Old Ideas (2012), Popular Problems (2014), and You Want It Darker (2016), the last of which was released three weeks before his death. His fifteenth studio album, Thanks for the Dance, was released after his death in November 2019.

Early life

Leonard Norman Cohen was born on September 21, 1934, in Westmount, Quebec, a neighborhood in Montreal where many English-speaking people lived. He was born into an Orthodox Jewish family. His mother, Marsha ("Masha") Klonitsky, was from Lithuania and moved to Canada from Kaunas in 1927. She was the daughter of Solomon Klonitsky-Kline, a man who wrote religious texts and was a rabbi. His paternal grandfather, who came from Suwałki, Poland, was Lyon Cohen, a leader in the Canadian Jewish Congress. Cohen’s parents gave him the Hebrew name Eliezer, which means "God helps." His father, Nathan Bernard Cohen, who owned a clothing store, died when Cohen was nine years old. The family attended Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, a synagogue, and Cohen remained connected to it for his entire life. In 1967, he said he had a "very Messianic childhood" because he was told he was a descendant of Aaron, the high priest.

Cohen went to Roslyn Elementary School and completed grades seven through nine at Herzliah High School, where Irving Layton, a teacher who later inspired him, taught. In 1948, he moved to Westmount High School, where he studied music and poetry. He became especially interested in the poetry of Federico García Lorca from Spain. During high school, he participated in many activities, including photography, yearbook, cheerleading, arts club, current events club, and theater. He also led the Students’ Council. He taught himself to play the acoustic guitar and formed a country-folk group called the Buckskin Boys. After learning some guitar techniques from a young Spanish musician, he switched to playing the classical guitar. He credited his mother with inspiring his love of music, as she often sang songs at home. He said, "I know that those changes, those melodies, touched me very much. She would sing with us when I took my guitar to a restaurant with friends; my mother would come, and we’d often sing all night."

As a teenager, Cohen often visited Saint Laurent Boulevard in Montreal for fun and ate at places like the Main Deli Steak House. Journalist David Sax wrote that Cohen and a cousin would go to the Main Deli to "watch the gangsters, pimps, and wrestlers dance around the night." After leaving Westmount, Cohen bought a home on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Little Portugal, a neighborhood that had previously been home to working-class families. He read his poetry at nearby clubs and wrote the lyrics to some of his most famous songs during this time.

Poetry and novels

Leonard Cohen shared his thoughts and feelings through poetry and music for 60 years. His work deeply touched people, and his music and words will remain important for a long time.

In 1951, Cohen began studying at McGill University, where he joined Zeta Beta Tau. He led the McGill Debating Union and won the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition for his poems "Sparrows" and "Thoughts of a Landsman." His first poem was published in March 1954 in the magazine CIV/n. The same issue included poems by his professors Irving Layton and Louis Dudek, who were also on the magazine’s editorial board. Cohen graduated from McGill in 1955 with a B.A. degree. Writers who influenced him during this time included William Butler Yeats, Irving Layton (a teacher and friend), Walt Whitman, Federico García Lorca, and Henry Miller. His first book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956), was published by Louis Dudek as the first book in the McGill Poetry Series. The book included poems he wrote between the ages of 15 and 20, and he dedicated it to his late father. A Canadian literary critic named Northrop Frye reviewed the book and gave Cohen "restrained praise."

After finishing his undergraduate degree, Cohen studied law at McGill for a term and then attended Columbia University’s School of General Studies from 1956 to 1957. He described his time in graduate school as "passion without flesh, love without climax." In 1957, he returned to Montreal, working odd jobs while writing fiction and poetry. His next book, The Spice-Box of Earth (1961), was published by McClelland & Stewart, a Canadian publisher. His first novella and early short stories were not published until 2022 (A Ballet of Lepers). His father’s will gave him a small income to support his writing. The Spice-Box of Earth helped expand his audience and brought him recognition as an important new voice in Canadian poetry. A biographer, Ira Nadel, said the book received "enthusiastic and admiring" reactions. Critic Robert Weaver called Cohen "probably the best young poet in English Canada right now."

Cohen continued writing poetry and fiction throughout the 1960s. He lived in a quiet way after buying a house on Hydra, a Greek island. While there, he published the poetry collection Flowers for Hitler (1964) and the novel The Favourite Game (1963), which is about a young man finding his identity through writing.

In 1965, a 44-minute documentary titled Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen was made by the National Film Board.

The 1966 novel Beautiful Losers received attention from Canadian newspapers and caused controversy because of its graphic descriptions. The Boston Globe said, "James Joyce is not dead. He is living in Montreal under the name of Cohen." In 1966, Cohen also published Parasites of Heaven, a poetry book. Both books received mixed reviews and sold few copies.

In 1966, CBC-TV producer Andrew Simon offered Cohen a job as a host on his program Seven on Six. Cohen told Simon, "I decided I'm going to be a songwriter. I want to write songs."

After this, Cohen wrote less and focused more on recording songs. In 1966, he wrote "Suzanne," which was performed by The Stormy Clovers and later recorded by Judy Collins on her album In My Life.

In 1978, Cohen published his first poetry book in many years, Death of a Lady's Man (not to be confused with the similarly named album Death of a Ladies' Man released the previous year). In 1984, he published Book of Mercy, which won the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for Poetry. The book includes 50 prose-poems influenced by the Hebrew Bible and Zen writings. Cohen called the poems "prayers." In 1993, he published Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs, and in 2006, Book of Longing, which was delayed for 10 years and included changes and rewrites. Book of Longing is dedicated to Irving Layton. In the late 1990s and 2000s, many of Cohen’s new poems and lyrics were first published on the fan website The Leonard Cohen Files, including the original version of the poem "A Thousand Kisses Deep," which he later adapted into a song.

In an interview in 1998, Cohen described his writing process as "like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it."

In 2011, Cohen was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for literature. His poetry collection The Flame, which he worked on until his death, was published in 2018.

Cohen’s books have been translated into several languages.

Recording career

In 1967, Leonard Cohen moved to the United States because he was not successful as a writer and wanted to become a folk music singer–songwriter. During the 1960s, he was part of a group of artists connected to Andy Warhol’s “Factory.” Warhol believed that Cohen had listened to Nico in clubs, and this may have influenced his music.

Cohen’s song “Suzanne” became popular when Judy Collins sang it. Collins later recorded other songs by Cohen. She said that when she first met him, he claimed he could not sing or play the guitar and did not think “Suzanne” was a song. After hearing him perform it, she invited him to a fundraiser where Jimi Hendrix was also performing. Cohen sang “Suzanne” for the first time in front of a large audience. The crowd loved it, and he stopped halfway through the song and left the stage. The audience demanded he return, and Collins joined him on stage to finish the song. This event marked the beginning of his public performances.

Some people believe Leonard has a dark side, but his humor and perspective on life are actually very light. Collins introduced Cohen to television audiences in 1966, where they performed duets of his songs. At first, Cohen was not experienced in turning his poetry into music. Once, he forgot the words to “Suzanne” during a performance. Singers like Joan Baez later performed the song during their tours. Cohen said he gave up the rights to “Suzanne” by mistake, but he was happy it happened because he believed it was wrong to profit from a song that was so widely loved. Collins told Bill Moyers during an interview that Cohen’s Jewish background influenced his writing and music.

After performing at folk festivals, Cohen caught the attention of Columbia Records producer John Hammond, who signed him to a record deal. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, was released in the United States in late 1967 but received mostly negative reviews. However, it became popular in the United Kingdom when it was released in early 1968. The album stayed on the charts for over a year. Cohen appeared on BBC TV in 1968, where he sang a duet from the album with Julie Felix. Many songs from the album were later recorded by other artists, including James Taylor and Judy Collins. Cohen followed this album with Songs from a Room (1969, featuring “Bird on the Wire”) and Songs of Love and Hate (1971).

In 1971, film director Robert Altman used songs from Songs of Leonard Cohen in his movie McCabe & Mrs. Miller. These songs, including “The Stranger Song,” “Winter Lady,” and “Sisters of Mercy,” helped shape the film’s mood. Later, critics said the movie could not be imagined without Cohen’s music.

In 1970, Cohen toured the United States, Canada, and Europe, including the Isle of Wight Festival. In 1972, he toured Europe and Israel. During a performance in Israel, he walked off the stage and took LSD. After hearing the audience sing to him in Hebrew, he returned to finish the show.

Cohen said, “A Jew remains a Jew. Now it’s war, and there’s no need for explanations. My name is Cohen, no?”

In 1973, when Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on Yom Kippur, Cohen arrived in Israel. He had no guitar and planned to help with farming in a kibbutz. Israeli musicians saw him in a café and invited him to sing for soldiers in Sinai. Cohen performed songs like “Suzanne,” “So Long Marianne,” and “Bird on the Wire” for troops. He also met Major General Ariel Sharon, who later became Israel’s Prime Minister. Cohen described his concerts as informal but intense, where he sang to soldiers in places like rocket sites and airbases.

In 1974, Cohen released New Skin for the Old Ceremony, an album inspired by the war. The song “Lover Lover Lover” was written during his time in Sinai. “Who By Fire” was named after a Yom Kippur prayer. Other war-related songs include “Field Commander Cohen” and “There Is a War.” In 1976, Cohen said “Lover Lover Lover” was written for both Egyptian and Israeli soldiers, even though he originally wrote it for Israeli troops.

In 1973, Columbia Records released Cohen’s first live album, Live Songs. Around 1974, Cohen worked with pianist John Lissauer to create a live sound praised by critics. They toured in support of New Skin for the Old Ceremony and later performed with a new band for the Best Of album. None of these live recordings were officially released.

In 1976, Cohen toured Europe with a new band and changed his musical style. Laura Branigan was one of his backup singers during this time. He performed 55 shows, including his first appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

After the 1976 tour, Cohen continued to change his style. His 1977 album, Death of a Ladies’ Man, was co-written and produced by Phil Spector. In 1978, Cohen published a poetry collection titled Death of a Lady’s Man.

Leonard Cohen once said, “The whole act of living contains immense amounts of sorrow and hopelessness and despair; and also passion, high hopes, deep love, and eternal love.”

In 1979, Cohen released Recent Songs, which blended his acoustic style with jazz, East Asian, and Mediterranean influences. He began co-producing his albums with Henry Lewy, Joni Mitchell’s sound engineer. The album included performances by Passenger, a jazz–fusion band connected to Mitchell.

Cultural impact and themes

Leonard Cohen was a singer and songwriter who created music for almost 50 years. His songs often talked about love, faith, sadness, happiness, being alone, connecting with others, war, and politics. Many people remember him best for the words he wrote in his songs. His lyrics were short but full of meaning. They could be confusing or clear, and they often made people think. His words were also simple and easy to understand, but they still had deep and lasting messages.

A music critic named Bruce Eder wrote that Cohen was one of the most interesting and mysterious singer-songwriters in the late 1960s. He said Cohen was second only to Bob Dylan (and maybe Paul Simon) in how much he influenced other musicians and critics. The Academy of American Poets said Cohen combined poetry, stories, and music in a special way. They pointed to a book called Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs, which showed how Cohen’s work blended different art forms. Bob Dylan, who admired Cohen, called him the "number one" songwriter of their time. Dylan said he thought of himself as "number zero." Dylan praised Cohen’s music, saying his melodies and lyrics were his greatest talent. He also said Cohen’s songs made people think and feel, and that Cohen’s early songs had a simple beauty that he still liked. Dylan compared Cohen to Irving Berlin, a famous musician who also heard melodies that others could not.

Cohen’s songs often talked about political and social issues, especially in his later work. In the song "Democracy," he wrote about the problems in the United States and the hope for change: "from the wars against disorder / from the sirens night and day / from the fires of the homeless / from the ashes of the gay / Democracy is coming to the USA." In another song, "Tower of Song," he wrote about how the rich have power over the poor and that a big change is coming. In "The Future," he talked about peace and warned about the dangers of war, abortion, drug use, and other issues. He also wrote in "Anthem" that he would speak out against people in power who do bad things.

Cohen had mixed feelings about war in his earlier songs and life. In 1974, he was asked about his serious performances and the military salutes he gave at the end of his concerts. He said he was serious because that was how he felt, and that he saw himself as a soldier, not a civilian.

Cohen was deeply affected by meeting Israeli and Arab soldiers, which inspired him to write the song "Lover Lover Lover." This song is seen as a personal choice to stop fighting and hopes it will help people feel safe. Later, he said he did not want to take sides in the Arab-Israeli conflict and preferred to focus on ideas he believed in.

In 1991, a musical revue called Sincerely, A Friend was created based on Cohen’s songs. His music also appears in songs by other artists, such as Nirvana, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Mercury Rev, and Marillion.

Cohen inspired a 2002 film called Looking for Leonard, which told the story of a group of criminals in Montreal who admired him. Another film, Death of a Ladies' Man (2020), used his songs to highlight themes in the story.

The song "So Long, Marianne" by Cohen was used in a TV show called This Is Us to help explain an important part of the story.

In 2022, a book called Who By Fire: War, Atonement, and the Resurrection of Leonard Cohen was published. It told the story of Cohen’s 1973 trip to the front lines of the Yom Kippur War. A TV series based on the book was planned for 2024.

Author Susan Cain said that calling Cohen the "Poet Laureate of Pessimism" misses the point. She believed Cohen showed how people can turn pain into art. She dedicated her book Bittersweet to Cohen, using lyrics from his song "Anthem."

A New York Times critic, A. O. Scott, said Cohen’s music did not offer comfort but instead helped people understand life’s problems. A documentary film called Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song (2022) showed that Cohen was not always seen as a happy person, but he had a sense of humor.

Suzanne Vega said that people who liked Cohen’s work felt like they were part of a special group.

Personal life

In September 1960, Leonard Cohen purchased a house on the Greek island of Hydra using $1,500 he inherited from his grandmother. He lived there with Marianne Ihlen, his romantic partner for most of the 1960s. The song "So Long, Marianne" was written about her. In 2016, Ihlen passed away from leukemia three months and nine days before Cohen. A farewell letter he wrote to her was read at her funeral. A version of the letter often shared by the media says, "… our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine." This version is based on a story told by a friend of Ihlen. The actual letter, which was an email obtained from Cohen’s estate, states:

"I'm just a little behind you, close enough to take your hand. This old body has given up, just as yours has too.

I've never forgotten your love and your beauty. But you know that. I don't have to say any more. Safe travels, old friend. See you down the road. Endless love and gratitude."

In the spring of 1968, Cohen had a short romantic relationship with musician Janis Joplin while staying at the Chelsea Hotel. The song "Janis" references this relationship. Cohen also had well-known relationships with Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and American actress Rebecca De Mornay.

In the 1970s, Cohen was in a relationship with artist Suzanne Elrod. She took the cover photo for the album Live Songs and appears on the cover of Death of a Ladies' Man. She inspired the "Dark Lady" in Cohen’s book Death of a Lady's Man (1978). However, the song "Suzanne" refers to Suzanne Verdal, the ex-wife of a friend, the Québécois sculptor Armand Vaillancourt. Cohen and Elrod separated in 1979. He later said that "cowardice" and "fear" stopped him from marrying her. Their relationship had two children: a son, Adam (born 1972), and a daughter, Lorca (born 1974), named after poet Federico García Lorca. Adam is a singer-songwriter and lead singer of the pop-rock band Low Millions. Lorca is a photographer. She directed the music video for Cohen’s song "Because Of" (2004) and worked as a photographer and videographer for his 2008–10 world tour. Cohen had three grandchildren: two grandsons and one granddaughter (whose father is musician Rufus Wainwright).

In the 1980s, Cohen was in a relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann. They worked together on several projects, including the music videos for "Dance Me to the End of Love" and "First We Take Manhattan." Her photographs were used for the covers of his 1993 book Stranger Music and his album More Best of Leonard Cohen, as well as the inside booklet of I'm Your Man (1988), which he dedicated to her. In 2010, she was the official photographer for his world tour.

In the 1990s, Cohen was romantically linked to actress Rebecca De Mornay. She co-produced his 1992 album The Future, which includes an inscription referencing a story from the Book of Genesis about Rebecca giving water to Eliezer’s camels. Eliezer is part of Cohen’s Hebrew name (Eliezer ben Nisan ha'Cohen), and he sometimes called himself "Eliezer Cohen" or "Jikan Eliezer."

Cohen was described in The New York Times as a Sabbath-observant Jew who kept the Sabbath even while on tour and performed for Israeli troops during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. He explained his interest in Zen Buddhism by saying that Zen does not involve prayer or belief in a deity, so it does not conflict with Jewish beliefs.

Around 1970, Cohen explored many different beliefs, including political views and spiritual practices. He later described this time as ranging "from the Communist party to the Republican Party" and "from Scientology to delusions of me as the High Priest rebuilding the Temple."

Cohen became interested in Buddhism in the 1970s and was ordained a Rinzai Buddhist monk in 1996. He continued to identify as Jewish, saying, "I'm not looking for a new religion. I'm quite happy with the old one, with Judaism." He was associated with Buddhist monk Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, visiting him at Mount Baldy Zen Center and serving as his assistant during his time at the monastery in the 1990s. Sasaki appears in Cohen’s poetry, especially in The Book of Longing, and participated in a 1997 documentary about Cohen’s time at the monastery. Cohen’s 2001 album Ten New Songs and 2014 album Popular Problems are dedicated to Sasaki.

Cohen also showed interest in the teachings of Ramesh Balsekar, who taught from the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

In a 1993 interview, Cohen said, "At our best, we inhabit a biblical landscape, and this is where we should situate ourselves without apology. […] That biblical landscape is our urgent invitation […] Otherwise, it's really not worth saving or manifesting or redeeming or anything, unless we really take up that invitation to walk into that biblical landscape."

Cohen expressed admiration for Jesus as a universal figure, saying, "I'm very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says 'Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek' has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness […] A man who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended. It is an inhuman generosity. A generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion." He added, "I'm not trying to alter the Jewish view of Jesus Christ. But to me, in spite of what I know about the history of legal Christianity, the figure of the man has touched me."

In a 2007 interview with BBC Radio 4, Cohen said, "My friend Brian Johnson said of me that I'd never met a religion I didn't like. That's why I've tried to correct that impression [that I was looking for another religion besides Judaism] because I very much feel part of that tradition and I practice that and my children practice it, so that was never in question. The investigations that I've done into other spiritual systems have certainly illuminated and enriched my understanding of my own tradition."

At a concert in Ramat Gan

Death and tributes

Leonard Cohen passed away in his home in Los Angeles on November 7, 2016, at the age of 82. Leukemia played a role in his death. His manager stated that he fell at his home that evening and later died in his sleep. His death was announced on November 10, the same day as his funeral, which took place in Montreal. As he requested, Cohen was buried with a Jewish ceremony in a simple pine casket in a family plot at the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim cemetery on Mount Royal.

Many celebrities and political leaders honored him after his death.

Cohen died the day before Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election against Hillary Clinton. On the following Saturday, Kate McKinnon performed a scene from Saturday Night Live in which she portrayed Clinton and sang "Hallelujah" at the piano.

In December 2016, Montreal held a tribute concert for Cohen titled "God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot," named after a poem from his novel Beautiful Losers. The event included musical performances and readings of his poetry.

Cohen’s son, Adam, requested a small memorial service in Los Angeles and a public one in Montreal. A private memorial for family and friends was held at the Ohr HaTorah Synagogue in Los Angeles in December 2016. On November 6, 2017, the Cohen family organized a memorial concert titled "Tower of Song" at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The event featured performances by artists such as k.d. lang, Elvis Costello, Feist, Adam Cohen, Patrick Watson, Sting, Damien Rice, Courtney Love, The Lumineers, and Lana Del Rey. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, also shared personal stories about Cohen’s music.

Two murals of Cohen were painted in Montreal during the summer of 2016. Artist Kevin Ledo created a nine-story portrait of him near his home on Plateau Mont-Royal. Montreal artist Gene Pendon and L.A. artist El Mec painted a 20-story image of Cohen wearing a fedora on Crescent Street.

An interactive exhibit about Leonard Cohen’s life and work opened on November 9, 2017, at Montreal’s contemporary art museum (MAC), titled "Leonard Cohen: Une Brèche en Toute Chose / A Crack in Everything." The exhibit ran until April 9, 2018, and was part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations. It later toured internationally, starting in New York City at the Jewish Museum in April 2019.

A bronze statue of Cohen was unveiled in Vilnius, Lithuania, on August 31, 2019.

In 2021, two species were named after Cohen. Loxosceles coheni, a type of spider from Iran, was described by scientists Alireza Zamani, Omid Mirshamsi, and Yuri M. Marusik. Cervellaea coheni, a type of weevil from South Africa, was described by scientists Massimo Meregalli and Roman Borovec.

A television series titled So Long, Marianne, produced by Norway’s NRK and Canada’s Crave, is based on Cohen’s relationship with Marianne Ihlen. The show stars Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Ihlen and Alex Wolff as Cohen.