Videos by American Songwriter
Leonard Cohen has died at age 82. The news was confirmed on the artist’s Facebook page Thursday night.
“It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away,” the statement read. “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.”
Earlier this year, Cohen released the album You Want It Darker, which was produced by his son, Adam Cohen.
Cohen, a native of Montreal, Canada, is regarded as a master of the form by critics and artists alike, and his fans are legion. He first sprang to attention in 1967 with the release of Songs From Leonard Cohen, which featured the songs “Suzanne” and “So Long, Marianne.”
“There are always meaningful songs for somebody,” Cohen told Paul Zollo in 1992. “People are doing their courting, people are finding their wives, people are making babies, people are washing their dishes, people are getting through the day, with songs that we may find insignificant. But their significance is affirmed by others. There’s always someone affirming the significance of a song by taking a woman into his arms or by getting through the night. That’s what dignifies the song.”
Cohen’s song “Hallelujah,” featured on his 1984 album Various Positions, is a classic the world over and has been covered by hundreds of artists.
