Leonard Cohen

Canadian novelist and songwriter-folksinger who became a Buddhist monk, shaving his head and living part-time in a monastery on Mount Baldy, outside of Los Angeles, California. Cohen's enigmatic song and "Hallelujah," first released on his studio album "Various Positions" in 1984, became a cult classic recorded by hundreds of artists. Cohen separated from his wife, Painter Suzanne Elrod, in the mid-'70s. Though he spoke for years of his interest in Zen, it was still a surprise to the establishment when the highly successful songwriter and poet left his finely tailored suits for modest robes, and Hollywood mansions for a small cabin with a narrow cot. The pop icon, whose classic takes include "Bird on a Wire" and "Suzanne," did the cooking for the small community. Raised by a well-to-do couple in Montreal, Leonard grew up in a house filled with music. As he grew older, he enjoyed a wide range of musical styles from commercial country and folk to synagogue music. During his teens, he had his first stint with a country group, "The Buckskin Boys." As a student at McGill, he gravitated toward poetry and prose, eventually gaining acclaim in Canada for his poems and two novels. The books did not sell well, so for income, Cohen returned to songwriting. Judy Collins soon bought his "Suzanne" for her 1966 album, "In My Life." His creaky baritone was distinctive enough that he was signed to a record contract himself by Columbia with a debut album in 1968, "Songs of Leonard Cohen." Sales were modest but critics hailed the collection. During a period of deep depression in the '70s, Cohen began to embrace Zen. Turning to a friend who had an aura of calm, he was introduced by the friend to an old Zen teacher. He found the spiritual training rigorous. For a time, he worked in both worlds, the commercial world of music and the spiritual world of striving, until he finally yielded completely and moved to the Zen Center. Cohen stopped recording in 1992 and touring in 1993 when he moved up the mountain. With enough time, he worked on an illustrated book of poems and songs for a future album. His workroom contained an old computer and a synthesizer, tools for his music and his graphic art. He rose at 3:00 AM for morning meditation and to begin preparing the day's menu. His graceful, confessional songs have been described as "elegant, bittersweet mood music for the dark nights of the soul." A tribute album was released by A&M Records on 26 September 1995, "Tower of Song." For his worldly involvement, Cohen headed down the mountain to visit his daughter, Lorca (born 1974), in the Wilshire district or his son, Adam (born 1972), who began making his own mark in the music field in 1998 at the age of 25. On 28 July 1998, Adam released his debut album, "Adam Cohen," to critical applause. In the 1990s, Leonard Cohen was romantically linked to actress Rebecca De Mornay. In addition to his two children, Cohen has two grandchildren; grandson Cassius through his son Adam and granddaughter Viva (born 2 February 2011 in Los Angeles) through Lorca. Viva's biological father is the gay singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. 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 latter of which was released three weeks before his death. Cohen died on 7 November 2016 at the age of 82 at his home in Los Angeles. His death was not announced until 10 November. Link to Wikipedia biography