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Leonard Cohen, a Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist, transitioned to music in 1967 and achieved success with his folk song “Suzanne.” He released several albums and retired to a Buddhist monastery in 1994 before returning to music. He faced legal issues with his former manager and was the subject of a documentary film in 2006.
Leonard Cohen is a singer, songwriter, poet and novelist originally from the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was born in 1934 and wrote several books of poetry and fiction in the 1960s; his novels, such as Beautiful Losers, followed somewhat in the stream-of-consciousness tradition of Beatnik writers like Jack Kerouac. However, Leonard Cohen transitioned into music in 1967 and is best known today for his songs about him.
When Leonard Cohen moved to the United States in 1967, he began pursuing a career as a musician. He achieved success as a songwriter when his folk song, “Suzanne,” was covered by Judy Collins. However, Leonard Cohen soon signed a record deal with Columbia Records’ John Hammond, who was also responsible for signing Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Cohen’s first album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, released in 1967, was a dark folk album with lyrics that reflected his skills as a poet. The album was not a commercial success, but critics praised it and he became a cult figure in the United States and Europe.
During the 1970s, Leonard Cohen wrote and recorded many albums. Although he never achieved a high level of commercial success, he has built a strong and steady following over the years, and has toured extensively in Europe and the United States. Leonard Cohen released very little music in the 1980s and 1990s, but several songs from his 1992 album, The Future, were used on the soundtrack to the film Natural Born Killers, exposing his music to a younger audience.
In 1994, Leonard Cohen retired to a Buddhist monastery, where he lived for five years without external communication. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk but eventually left the monastery in 1999 to return to his music.
Since then, Leonard Cohen has released two albums: 2001’s Ten New Songs and the jazz-influenced Dear Heather, released in 2004. Leonard Cohen has also faced ongoing legal issues in recent years; He claimed that, during his time at the monastery, his former manager, Kelley Lynch, stole more than $5 million US dollars (USD) from his retirement fund, along with the publishing rights to his songs. Leonard Cohen won a civil suit against Lynch and was awarded $9 million in court; however, Lynch refused to pay, so Cohen may never collect the money.
In 2006, a documentary film called Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man was released. The film deals with the life and works of Leonard Cohen and his influence on other musicians. The film focuses on a Leonard Cohen tribute show in Sydney Australia, with artists such as Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright and U2 playing Cohen’s songs.
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