Leonard Cohen has died. 1934-2016

The great Leonard Cohen has died.

In a year that has already seen the loss of towering figures like David Bowie and Prince, it is another body blow for music fans. Cohen has increasingly become regarded as one of the leading lights of contemporary music, with his songs, his wisdom and his quiet dignity representing in many ways the very best that the revolution of the 1960s produced.

Born in Westmount, Quebec, in Canada, on 21 September 1934, Leonard Cohen was aged 82. The iconic Canadian songwriter, artist and poet had just released his latest album, You Want It Darker, which shot to No 1 in Ireland upon its release.
A big fan of the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, he had an almost spiritual connection with Ireland, having played here on many occasions over the last number of years, including some truly magical evenings at Lisadell House in Sligo, The 3Arena (The O2 at the time) and The Irish Museum of Modern Art @ The Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.
Long one of music's most intriguing performers, his career had many arcs. Having had initial success, with his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, from which the tracks 'Suzanne' and 'So Long, Marianne' ascended to cult status, Cohen was never driven by the idea of being a big star. While never lacking artistic merit, Cohen's career at first failed to sustain it's early commercial momentum and when his most famous song 'Hallelujah' was released as a single from the album Various Positions (which wasn't even released in the US by CBS Records) in 1984, it was heard by a relatively select audience.
However, the 1988 album I'm Your Man saw Cohen undergo a metamorphosis into a truly modern performer, a transformation which proved the catalyst for the second and third phases of his career.
Recognised critically, and greeted by increasing commercial success, his influence upon other artists was subsequently highlighted by the 1991 tribute album I'm Your Fan, which saw the likes of REM, Pixies, Nick Cave and Lloyd Cole as well as Ireland's Fatima Mansions and That Petrol Emotion contribute by covering some of Cohen's then best known and most iconic songs. The album closed with John Cale covering 'Hallelujah' – and it was this interpretation which led to the song attaining the status of modern classic – and Cohen becoming a widely celebrated artist rather than a cult hero.
His upward trajectory continued as he released The Future – an album which seems as apt for today as it was for Los Angeles' fractured society of the early 1990s. But having arrived at his most celebrated moment, Cohen retreated from public life, becoming a Buddhist Monk at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center in California.
Cohen remained part of the monastery till 1999, when he started to work on new material. Having released two albums, Ten New Songs and Dear Heather, Cohen's world was turned upside down, when it was discovered that his manager had defrauded him of around $9 million, reportedly leaving him with less the $150,000. Cohen's loss, was most certainly the world's gain, as his financial situation may well inspired him to plan his first world tour since 1993.
Cohen's performances from 2008-2013 were legendary. Marathon 3 hour sets and packed houses were par for the course, as he became one of music's most acclaimed artists.
While the tours ended, the creativity didn't. The aforementioned, You Want It Darker was his 14th album. It was released on the 21st October, 2016 and it may in the long run be considered his best ever.
We will bring you more news as it emerges during the day, but for now it is a desperately sad moment when we are faced with the line that no one wanted to have to utter.
So long Leonard. It feels like we won’t be laughing again for a long time to come.