Profile of the Day: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

Today we remember legendary Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, who passed away at the age of 82.

Leonard Norman Cohen was born on September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec to a middle-class Jewish family. His mother, Masha Klonitsky, was the daughter of a Talmudic writer and was of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. His father, Nathan Cohen, owned a clothing store and died when Cohen was just 9 years old. Growing up, he was encouraged by his family to pursue his interests in poetry and music.

With a career that spanned over five decades, Cohen touched many areas of the arts as a songwriter, poet and novelist. In 1984, Cohen released one of his most beloved songs, “Hallelujah.” Although it only had limited success when it was first released, the song later found great popularity as more and more artists covered the song. Today, “Hallelujah” has been recorded by hundreds of artists in various arrangements and languages around the world.

In 2008, Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He will be remembered as one of the greatest songwriters in music history.

RIP Leonard Cohen.
 

View Leonard Cohen’s Geni Profile

Image: Roland Godefroy, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)