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Cohen Leonard 1934 - 2016 (82)

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.”


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Leonard Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian writer, poet, composer, and singer. He was born in Montreal. His father was a wealthy fabric merchant who died in 1940, an event that deeply affected the then six-year-old Leonard. During his teenage years, he learned to play the guitar and played in various country music bands. Later, while attending university, he published his first poems and became well-known in Canadian literary circles. After his studies, he traveled to Europe and went to London. One day, disheartened by the rain and cloudiness and while casually discussing the weather in Greece with a Greek bank employee, he spontaneously decided to go to Greece.

He found himself on Hydra, and in another impulsive move, he bought an old house using the inheritance he received from his grandmother. Cohen discovered the Greek way of life and spent his most creative years on Hydra, shaping his character and artistic personality. He wrote the novel "Beautiful Losers" which brought him global success as a writer in 1966. The following year, he moved to the USA to devote himself to music. He soon gained worldwide recognition with the song "Suzanne" and the album "Songs of Leonard Cohen". Many other albums and major successes around the world followed. In 1994, he decided to become a Buddhist. In 1999, he left the monastic life to release two more albums. In 2005, his manager deceived him by stealing most of his money. Cohen never married, but he had many relationships and was the father of two children. In 2010, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his entire contribution. He died in Los Angeles on November 7, 2016, in his sleep.