Who was Leonard Cohen?

Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, and poet, known for his emotionally powerful work. Cohen's career began in the 1950s when he published his first book of poems. By the mid-1960s, he became interested in the Greenwich Village folk scene and began setting his poems to music. His first album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen , was released in 1967 and included the song "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." Other well-known songs include "Bird on a Wire" and "Hallelujah." Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

What kind of music is Leonard Cohen known for?

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his distinctive voice in 1970s pop music. His songs often carried an existential bite. He initially gained recognition as a poet and novelist before venturing into music in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the mid-1960s. Cohen's music, characterized by his baritone voice and deadpan delivery, achieved critical and commercial success, although some critics didn't appreciate it. His work often explored themes of spirituality, love, and loss, and he is renowned for songs such as "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne." In his later years, Cohen received several honors, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 2010.

What are some famous songs written by Leonard Cohen?

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his profound and poignant music. Some of his famous songs include "Suzanne," a track first recorded by Judy Collins in 1967, as well as "Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye," both of which appeared on his debut album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen . Other well-known songs include "Bird on a Wire," "Famous Blue Raincoat," "Chelsea Hotel No. 2," "First We Take Manhattan," "Everybody Knows," and "Hallelujah." "Hallelujah" gained widespread popularity after Jeff Buckley covered it in 1994 and has since been performed by many artists and featured in TV shows and films.

Besides music, what else did Leonard Cohen create?

Leonard Cohen was a multifaceted artist recognized not only for his music but also for his work as a poet and novelist . Before his career as a singer-songwriter, Cohen had already published his first book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies , in 1956. His literary talent combined with his musical ability, establishing him as a distinctive voice in 1970s pop music.

How did Leonard Cohen's poetry influence his songwriting?

Leonard Cohen's established background as a poet and novelist significantly shaped his songwriting. His first book of poems was published in 1956, which demonstrates his early commitment to poetry. Cohen's poetry was the foundation for his music. In the mid-1960s, he set his poems to music, which led to Judy Collins recording two of his songs in 1967 and Cohen's debut performance at the Newport Folk Festival. His lyrics maintained an "existential bite," marking him as a distinctive voice in 1970s pop music.

What impact did Leonard Cohen have on music and literature?

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, and poet, whose work had a significant impact on both music and literature. His career began with his 1956 book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies , and he later became known for his emotionally powerful songwriting, which often explored themes of spirituality, love, and loss. Cohen's distinctive voice and lyrical style influenced many musicians, and his songs have been covered by hundreds of artists. He enjoyed critical and commercial success, though some did not care for Cohen’s baritone voice and deadpan delivery. Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 2010.

Leonard Cohen

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Leonard Cohen sits on a railroad track wearing a dark beret and brown leather jacket.

Leonard Cohen performs on stage with an acoustic guitar and a microphone at the Fete de l'Humanite festival in France, 1974.

Quick Facts

In full:: Leonard Norman Cohen

Born:: September 21, 1934, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Died:: November 7, 2016, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (aged 82)

Awards And Honors:: Grammy Award (2018); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (2008); Grammy Award (2007)

Notable Works:: “Death of a Ladies’ Man”; “Famous Blue Raincoat”; “I’m Your Man”; “Live in London”; “Old Ideas”; “You Want It Darker”

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Leonard Cohen

Canadian musician and author

Also known as: Leonard Norman Cohen

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

News •

Revolution Orchestra to perform music by Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, and from ‘Psycho’ • Nov. 9, 2026, 1:02 PM ET (Jerusalem Post)

Leonard Cohen lives on as his son and grandson mark 10 years since singer's death • Nov. 3, 2026, 6:41 AM ET (CTV News)

Ten years after his death, Leonard Cohen is feted with dance, song and readings • Oct. 23, 2026, 6:00 AM ET (Globe and Mail)

Top Questions

Who was Leonard Cohen?
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, and poet, known for his emotionally powerful work. Cohen's career began in the 1950s when he published his first book of poems. By the mid-1960s, he became interested in the Greenwich Village folk scene and began setting his poems to music. His first album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, was released in 1967 and included the song "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." Other well-known songs include "Bird on a Wire" and "Hallelujah." Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
1 Britannica Source
1. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kind of music is Leonard Cohen known for?
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his distinctive voice in 1970s pop music. His songs often carried an existential bite. He initially gained recognition as a poet and novelist before venturing into music in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the mid-1960s.

Cohen's music, characterized by his baritone voice and deadpan delivery, achieved critical and commercial success, although some critics didn't appreciate it. His work often explored themes of spirituality, love, and loss, and he is renowned for songs such as "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne." In his later years, Cohen received several honors, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 2010.
1 Britannica Source
1. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some famous songs written by Leonard Cohen?
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his profound and poignant music. Some of his famous songs include "Suzanne," a track first recorded by Judy Collins in 1967, as well as "Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye," both of which appeared on his debut album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Other well-known songs include "Bird on a Wire," "Famous Blue Raincoat," "Chelsea Hotel No. 2," "First We Take Manhattan," "Everybody Knows," and "Hallelujah." "Hallelujah" gained widespread popularity after Jeff Buckley covered it in 1994 and has since been performed by many artists and featured in TV shows and films.
1 Britannica Source
1. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Besides music, what else did Leonard Cohen create?
Leonard Cohen was a multifaceted artist recognized not only for his music but also for his work as a poet and novelist. Before his career as a singer-songwriter, Cohen had already published his first book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956. His literary talent combined with his musical ability, establishing him as a distinctive voice in 1970s pop music.
1 Britannica Source
1. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Leonard Cohen's poetry influence his songwriting?
Leonard Cohen's established background as a poet and novelist significantly shaped his songwriting. His first book of poems was published in 1956, which demonstrates his early commitment to poetry. Cohen's poetry was the foundation for his music. In the mid-1960s, he set his poems to music, which led to Judy Collins recording two of his songs in 1967 and Cohen's debut performance at the Newport Folk Festival. His lyrics maintained an "existential bite," marking him as a distinctive voice in 1970s pop music.
1 Britannica Source
1. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What impact did Leonard Cohen have on music and literature?
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, and poet, whose work had a significant impact on both music and literature. His career began with his 1956 book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, and he later became known for his emotionally powerful songwriting, which often explored themes of spirituality, love, and loss.

Cohen's distinctive voice and lyrical style influenced many musicians, and his songs have been covered by hundreds of artists. He enjoyed critical and commercial success, though some did not care for Cohen’s baritone voice and deadpan delivery. Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 2010.
2 Britannica Sources
1. list of songwriters: Canadian
2. Leonard Cohen
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Leonard Cohen (born September 21, 1934, Montreal, Quebec, Canada—died November 7, 2016, Los Angeles, California, U.S.) was a Canadian singer-songwriter whose spare songs carried an existential bite and established him as one of the most distinctive voices of 1970s pop music.

Already established as a poet and novelist (his first book of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, was published in 1956), Cohen became interested in the Greenwich Village folk scene while living in New York City during the mid-1960s, and he began setting his poems to music. In 1967 Judy Collins recorded two of his songs, “Suzanne” and “Dress Rehearsal Rag,” and that same year Cohen began performing in public, including an appearance at the Newport (Rhode Island) Folk Festival. By the end of the year, he had recorded The Songs of Leonard Cohen, which included the melancholy “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.” That album was followed by Songs from a Room (1969), featuring the now often-covered “Bird on a Wire,” and Songs of Love and Hate (1971), containing “Famous Blue Raincoat,” a ballad in the form of a letter from a cuckold to his wife’s lover.

Though some did not care for Cohen’s baritone voice and deadpan delivery, he mostly enjoyed critical and commercial success. Leonard Cohen: Live Songs (1973) and New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974), which included “Chelsea Hotel No. 2,” a frank recollection of a brief sexual encounter with Janis Joplin, further deepened Cohen’s standing as a songwriter of exceptional emotional power. His career then took a decided turn for the worse with the disappointing Death of a Ladies’ Man (1977), a collaboration with legendary producer Phil Spector, whose grandiose style was ill suited to Cohen’s understated songs. For most of the 1980s Cohen was out of favour, but his 1988 album, I’m Your Man, included the club hits “First We Take Manhattan” and “Everybody Knows” and introduced his songwriting to a new generation. In addition, Various Positions (1984) included what became Cohen’s best-known song, “Hallelujah.” Although it did not initially receive much attention, the single gained widespread popularity when covered by Jeff Buckley in 1994. The ballad was later performed or recorded by hundreds of artists and featured in soundtracks of TV shows and films.

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After releasing The Future (1992), he retired to a Buddhist monastery outside Los Angeles. He emerged in 1999 and returned to the studio, producing Ten New Songs (2001) and Dear Heather (2004). The critically acclaimed documentary Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man (2005) blended interview and archival footage with performances of Cohen’s songs by a variety of musicians.

In 2005 Cohen discovered that his business manager had embezzled some $5 million from his savings, virtually wiping out his retirement fund. While he won a $7.9 million judgment against her the following year, Cohen was unable to recover the money, and he embarked on a concert tour—his first in 15 years—in 2008 to rebuild his finances. One performance from that tour was recorded for the album Live in London (2009), a two-disc set which proved that at age 73 Cohen was as vibrant and vital as ever. The aptly titled Old Ideas (2012) was a bluesy exploration of familiar Cohen themes—spirituality, love, and loss—that eschewed the synthesized melodies of much of Cohen’s post-1980s material in favour of the folk sound of his earliest work. Released just weeks before his death, Cohen’s 14th studio album, You Want It Darker (2016), was received by critics as a late-period masterpiece. For the title track, he posthumously received a Grammy Award for best rock performance. In 2008 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2010 he was honoured with a Grammy for lifetime achievement.

The documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019) explores his relationship with Marianne Ihlen, who was considered his muse in the 1960s.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Leonard Cohen

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