Leonard Cohen

Canadian musician and poet Leonard Cohen practically created his own genre, so different is he from other musicians. His mix of folk and rock is compared most often to Bob Dylan’s music, and he has had tremendous influence on contemporary singers and songwriters. Born in 1934 in Montreal, Cohen was drawn to Montreal’s bohemian artist community as a teenager. As a student at McGill University, Cohen developed his talent for poetry, publishing a volume called Let Us Compare Mythologies in 1956. Cohen’s literary career has been as prolific as his recording career, with over a dozen volumes of poetry and two novels. In the late 60s, Cohen moved to New York to pursue his musical career and became part of Andy Warhol’s “Factory” crowd, during which time he penned songs for others, most notably “Suzanne” for folk singer Judy Collins. In 1967, Columbia Records released Cohen's first album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, which featured his own version of “Suzanne.” His dozen studio albums include cult favorites Songs from a Room (1969) and I’m Your Man (1988). His most famous single, “Hallelujah,” (1984) has been covered by many singers but most famously by Jeff Buckley, whose version appears in countless movies and TV shows. Cohen was the topic of the 2006 documentary Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man.