| B i o g r a p h y |
Leonard Norman Cohen,
CC, GOQ (born 21 September 1934) is a Canadian singer-songwriter,
musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in
Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores
religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships. Famously
reclusive, having once spent several years in a Zen Buddhist monastery,
and possessing a persona frequently associated with mystique, he is
extremely well regarded by critics for his literary accomplishments, for
the richness of his lyrics, and for producing an output of work of high
artistic quality over a five-decade career.
Musically, Cohen's earliest songs (many of which appeared on the 1967 album, Songs of Leonard Cohen) were rooted in European folk music. In the 1970s, his material encompassed pop, cabaret and world music. Since the 1980s, his high baritone voice has dipped into lower registers (bass baritone and bass), with accompaniment from a wide variety of instruments and female backup singers.
Over 2,000 renditions of Cohen's songs have been recorded. Cohen has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. While giving the speech at Cohen's induction into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2008, Lou Reed described Cohen as belonging to the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."
From May 2008 to December 2010, Cohen was on the major comeback world tour, the biggest in his musical career, giving 246 shows in Europe, Australia, Canada, Israel and United States. The highly successful tour was followed with two live albums, Live in London and Songs from the Road in both audio and DVD versions, and with many reissues, unauthorised releases of album compilations, DVDs, biographies and books reprints, and as well many international translations of his books and international awards and nominations (such as Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Meteor Music Awards in Ireland, Porin Award in Croatia, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Polaris Music Prize, and Mojo Honours Lists). In 2011 he received the Glenn Gould Prize and Spain's Prince of Asturias award.
In August 2011 Cohen finished his new studio album, titled Old Ideas, which is set for January 31, 2012 release.