Iconic Singer Songwriter Leonard Cohen Dead At Age 82

Leonard Cohen, the hugely influential singer and songwriter, has died at the age of 82. Cohen’s work as a musician spanned five decades. Considered one of the most talented songwriter/poets who emerged in the Sixties, Cohen wrote many indelible songs such as “Suzanne,” “Sisters of Mercy” and “Bird on a Wire”. He also wrote later masterpieces such “Everybody Knows,” “I’m Your Man” and “The Future”.

Cohen’s music label, Sony Music Canada, confirmed his death on the singer’s Facebook page. “It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away,” the statement read. “We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries. A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. The family requests privacy during their time of grief.” A cause of death and exact date of death was not given.

“My songs are life and the facts of each day, and I am my songs,” Cohen declared in a 1974 interview about his relationship to his music and to life.

Many of his songs were about love and the nature of love. He once said, “I feel that love never dies, and that when there is an emotion strong enough to gather a song around it, that there is something about that emotion that is indestructible.”

“Unmatched in his creativity, insight and crippling candor, Leonard Cohen was a true visionary whose voice will be sorely missed,” his manager Robert Kory wrote in a statement. “I was blessed to call him a friend, and for me to serve that bold artistic spirit firsthand, was a privilege and great gift. He leaves behind a legacy of work that will bring insight, inspiration and healing for generations to come.”

Here he is performing one of his most famous songs, “Hallelujah”.

And here, “Dance Me to the End of Love”.

Rest in Peace, Leonard Cohen.