Photo: Rama / CC BY-SA 2.0 fr (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Leonard Cohen is the rare songwriter I would recommend to people who claim they don't like music. He came to songwriting as a published poet and novelist from Montreal, and it shows: every line feels carved rather than written. Hallelujah has been covered so often it's practically public property, yet his own gravelly delivery still hits hardest for me — less a song than a prayer with jokes hidden inside. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and hall-of-fame honors only confirm what late-night listeners already knew. Since his passing in 2016, I keep returning to his albums on rainy evenings, and they never wear thin.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leonard Cohen
- Name (Japanese)
- レナード・コーエン
- Reading
- れなーど・こーえん
- Born
- September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dog
- Origin
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Height
- 2 cm
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter / poet / street artist / novelist / writer
2. Background
- High school
- Westmount High School
- University
- McGill University
Awards & achievements
- 2003 Companion of the Order of Canada
- 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame
- 2011 Glenn Gould Prize
- 1968 Governor General's Literary Awards
- 2008 Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec
- 1993 Governor General's Performing Arts Award
- 2011 Princess of Asturias Literary Prize
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Songs from a Room | — | |
| Notable work | Various Positions | — | |
| Notable work | Old Ideas | — | |
| Notable work | The Future | — | |
| Notable work | Hallelujah | — | |
| Notable work | The Favourite Game | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Leonard Cohen born?
September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016.
Where is Leonard Cohen from?
Leonard Cohen is from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
What does Leonard Cohen do?
Leonard Cohen works as singer-songwriter, poet, street artist, novelist, writer.
How tall is Leonard Cohen?
Leonard Cohen is 2 cm.
What is Leonard Cohen known for?
Notable works include Songs from a Room, Various Positions, Old Ideas.
Singer-songwriter — see all → · Poet — see all → · More people from Canada →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.