Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen (21 September 1934 – 7 November 2016) was a Canadian poet, singer-songwriter, and novelist. He earned the highest accolades in his craft, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Order of Canada, and even received a Princess of Asturias Award for literature. He’s written two novels and volumes of poetry and didn’t even record his first album until he was in his 30’s. He has always had a cult following, but really broke into the mainstream with his hit “Hallelujah,” a song that’s been recorded in many languages by almost 200 hundred different artists! In 1994 he took a five year hiatus from art and sequestered himself in a Los Angeles monastery. Manager and close family friend Kelley Lynch had mismanaged his assets, drained his accounts, and squandered millions of dollars. Though he was awarded $9 million dollars in damages, Kelley Lynch ignored the subpoena and he never received the sum. In 2012 she was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating a protective order that forbade her to contact him. His music has been featured in dozens of films and television shows.