Songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen's death was made public last Friday, but little details were revealed in the initial statements. His manager now says he died in his sleep after a fall.
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So long, Leonard Cohen!
"I'm ready to die," said Leonard Cohen in his last interview. Now the legendary singer-songwriter has passed away at the age of 82.
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The text is of primary importance
Although Leonard Cohen learned to play guitar - allegedly to impress a girl - he experienced his artistic breakthrough as a writer. His famous books are "Beautiful Losers" and the volume of poems "Flowers for Hitler."
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Passion for traveling
Cohen liked to travel. He met and grew to love Marianne Ihlen on the Greek island of Hydra. He processed the relationship to this Norwegian woman in many songs - the famous one is "So long, Marianne" from 1969.
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Leonard and Marianne
It seemed that Marianne Ihlen (left in the picture) and Leonard Cohen (second from left) enjoyed their time together on the Greek island of Hydra. After their separation, they followed different paths. But shortly before her death in July 2016, he sent a letter to her saying, "And you know that I've always loved you for your beauty and your wisdom."
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Lover und singer
His career as a folk singer began in the 60s in New York: He had contact to Janis Joplin, who also lived in the renowned artists' accommodation "Chelsea Hotel," and to Joni Mitchell. The success came quickly: His records were sold outstandingly in Europe.
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The gentle, melancholic man
"Suzanne," "Sisters of Mercy," "Famous blue raincoat" and "Hallelujah." As soon as the first sounds are heard, it's clear: it's a Leonard Cohen song. It is the sonorous, melancholic voice that makes him distinctive, regardless whether his voice was accompanied by a guitar or by an orchestra.
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Zen monastery retreat and comeback
In the 90s, Leonard Cohen withdrew to a zen center and became a monk. But he came back to the stage due to financial problems - his manager had embezzled almost all of his fortune, worth millions at the time.
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In the hall of fame
In 2008, he was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He performed again around the world. From Australia across Europe to the United States, fans young and old wanted to see him perform live.
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Concerts and tributes
There were also a number of tributes: In 2011, he received the renowned Princess of Asturias Award. He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Bob Dylan once said he saw nobody who could come close to Cohen.
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So long, Leonard!
Last month Cohen's last album came out. "You want it darker" is about life and death. the lines "I am leaving the table - I am out of the game," and "I am ready, my lord" are among the lyrics on the album. On November 7, Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82 in Los Angeles.
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The legendary singer and songwriter behind "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne" died on November 7 at the age of 82. The news of his death was made public three days later, without precise details on the cause of death.
His manager Robert Kory has since published a statement on the Cohencentric website, where he explains that Cohen died in his sleep after a fall in his Los Angeles home in the middle of the night.
"The death was sudden, unexpected, and peaceful," Kory said.
According to another statement issued by his son Adam, he was buried in his Canadian hometown, Montreal. "With only immediate family and a few lifelong friends present, he was lowered into the ground in an unadorned pine box, next to his mother and father," Adam Cohen wrote on Facebook.
Cohen's representatives are now planning a public memorial in Los Angeles.
