Leonard Cohen

The Canadian poet, novelist and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, born in Montreal, wrote poetry and fiction through the 1950s and early 1960s, publishing Let Us Compare Mythologies and the novel Beautiful Losers, before starting his music career in 1966. Columbia Records signed him after John Hammond saw him at folk festivals, and Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) was followed by Songs from a Room, Songs of Love and Hate and New Skin for the Old Ceremony. Hallelujah appeared on Various Positions (1984), while later records included I'm Your Man, The Future and Ten New Songs. He released Old Ideas, Popular Problems and You Want It Darker in his final years, and Thanks for the Dance came out after his death. The 2022 documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song took his best known song as its subject, and his honors included induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.