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Top 10 Facts about Leonard Cohen

The singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen in Venice. Photo by: Gorupdebesanez.

Leonard Norman Cohen was a Canadian singer, songwriter, poet and novelist. He was born on 21st September 1934 into an Orthodox Jewish family in Westmount, Quebec, Canada.

His mother was a Lithuanian named Marsha Klonitsky who emigrated to Canada in 1927. The father Cohen was known as Bernard Nathan Cohen, a clothing store owner who passed away in 1944.

The paternal grandfather of Leonard Cohen had also migrated to Canada. He was the Canadian Jewish Congress founding president Lyon Cohen.

Leonard was given the Jewish name Eliezer which meant God helps. The work of Leonard Cohen is based on religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death and romantic relationships.

Leonard Cohen had major achievements including induction to the Canadian Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also given the nation鈥檚 highest civilian honour of Order of Canada among many others.

Below are the ten facts about Leonard Norman Cohen, hope you鈥檒l enjoy them:

1. Leonard鈥檚 Paternal Grandfather was a Founding President

Leonard Cohen was from a Canadian Jewish family who had emigrated to Canada. His parents and grandparents had relocated from their hometown to settle in Canada.

The paternal grandfather of Leonard Cohen was a great and renowned person in the Canadian Jewish Congress. Lyon Cohen, the grandfather of Leonard was the founding president of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

2. Father of Leonard Passed Away when He was Young

The mother of Leonard Cohen was a Lithuanian, the daughter of Talmudic writer and rabbi Solomon Kline. His father, Nathan Bernard Cohen, was of Canadian Jewish descent and had also emigrated to Canada.

Nathan Bernard Cohen was a clothing store owner who was born in 1891 and passed away in 1944. By the time of the death of Nathan Bernard Cohen, Leonard was nine years old.

3. Cohen Attended Several Schools where his Interest Grew

Leonard Cohen did not study at one school as he grew up.

He attended Roslyn Elementary school from the lower level. He later on transferred to Herzliah High school where he completed grades 7 through 9.

This is where he met and was taught by his literary mentor Irving Layton. Cohen, later on, transferred to Westmount High school in 1948 where he studied music and poetry.

His interest specifically grew in the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca. Cohen also involved himself beyond Westmount鈥檚 curriculum in photography, yearbook stand, cheerleading, arts and club events, as well as severed as president of the Students鈥� Council.

At Westmount, Cohen taught himself on playing acoustic guitar. He was later switched to classical guitar after some lessons from a young Spanish guitar player.

4. Cohen Became a President of a Union in University

After completing High school, Leonard Cohen enrolled at University. In 1951, he enrolled at McGill University to further his studies.

During this period in university, Leonard Cohen became the president of the McGill Debating Union. He won the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition for some of his poems.

Leonard Cohen, later on, graduated from McGill University with a degree in business administration the following year.

5. Cohen used Funds from his Father’s Will to Pursue his Career

Sharon Robinson on stage with Leonard Cohen, Edinburgh Castle, 16 July 2008. Courtesy: Egghead06.

Leonard Cohen graduated with his B.A degree and stayed at McGill for another year in another faculty. He returned to Montreal where he was not employed immediately, rather he did several odd jobs.

His ambitions in literature required more funds for him to pursue and become successful. This was enabled through his father鈥檚 will provided with a modest trust income which boosted him.

The Spice-Box of Earth was successful in aiding for expansion of his audience. This also helped him reach out to poetry scenes in Canada and out of McGill University.

6. Cohen鈥檚 Music Career Started Blooming in the US

Leonard Cohen – King’s Garden, Odense, Denmark, 17 August 2013. Courtesy: Takahiro Kyono.

Leonard Cohen鈥檚 writing career was not a success in the initial stages.

In 1967, Cohen decided to move to the United States where he pursued his career as a folk music singer and songwriter. There were speculations that Cohen was listening to Nico in clubs and got his musical style from him.

7. Cohen Bought a House with Grandmother鈥檚 Inherited Money

In September 1960, Cohen Leonard made a huge decision of settling down. He bought a house on the Greek Island of Hydra with some $1,500 he had inherited from his grandmother.

At his new home, Cohen decided to live with Marianne Ihlen. The two were in a relationship for a major part of the 1960s.

The two were together for a greater part of their lives. Marianne Ihlen passed on in 2016 due to leukaemia which made Cohen write a letter to and about her.

8. Cohen was in Four Different Relationships which never Lasted

File:Leonard Cohen, 1988 02.

In 1960, Cohen Leonard was in a relationship and settled with Marianne Ihlen. However, his first relationship never lasted and they got no children.

In 1968, Cohen was also in a brief relationship with musician Janis Joplin that never lasted too. Cohen moved on and had a relationship with Suzanne Elrod who was an artist in the 1970s.

The two had children, Adam and Lorca who are both prominent personalities. Cohen separated from Suzanne in 1978 terming his separation as cowardice and fear from him of not marrying her.

In the 1980s, Cohen was in a relationship with French photographer Dominique Issermann. The two worked on several occasions with some of their work being well acknowledged, but they parted ways.

In the 1990s, Cohen got a romantic link with actress Rebecca De Mornay. The two were deeply in love and worked together. Unluckily, they never settled together.

9. Cohen was Multi-Religious

Leonard Cohen.

Cohen Leonard was from a Jewish family and grew up in their religion. However, his religious beliefs were not that much clear.

At one point in the 1970s, there were claims that he was a Sabbath keeper even when he was on his tours. Later that year, it was also revealed that he was involved in Buddhism and was ordained as a priest.

Cohen came out and revealed that he is still Jewish. 鈥淚鈥檓 not looking for a new religion. I鈥檓 quite happy with the old one, Judaism.鈥�

10. Cohen made Final Wish before Dying of Leukaemia 

Grave of Leonard Cohen in the cemetery of the Jewish Congregation Shaar Hashomayim.

Leonard enjoyed a good and healthy life until he was later on diagnosed with leukaemia. On 7th November 2016, Cohen Leonard Passed on at his home in Los Angeles.
His manager revealed that the death resulted from a fall he had had earlier on. He subsequently died while he was in his sleep.

Cohen鈥檚 death was announced on 10th November the day he was also buried. His wish was to be laid to rest with Jewish rite in a simple pine casket in his family鈥檚 plot, in Congregation Shaar Hashomayim cemetery.

The legacies of Cohen Leonard Norman will still be remembered because of the Goodwill he spread to people across the world.