Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter, has passed away at the age of 82. His record label confirmed the news with a post on his Facebook page.
Cohen is an incredibly well-known musician whose work spanned decades. His most famous songs include "Hallelujah," "First We Take Manhattan," "Bird on the Wire" and "So Long Marianne." He was born in 1934 in Montreal, and first attempted to become a poet before taking up folk music in the 1960s amidst struggling sales of his poetry books.
He would go on to become a critically-acclaimed artist who commanded enormous respect amongst his peers. Albums like New Skin for Old Ceremony, The Future, I'm Your Man, and Songs of Leonard Cohen remain beloved works of music. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
In a now-famous incident, Cohen discovered in 2005 that his longtime manager Kelly Lynch had stolen more than $5 million from his retirement fund. Low on cash, he embarked on a worldwide tour that ended up being a huge success, lasting for 247 shows from 2008 to 2010. He continued to release music right up until his death, most recently dropping his 14th album You Want It Darker in late October.
A wide array of musicians and other famous figures took to social media to mourn Cohen's death.
