Nick Cave, Justin Trudeau lead tributes to Leonard Cohen

Robert May teaches English at Queens university in Toronto, and says he like many others was shocked to learn of Cohen’s passing – as the singer had just released a new album several weeks before.

“So I went over and said: ‘I’m sorry to bother you, but are you Lenard Cohen?’ and he said: ‘Yes, I am'”.

“Leonard Cohen managed to reach the highest of artistic achievement, both as an acclaimed poet and a world-renowned singer-songwriter”.

A spokesman for the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim synagogue in Quebec, where the 82-year-old music icon was laid to rest, has released a statement, which reads: “Magnified, sanctified be Thy holy name”.

Leonard Cohen knew death was approaching, it has emerged. A visit to NY turned him onto the city’s growing folk music scene, and by 1967 he released his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Most people know about the song, but many people didn’t know it was written and sung by Cohen.

U2’s Bono – The 1995 tribute album “Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen” included covers by the likes of Sting, Don Henley, Elton John, Willie Nelson and Billy Joel.

Cohen’s career spanned five decades.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of GRAMMY® Award victor and 2010 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Leonard Cohen.

Cohen suffered bouts of depression throughout his life that he sometimes tried to mitigate with alcohol and drugs. After a spiritual retirement in the 1990s, Cohen returned to his music life in the past few years, after learning that his agent, Kelley Lynch, had cheated him of most of his money, leaving him on the brink of ruin.

“He was just the most decent, charming, modest man you can imagine”.

It did not give a cause of death but said there would be a funeral in Los Angeles in coming days.

In all, he published more than a dozen novels and books of poetry and recorded almost two dozen albums.

Cohen’s work is infused with Jewish scripture. “So I chose to return to music”.

Thompson, who owns The Record Centre on Wellington Street, had front-row seats at the NAC for a show that Jennifer Warnes was giving in support of 1987’s Famous Blue Raincoat, her then newly released album of Cohen’s songs.