Music Legend Leonard Cohen Passes Away at 82

Last night, the world said goodbye to a storied poet and the voice that brought us the enchanting “Hallelujah”.

According to an official statement, Cohen, who grew up in Montreal but moved to California later in his life, will have a private memorial service in Los Angeles at a later date.

“It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away. We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries.”

He released his final album, You Want It Darker, just last month. The album features Cohen reflecting at length on his own mortality. The title track is hauntingly beautiful… and eerily telling.

In July of this year, Cohen’s muse and former lover Marianne Ihlen passed away. Marianne and Cohen lived on the Greek island of Hydra for some time. She is the same Marianne that inspired his 1967 song So Long, Marianne. A friend revealed that, in a final letter to Ihlen, Cohen declared his “endless love” for her, writing, “I think I will follow you very soon.”

The cause of death has not be revealed and the family has asked for privacy during this sorrowful time. Cohen’s son released a statement saying: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the knowledge that he had completed what he felt was one of his greatest records.”

Robert Kory, Cohen’s manager write in a statement: “Unmatched in his creativity, insight and crippling candor, Leonard Cohen was a true visionary whose voice will be sorely missed. I was blessed to call him a friend, and for me to serve that bold artistic spirit firsthand, was a privilege and great gift. He leaves behind a legacy of work that will bring insight, inspiration and healing for generations to come.”

Although no longer with us, his music will live on forever and thus give immortality to one of the most visionary artists of his generation.

RIP Leonard.