Leonard Has Passed Away

News about Leonard Cohen and his work, press, radio & TV programs etc.
Marco van Bergen
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Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 11:54 pm

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Marco van Bergen »

Believe this is the 3d time I register here. Keep forgetting my "name", password and emailadresses ...
The passing of Leonard touched me deeply. I was privileged to have seen him twice, in Amsterdam and Ghent.
Both magical concerts. First heard him back in 1970. He became part of my life. My deepest condolences to his family and his friends and all the people I met over the years on and off line who shared my love for this gracious, kind, gentle poet. Especially condolences to my dear friend Ania, she shared some of my work with the man himself and when I got a compliment I never felt more proud. I like to share a story I wrote and a video I made during Inktober ... "Keep The Flame Alive".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7iBr_F5IeI

love and peace,
Marco

Many moons ago a group of friends travelled to the South of Holland. There was a familymember of one of us who welcomed hippies into his house. It was Autumn break so we decided to party there. Hitchhiking of course because we were as poor as church mice. In couples. I was linked to K because well she was special, bit crazy, not like the rest of us "intellectuals", she came from a workingman's background. Her dad a bricklayer. I liked her, recall a schoolplay she was in. Everyone laughed when she came on stage ... bit like Janis Joplin, she didn't really fit in. So most of my "friends" didn't wanted to travel with her. Got to know her better during the trip. I can still see here, big fake fur coat, crazy hair. We only met a few times before at parties. We arrived at the house of the Big Hippie. The living room walls had just been decorated by two french guys. Psychedelic man, I loved it! I felt at home right away. The Big Hippie was originally from The Hague ... workingman's family. Like mum's family. We connected right away. He became one of my best friends. Later we would write letters to each other (remember letters?) Hundreds of pages, about music, The Hague, hippies and their rivals the rockers, the fights, movies, the bars, Bob Dylan, reciting Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", politics, we were so fucking far left, the Clinton/Lewinsky case. I still have a big box full of those letters. Lost my train of thought here ... K and I fell in love, we stayed together for 14 years. We had a fucking messy, nasty "divorce" (we weren't officially marrried) I would see her from time to time in our town, we would ignore each other, it was painful ... then she died ... her friends invited me to her farewell ... along the river where I walk Rosie now. She became an actress, director ... we were invited to write something on her white coffin ... she loved Janis Joplin ... we were too poor to see her in Amsterdam but we bought 2 photo's from that gig, I still have em. I wrote: "A Little Piece of my Heart".
I first heard Johnny Cash' San Quentin album at the Big Hippies' and Leonard Cohen's "Songs of Love and Hate". They both blew me away ... There's my Leonard story ... I am so sad ... bless you K bless you Lenny.
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Tidou
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:59 pm

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Tidou »

Mistygris wrote:Yesterday evening the French radio station RTL did a two-hour long hommage to Leonard. I found it very good. It is in French and in-between songs there are bits of interviews with Leonard in French. If anyone would like to listen, here is the link:

http://www.rtl.fr/culture/musique/georg ... 7785751570
Saturday november 12th . Thank you Mistygris.
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Tidou
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 11:59 pm

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Tidou »

HugoD wrote:Message from Adam Cohen that he posted a few hours ago

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMvZ-8PgKld/
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Maureen MacPhie
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Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:26 pm

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Maureen MacPhie »

Sincere condolences to Leonard's family, in particular, and to his closest friends. I am so sad to hear of his passing but will treasure the memories of seeing him in concert as long as I live. His music has been part of my life for over forty years and his lyrics have a resonance that will remain with me forever.
Thank you for being such a huge part of my life.
Your number one Scottish fan,
Maureen xxx
lonndubh
Posts: 1219
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:07 am
Location: Ireland

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by lonndubh »

Feeling very sad right now.We honour the life of a magnificent artist and a wonderful man.
Rest In Peace, dear Leonard.
Condolences to Adam, Lorca, Leonard's family and friends and to his dear friends here on the forum.
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Sasha K
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:01 pm

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Sasha K »

Sam Hunt, a performance poet who opened for Leonard in New Zealand, gave a wonderful anecdote on Radio NZ, National Programme, Music 101, on 12 November ( NZ time). Click again on Tags - Music.

"I had performed the first of two shows in Wellington, a 30 minute gig, under glaring lights. It was a very high stage; if you fell you'd break your neck. I came off stage to complete darkness; no stage hand with torch to show the way. I couldn't see a thing.Then I felt a very fine, firm hand take me by the wrist. It was Leonard. He led me out of the darkness to his backstage area, a large room. He had a nice big glass of red wine waiting for me, and we talked....."

You will be able to access this on the Internet, I think. A perfect cameo, from one poet to another, of what Leonard meant to so many...
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rpan
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:52 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by rpan »

Sasha K wrote:
You will be able to access this on the Internet, I think. A perfect cameo, from one poet to another, of what Leonard meant to so many...
Many thanks for this, listening now, Sam Hunt is on at the start of it, the URL is:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/progr ... -music-101
"We were broken then, but now we're borderline"
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2009: Dublin - Lisbon - Barcelona - San Jose
2010: Sligo - Florence - Marseille - Lille - Las Vegas
2012: Wembley - Kilmainham - Paris - Montreal
2013: London O2 - Lucca - Dublin
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BKoffman
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Location: Claremont, CA
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Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by BKoffman »

So sad. Leonard's music is always playing in the back of head. Greedily, I want more. Now I must accept that I will never hear him sing Suzanne again in a concert or seeing him sitting zazen or read another interview. I am so grateful for his live.
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Roy
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Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Roy »

Austin City Limits uploaded their 1988 Leonard Cohen concert to their official youtube page after learning about Leonard's passing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpjaHqvrz0g
LEONARD COHEN | HALLS OF FAME
The Official Halls of Fame Biographies of Leonard Cohen
http://www.leonardcohenhallsoffame.blogspot.com
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Susy
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Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:51 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Susy »

... RUHE IN FRIEDEN DEAREST LEONARD
and Thank you very much for all the hours ,
months and so many years you give me something to hold on
in bad and happy times... thank you ALWAYS ...
will never forget you <3

Adam and Lorca with family please accept my deepest Condolences
my thoughts are with you !
Susy
jozef
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Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:25 pm
Location: Slovakia

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by jozef »

We'll be hearing from him baby, long after he's gone
He'll be speaking to us sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song

And we will love it. Again.
Passenger
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Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2016 11:55 am

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Passenger »

Dearest Leonard, farewell!
Thank you for your immense opus. My life and I wouldn't be the same without the gift of your words and melodies. You will be missed and you'll never be forgotten.
My condolences to his children, family and friends.

So long!
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Paul Zagreb
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Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by Paul Zagreb »

Dear Leonard, I read somewhere that you rendered imperfections beautiful. It captures something but not all of it. All of it is beyond capture in the words of mere mortal souls. Thank you for your graciousness, humility, and humour in the face of all of your magnificent achievements. Above all, I give thanks for the small but many ways in which the Forum is a reflection of all that you meant to us, all that you represent to us. Condolences to Adam and Lorca and to all who were touched by your life and your work. The memories live on, and will do so forever. Thank you Mr. Cohen.
2008: Manchester 20 June /Vienna 24 September /Berlin 4 October / Cardiff 8 November/Manchester 30 November 2009: Liverpool 14 July / Belgrade 2 September / Barcelona 21 September 2010: Zagreb 25 July /Sankt Margarethan 5 September 2012: Ghent 12 August/Verona 24 September/Lisbon 7 October 2013: London 21 June / Berlin 17 July / Ljubljana 25 July / Pula 2 August / London 15 September
idoek
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:51 am

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by idoek »

An Israeli online newspaper claims today that our beloved Leonard died in his sleep due to head trauma caused to him after he fell down in his house. What a tragedy! I am so broken from this news.
כשרחל טרי ניוורת' ענתה ביום שלישי שעבר לטלפון בביתה בבוורלי הילס, היא לרגע לא שיערה שבצידו השני יהיה קול מוכר שיחבוט בה בכזו עוצמה. כאב חד שיגרום לה לבכי מר ולתחושת געגוע עזה. בצידו השני של הקו היה רוברט קורי, מנהלו האישי של לאונרד כהן, מי שהיה בן זוגה בשנות השבעים ולאחר מכן ידידה הקרוב במשך עשרות שנים. "הוא צלצל להודיע לי על הנורא מכל", היא אומרת בראיון ל"ידיעות אחרונות". "עמדתי שם ליד הטלפון ובכינו יחד. הוא סיפר לי איך לאונרד, שכבר היה חולה קודם ותוך כדי הקלטת האלבום האחרון, נפל בביתו שבמונטריאול. הוא חטף מכה בראשו והלך לישון כדי להירגע. שינה שממנה הוא לא קם.
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4879236,00.html
sourire
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Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:51 pm
Location: London, U.K.

Re: Leonard Has Passed Away

Post by sourire »

My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Leonard Cohen and to all who love him.
I am so grateful for the time he spent with us, for his healing words and beautiful music, for his gentle wit
and those long, amazing concerts.
May we all find comfort in knowing how much he is loved and respected.
Thank you Jarkko and Marie for being here for us.
Bless you Leonard, always our man. R.I.P.
Light breaks where no sun shines;
Where no sea runs, the waters of the heart
Push in their tides....

Dylan Thomas
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