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Leonard Cohen Gave Me Candy

By

Cody Marley

I thought of this while reading about the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
When I was a kid. Like in the first grade, Leonard Cohen lived over the hill from us. Huh, you say? Leonard Cohen lived in Tennessee? Yeah, he moved there to get away, write, record in Nashville, etc... At the time, my father rented a place from a guy named Boudleaux Bryant. He and his wife, Felice, were music folk. They wrote, among other things, a lot of the Everly Brothers stuff (remember "Love Hurts" by Nazareth) and "Rocky Top." (Supposedly, inspired by where we lived).
Anyhow, through this association, my father also became friends with Bob Johnston (he did Bob Dylan's Nashville stuff) and, as I recall, that's how Leonard came to rent the house on the same place as us. Mr. Johnston worked with Leonard.
First of all, my memory of every one of these folks is that of being very nice and quick to laugh. Sorry if that crushes you suicidal Leonard Cohen fans. He and his gal (Sue, I think) would come over and he would literally sing for his supper. We'd eat then he'd pull out the guitar and do some cowboy/country songs. It seems if I remember correctly he'd always wanted to be a cowboy singer. Heck, a cowboy in general. My father (Kid Marley, not a music guy, he was a cowboy) would pull out his "french harp" (harmonica) and they'd play "Red Wing", "Little Brown Jug", or whatever. Man, that would be great to have on tape.
There was an old moonshiner named Willie York who lived near Leonard. Willie was a street, well, dirt road smart uneducated, toothless, overall wearing ex-con (killed a guy) with a good heart. Actually, another singer friend of my father's, Johnny Seay, ("The Simpsons" parodies his, some say, jingoistic Vietnam-era hit "Day of Decision"/nice man) who would move into Leonard's house next wrote a million seller protest song "Willie's Drunk and Nellie's Dyin'." "LIFE" magazine did a story on Willie (song ends with a plea to send money) and, man, how I still laugh about that. People from all over the world sent him cash in the mail. I mean he got thousands of dollars for some basically fabricated/jazzed up story in "LIFE." Hysterical.
Oh, I got off track. I could type 20 pages on this. Well, Leonard, Willie and my father drank whisky.
Back to my blurb, of course, we had no idea who Leonard Cohen was. Hey, if you picked up a hitchhiking Keroac in the '50's. You'd think nothing of it. But, I had a cousin who did.
She was a student at Vanderbilt. I remember on Christmas my father casually saying some singer feller name Leonard Cohen had moved in and her going nuts? "WHAT? WHAT!?! Leonard Cohen? The poet? You know Leonard Cohen?!?" My father got her an autographed book of poems. He mentions my father in a couple of songs/poems.
Well, I'm tired of typing.
Yep, Leonard Cohen gave me candy. I remember riding my horse up to his house. He'd come outside or invite me in. Heck, I could just walk in. I don't know what kind it was but I can still taste it to this day. It was great.
My father was a good guy and a good judge of people. He liked Leonard. Me too. Thanks for the candy, Leonard.

Wow, you were one of the lucky one's to be blessed in his presence.

OK Cody you have my attention. What songs did he mention your father in.

Its a shame you were not old enough to know who he was, having said that at that time I suppose he was just a travelling troubador.

Tell us more

I believe Leonard mentions my father (and Willie York) in "Chelsea Hotel #1" and a poem called, I think, "The Change." I remember him having all these masks on his wall. I hope this is right. They were plasters of friends/visitors. Funny side note. In some commentary online about "The Change," it describes my father, Kid Marley, as a cowboy who sold Leonard a lame horse. I told my father this. A little ticked, he said, "I've never sold a lame horse." My dad passed away a while back and when I think of a story. I try to write it down. I'm in LA right now. I believe Leonard lives here. Question. How would I get in touch with him?

Write to his office, the email is at The Files.

Good Heavens

When I saw this thread I thought we were about to have a scandal break about us!!!!!

Oh the relief!

William wrote:Good Heavens

When I saw this thread I thought we were about to have a scandal break about us!!!!!

Oh the relief!

I presume you got it excited because you read it as Leonard Cohen Gave Me Brandy

I love to hear Leonard Cohen stories. Having a cat named after him I hear many of them. It would be nice if the folks who have stories would write them out.
I was in Montreal two years ago. My friend lives in the same area as he does. I did not go out there seeking him, but though it would be nice if ther would be a sighting. My friend told me accounts of the people he knows that have seen him in the neighbourhood. I like the stories.
Then maybe three weeks after I was home my friend emailed me.
I nearly ran over Leonard Cohen today with my wheelchair, he did not seem to upset. Thought you would like to know.
I can see him laughing as he wrote this.

Super story[ies] there, Cody. Unique and interesting.
Thanks for sharing them with us. I hope you're able
to meet up with Leonard to remember and catch up
on old times .

I also hope you make it a point to see him somewhere
in concert! Things have changed a bit since
those good old days, except he's still a
tremendously good and likeable human being.


~ Lizzy

Cody Marley, I didn't know about the Simpsons parody. Thanks so much. I'll definitely look it up. I heard many stories about your father from my father, Johnny Seay.