Cohen, Murray to Join
Songwriters Hall of Fame

Canadian music icons Leonard Cohen and Anne Murray are among the latest batch of inductees to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. The hall will also induct four other songwriters: Quebec's Gilles Vigneault, big band composer Carmen Lombardo, ragtime composer William Eckstein and classical composer and lyricist Lionel Daunais. Murray is among the three winners of the organization's Legacy Awards, which honour extraordinary contributions to and support of the Canadian songwriting industry. She will be joined by Quebec chanteuse Lucille Dumont and recording industry pioneer Herbert Berliner. A list of 26 songs will also be inducted into the new Canadian institution, including traditional song Farewell to Nova Scotia, Sugar, Sugar by Andy Kim, À Québec au Clair de Lune by Marius Delisle, and Put Your Hand in the Hand by Gene MacLellan. "The 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees exemplify the profound wealth of talent that exists in Canada. Our songwriters have helped define our cultural and musical landscape," hall of fame chair Peter Steinmetz said in a statement. The inductees will be honoured Feb. 5 at a gala celebration in Toronto, hosted by Andrew Craig of CBC Radio Two and Sophie Durocher of Radio-Canada. CBC Radio will broadcast the event the following day. From the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame website: Modern Era Inductees: Anglophone 1956 to 25 Years Prior to Present; Francophone 1961 to 25 Years Prior to Present Songwriters: Leonard Cohen, Gilles Vigneault Songs: Ain’t No Cure For Love – Leonard Cohen Bird on the Wire – Leonard Cohen Everybody Knows – Leonard Cohen (co-wrote with Sharon Robinson) Gens du pays - Gilles Vigneault (co-wrote with Gaston Rochon) Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen La Manic – Georges Dor Le tour de l'Île – Félix Leclerc Mon pays – Gilles Vigneault Pendant que – Gilles Vigneault Put Your Hand in the Hand – Gene MacLellan Si les bateaux – Gilles Vigneault Sugar Sugar – Andy Kim (co-wrote with Jeff Barry) Suzanne – Leonard Cohen Sweet City Woman – Rich Dodson LEONARD COHEN Songwriter Inductee: Modern Era, 1956 to 25 Years Prior to Present BIRTH: Montreal, Quebec, 21 September, 1934 With an extraordinary career spanning more than forty years, Canadian musical icon Leonard Cohen has earned the distinction as one of the most influential artists of his generation. A legendary songwriter, Cohen has brought honesty and artistry in a way few others have. His stark images of love, beauty and despair have touched fans and inspired writers and musicians the world over. Throughout his storied lifetime, Cohen has succeeded as both poet and pop star. Inspired by his own history and romantic experiences, his intelligent musings and musical gifts have endured no matter where he resides – be it the urban chaos of LA and Montreal, the domestic comfort of a Greek island or monastic isolation of a Zen Buddhist Monastery. His intense lyrics, spiritual observations and deft humour weave throughout his impressive body of work. Cohen’s extraordinary writing and musical talents have gained him numerous accolades, among them: the Governor General's Award for poetry in 1969 which he declined, stating, "the poems themselves forbid it absolutely," followed by several Juno Awards, honorary degrees, and in 2003, the Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civil honor for achievement in the arts. Leonard Norman Cohen was born in Montreal on September 21, 1934. He attended McGill University, where at 17, he formed a countrywestern trio called the Buckskin Boys. While still an undergraduate, Leonard became part of Montreal’s burgeoning Bohemian scene and published his first collection of poetry (Let Us Compare Mythologies) in 1956. The Spice Box of Earth (1961), his second collection of poems, catapulted Cohen to international recognition. After a brief stint at Columbia University in New York, Cohen traveled throughout Europe and settled on the Greek island of Hydra where he wrote another collection of poetry (Flowers for Hitler, 1964) and two highly acclaimed novels (The Favourite Game, 1963 and Beautiful Losers, 1966). The books have been translated into many languages including Chinese and Japanese. After seven years on Hydra, Cohen’s restless spirit led him to the United States where he pursued his career as a songwriter. Championed by singer/songwriter Judy Collins, Cohen appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967 where he caught the eye – and ear – of legendary Columbia A&R man John Hammond (who also recruited Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to the label) and by Christmas of that year, Columbia released his signature debut album, The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Songs like the enduringly popular "Suzanne," and "Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye," "So Long, Marianne," and "Sisters of Mercy" propelled Cohen to the top of the pop music pantheon. The songs had such power that Robert Altman’s 1971 film, McCabe and Mrs. Miller became, in effect, the first longform video for Cohen’s soundtrack. Songs From a Room (1969), his second album, and Songs of Love and Hate (1971) further reinforced Cohen's standing as a sentry of solitude. With "Bird On a Wire," "The Story of Isaac," "Joan of Arc," and "Famous Blue Raincoat," he continued to stretch the borders of the lyrical landscape of the times. Recent Songs (1979), coproduced with Henry Lewy (who had previously worked with Joni Mitchell), continued Cohen's dissection of the malefemale union, but also reflected his many explorations into the religious sphere. Various Positions (1984) marked the full flowering of these religious journeys. Songs like "Hallelujah," "The Law," "Heart With No Companion," and "If It Be Your Will," are contemporary psalms, born of an undoubtedly long and difficult spiritual odyssey, so difficult that its conclusion left Cohen – in his words "wiped out." I'm Your Man (1988) was the culmination of Cohen's professional and personal reintegration, a beautifully crafted work that speaks eloquently to his experience as a musical elder. Buoyed by nowclassic songs like "First We Take Manhattan," "Tower of Song," and "Ain't No Cure For Love," the album went to #1 in several countries. Despite many long passages of time between albums, Cohen’s music has been kept on the airwaves through interpretations by artists as diverse as Neil Diamond, Nick Cave, Diana Ross, Joan Baez, Rita Coolidge, and Joe Cocker. Longtime musical colleague Jennifer Warnes released the critically acclaimed Famous Blue Raincoat in 1986, an entire album of Cohen's work. In 1992, a number of contemporary recording artists collaborated on a tribute to Leonard Cohen. I'm Your Fan (1991) was the brainchild of Christian Fevret, editor of French rock magazine, Les Inrockuptibles. Originally intended for release on the magazine's small offshoot label Oscar, the project mushroomed into an 18song cover collection released by Atlantic, featuring such prominent musicians as REM, John Cale, Nick Cave, lan McCulloch, The Pixies, House of Love and Lloyd Cole. Tower of Song (1995) featured interpretations of Cohen songs by more mainstream artists such as Billy Joel, Sting, Elton John, Willie Nelson and Bono. 1992 saw the release of his eleventh album, The Future, an amazingly aural documentation befitting a cultural malaise. It was following the 1993 "Future" tour that Leonard Cohen retreated from public life and lived several years at the Zen Center on Mount Baldy in Southern California. In January 1999, Cohen came down from the mountain armed with hundreds of new lyrics and poems. He settled in Los Angeles where he released two records, first another live album entitled Field Commander Cohen Tour of 1979 and in October, after nine years, the entrancing collection, Ten New Songs. After such a long silence, the power of this new studio album lay in its singleness, its unity of tone, songs flowing one into the other with a grave, contained intensity. In 2002, many of his best known songs were digitally remastered and released on the double CD The Essential Leonard Cohen. In 2004, Cohen returned with Dear Heather, produced with collaborators and singers, Sharon Robinson and Anjani Thomas. This musically diverse collection of songs seemed to celebrate the beauty of the world he had returned to with soaring lyrical styles and musical arrangements. Cohen’s supporters and the sizeable online community of newsgroups and chat lines continually dissecting his creations anxiously await his next release. He is now working on new songs for his next album for a possible mid2006 release. He is also working on new songs for Anjani Thomas' forthcoming album Blue Alert, to be released in Spring 2006. A lyrical icon whose musical trials and travails have led him through an odyssey of hope, conflict and love, Leonard Cohen has taken us to that place by the harbor and our world has become much richer for the journey.

Leonard Cohen says he prefers the simple life
by Angela Pacienza

TORONTO (CP) - Financial difficulties have pushed Leonard Cohen back into the spotlight, propelling the semi-retired poet and musician into "incessant work" and even into attending a glitzy celebrity-studded gala honouring his songwriting skills. "I'm not really drawn to these kind of events," Cohen, clad in a sharp but worn suit, said in an interview Saturday on the eve of his induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. "I don't think anybody really wants all that attention. I love the attention given to a song or a concert - something you've actually done and worked at and sweated over . . . But this, where you're somehow being honoured, they're always tricky." Leonard Cohen is photographed in Toronto Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006. Cohen will be inducted into into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Sunday. (CP PHOTO/Aaron Harris) Usually a private man who rarely gives interviews and shies away from Hollywood-style red carpet events, Cohen was persuaded to attend the gala, where the likes of Willie Nelson and k.d. lang will pay tribute to him, by his new Vancouver-based manager. "I left the decision up to Sam Feldman. I'd gotten into a bit of trouble . . . I had to change management. My former management had relieved me of all my earnings," said the 71-year-old Cohen, who was contemplative yet warm and amicable while responding to questions. His "bit of trouble" has him all but broke and involved in a couple of nasty lawsuits. It all started last year when he learned that his life savings of $5 million, which he'd planned to retire on, had been nearly wiped out. The Montreal-born poet alleges his former manager bled his personal savings and investment accounts dry during the time he spent living in a Buddhist monastery, the Mount Baldy Zen Center in Los Angeles. "It's enough to put a dent in one's mood," he says of the betrayal by his manager, who'd looked after him for 17 years. "Fortunately it hasn't," he adds after a short pause as if to show that while he's dejected by the situation, he's not completely undone. In fact, some good has come out of the ordeal, something he refers to as only a "tiny disaster" in relation to a flood or tsunami. Cohen will have several new works published in the coming months. "I'm always blackening pages and scratching away, but that particular crisis produced a real financial problem," he explains, fidgeting with a handkerchief. "Almost everything I had was gone . . . It produced a sense of urgency. "What it did was not so much influence the writing itself - most of the writing was done. What it did do was promote a kind of swiftness in gathering the material together and presenting it. Usually I'd let things sit around for a few more years, so for better or for worse, they haven't matured for that long." He'll have a book of poetry out in May as well as a new CD later in the year. As well, Cohen's girlfriend, Hawaii-born Anjani Thomas, will release a CD on May 2. Blue Alert features her singing lyrics penned by Cohen. But for this weekend, at least, Cohen is thinking of his past material rather than trying to hawk his new wares. "Ain't No Cure For Love," "Bird on the Wire," "Everybody Knows," "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne" are being highlighted at Sunday night's gala, to be televised by the CBC on March 6, for their impact on Canada's musical landscape. "I'm really happy that I've written them. You always try to write a good song but you don't always do it," he said bashfully. "It's a really wonderful thing to write a song and have it move into the world and have it touch people." Singer lang says she feels a "kindred connection" to Cohen. "I feel as a singer that singing his songs is an offering, and for me to sing one of his songs to him on Sunday night is a gesture of gratitude," said the Alberta-born performer who will sing "Hallelujah" for Cohen, a song she covered on her most recent album. "It's no debate that he's one of Canada's greatest poets and songwriters, if not one of the world's greatest poet-songwriters. He always put himself in the turmoil but also on the compassionate end as well. He really was able to examine the human condition from a personal point of view." Cohen says he continues to get fan mail referencing the impact his songs have had in people's lives. (Yes, he opens and reads all of it.) "Suzanne," in particular, is getting some additional attention by way of the CBC, which tracked down the woman who inspired the song after feeding Cohen "tea and oranges that come all the way from China." Cohen actually caught the feature upon turning on his hotel's TV on Friday night. "I turned on the news and found this long dissertation on the song and Suzanne," he said. "I haven't been in touch with her." But he still lauded the woman who lives a sparse life in California. "It's a radiant spirit that she has . . . an unusual woman and an unusual life." "She doesn't know my life . . . Our lives are a lot closer than she suggests," he said. So does Cohen welcome the unplanned return to the spotlight? "These situations help me survive in the marketplace. I have no ambiguity about it. I'm very happy that people want to talk to me about my work." But he says he'd welcome back privacy, especially if he could spend more time in Montreal, rather than Los Angeles. While he shares his time between the two cities, he'd relish the opportunity to retreat to the home he purchased in his hometown back in 1972. "I really miss it now that I have to be in Los Angeles (for court proceedings)," he said. -------------------- Some Leonard Cohen trivia: -At 17, he formed a country-western trio called the Buckskin Boys. -At 24, used a $2,000 Canada Council grant to travel to Greece where he wrote poems and novels, including Beautiful Losers. -His music career began in 1966 when he sang two poems, "Suzanne" and "Stranger," at a poetry reading in New York. The readings soon became concerts. -He retreated from public life in 1993 to live at a Buddhist monastery. -His songs have been covered by countless artists including Johnny Cash, The Pixies, Sting, Elton John, Jeff Buckley, REM, Nick Cave and Bono. -Cohen developed a reputation as a ladies' man, although he never married. Had two children, Adam and Lorca, with Suzanne Elrod. Was linked with singer Janis Joplin, whom he wrote "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" about, and actress Rebecca De Mornay.

Gala honours Leonard Cohen
by Vit Wagner

When Leonard Cohen is in the house to be honoured, no self-respecting Canadian audience worth its salt-encrusted snow needs any instruction on how to show its love. Moments before last night's 3rd Annual Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame gala at the Metro Convention Centre, patrons in the John Bassett Theatre were given pointers on how to respond to the evening's events. One moment they were drilled in how to give a credible appearance of "polite applause." The next they were directed toward a proper standing ovation. Presumably, the choreography was intended to impress future broadcast audiences who will listen to performances when they air tonight at 10 p.m. on CBC Radio Two, tomorrow at 11 a.m. on Radio One and March 6 on CBC-TV. Never, however, were the instructions less necessary. Songwriter Leonard Cohen wipes a tear after being honoured during the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. (CP PHOTO/Nathan Denette) And it wasn't only Willie Nelson's characteristically true-voiced rendition of "Bird on a Wire," played with campfire intimacy to the backing of guitar and harmonica, that brought the house down. There was also k.d. lang's reverential and hymn-like but quietly joyous cover of "Hallelujah." The performances, also including Rufus Wainwright's affectionate take on "Everybody Knows," capped an evening of wonderfully expressive music-making, not all of it related to the Cohen canon. The evening's other inductees, including iconic Quebec songwriter Gilles Vigneault, Canadian songbird Anne Murray and Quebec singer and vocal teacher Lucille Dumont were also the subjects of generous tributes. The program also featured performances of some of the 26 songs, written by various composers, that were enshrined, including Andy Kim's "Sugar Sugar"" and the Stampeders' hit "Sweet City Woman." Cohen, however, was the focal point of the program. The 71-year-old, Montreal-bred poet troubadour was inducted along with five of his songs — the aforementioned three as well as "Bird on a Wire" and "Suzanne." "We shuffle behind our songs into the hall of fame, shuffling not quite believing that we wrote them but happy that you do," said Cohen during his acceptance speech. The international recording star, whose music has been the subject of more than 32 tribute albums, kept his comments brief. "The brevity and poverty of these remarks do not reflect the abundance of feeling in my heart for you," he said. Others, including presenter Adrienne Clarkson, had no trouble articulating their devotion. "He's changed all of our lives with the complexity of his sadness, the breadth of his love," said the former Governor General. "He is our connection to the meaning of ecstacy." Clarkson also jokingly thanked the "millions of people who didn't buy (Cohen's) early collections of poetry ... because without that he might not have turned to songwriting." Vigneault, 77, author of the nationalist Quebec anthem "Mon Pays," offered a new metaphor for Canada's two solitudes in the English-language portion of his acceptance speech. "A song is a small bridge between the banks of a river, between two people or two cultures," he said. "The bridge never denies the existence of the river. When the river overflows, no one will blame the bridge. And when the flood waters have receded the bridge remains." Fellow Quebecois singer Lucille Dumont, 87, who retired in 1999, said she "will cherish this moment for the rest of my life — so probably for the next 30 years." Murray, inducted as a legacy candidate, thanked the many songwriters who have helped her sell more than 50 million albums worldwide, paying special tribute to Gene MacLellan, who wrote her hit "Snowbird." In a neat segue, singer Jully Black, backed by a full choir, then led a scorching rendition of another of MacLellan's hits, "Put Your Hand in the Hand." Murray's home province was also honoured when Jimmy Rankin covered "Farewell to Nova Scotia," another of the songs inducted this year. Other standout performances included Louise Pitre's elegant and playful version of Willie Eckstein's "S'Nice." Sarah Slean, dolled up like a 1930s movie star, made fine work of Carmen Lombardo's "Powder your Face with Sunshine" and Divine Brown offered a saucy "A Guy is a Guy."

Cohen leads Hall of Fame inductees
by J. Kelly Nestruck

TORONTO - Leonard Cohen was among the Hall of Fame inductees while Willie Nelson, k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, Jully Black, Louise Pitre, Sarah Slean and Bedouin Soundclash were among the multi-generational musicians to perform at John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in honour of Mr. Cohen and the other inductees. Leonard Cohen thanks the audience after being honoured during the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame gala in Toronto on Sunday. (Nathan Denette/CP) At the gala, the 71-year-old Mr. Cohen sat next to and chatted with Gilles Vigneault, 77, a fellow silver-haired inductee from Quebec whose songs include the unofficial Quebecois anthem Gens du Pays. Those two living legends entered the Hall of Fame alongside significant figures from Canadian music history: ragtime composer William Eckstein (1888-1963), big band giant Carmen Lombardo (1903-1971) and classical composer and lyricist Lionel Daunais (1901-1982). The CHSF gala also honoured Canada's original diva Anne Murray, music industry pioneer Herbert Berliner and Quebec's "Grande Dame de la Chanson," Lucille Dumont, with Legacy Awards, recognizing their contributions to and support of the songwriting industry. "I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life," the 87-year-old Dumont said in accepting her award. "So, probably for the next 30 years or so. I remember well 1935, [when] at the age of 16, I started to sing. Since then my love for music has never died." Last night's gala was the third for the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, a national bilingual organization founded in 1998 to preserve the country's musical heritage. Previous inductees include The Guess Who's Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, Gordon Lightfoot, Felix Leclerc, and Hank Snow. The evening opened with a performance of Sweet City Woman by The Stampeders, one of 26 classic Canadian songs that were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Other honoured songs were Felix Leclerc's Moi, Mes Souliers, Gene MacLellan's Put Your Hand in the Hand, and the traditional Farewell to Nova Scotia, which was performed by Cape Breton's Jimmy Rankin during the ceremony. Dressed in a glittering dress, Sarah Slean performed Mr. Lombardo's Powder Your Face with Sunshine, a 1948 song that has been covered by his older brother Guy Lombardo, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Sammy Kaye and Frank Sinatra. Andy Kim teamed up with Bedouin Soundclash, Esthero and the La Jeunesse children's choir to perform his classic hit Sugar, Sugar. The climax of the evening was to be the presentation of the Hall of Fame award to Leonard Cohen by former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson. Country legend Nelson was scheduled to perform Mr. Cohen's "Bird on a Wire," while k.d lang was to sing "Hallelujah." © National Post 2006

Leonard Cohen: Renaissance man
by James Adams

We're going to be seeing a lot of Leonard Cohen this year, in a lot of ways. It's not necessarily what one expects of a 71-year-old man who otherwise could be forgiven if he chose to rest on his already considerable laurels. But these are extraordinary times for Leonard Norman Cohen, and a combination of necessity, creativity and circumstance are bringing Canada's most famous poet/troubadour somewhat reluctantly into the public domain. Just last weekend, Cohen was inducted, along with five of his songs, into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at a gala/lovefest in Toronto. Leonard Cohen is photographed in Toronto Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006. Cohen will be inducted into into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Sunday. (AP PHOTO/CP, Aaron Harris) Blessedly, CBC-TV was there to tape the ceremony, which featured arresting renditions of "Hallelujah," "Bird on the Wire" and "Everyone Knows" by, respectively, k.d. lang, Willie Nelson and Rufus Wainwright. A one-hour highlights package will be aired by the national broadcaster March 6. Five weeks ago, the death, at 93, of literary mentor Irving Layton brought Cohen back to his hometown of Montreal for the poet's much-publicized funeral, where Cohen served as both eulogist and pallbearer. Looming on the horizon is Book of Longing, his first collection of all-new poems since 1985's Book of Mercy; Blue Alert, a record by his muse and former back-up singer, Anjani Thomas of Cohen lyrics and Thomas's own melodies; a likely concert tour and a possible CD of new songs. Don't hold your breath for the last, however, Cohen admitted during an interview a few days ago. He's a notoriously slow writer. As he told the audience at the Hall of Fame ceremony: "If I knew where the good songs came from, I would go there more often." As it is, Cohen often spends up to four years, on and off, working on a single song ("Hallelujah" being a classic example) before he deems it satisfactory. The new CD is only about one-quarter complete, so it could be 2007 or even 2008, he acknowledges, before the follow-up to 2004's Dear Heather sees daylight. More likely is a series of live concerts in the fall that would feature some of the new material and, of course, a substantial sampling of Cohen's catalogue of classics. Details are sketchy at this point, but in all probability it also will involve opening sets by Thomas, who used to play keyboards in Cohen's touring band and contributed vocals to his songs in the studio and in concert. Cohen functioned as producer on Blue Alert, recorded in Los Angeles in 2004 and 2005, and coming out in May, but the rumbly gravitas of his voice is nowhere to be found on the record because, he says, "the actual acoustic space of the songs were so appropriately filled by Anjani's voice and her playing. . . . To put another note into it would have cluttered that space." Coinciding with the release of Blue Alert is the appearance of Book of Longing, a 250-page collection of Cohen poetry and line drawings that's being published simultaneously in hardcover by McClelland & Stewart in Canada, HarperCollins/Ecco in the United States and Penguin in Britain. M&S, which acquired world rights to the title in negotiations with Cohen's new manager, Vancouver-based Sam Feldman, already has sold translation rights for the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, francophone Canada, Italy, Israel, Poland and Norway. More deals are expected to be signed next month when M&S attends the London Book Fair. Originally M&S had planned to publish Book of Longing in September, at a suggested retail price of $30 to $33, in anticipation of a new Cohen CD and live performances. "But talking with [editor] Dan Halprin with Ecco Press in New York, his marketing people wanted it earlier," explains Ellen Seligman, M&S's vice-president and Cohen's long-time editor. "Since the book is finished, we agreed. The other factor is that Leonard is doing some travelling around that time in support of Anjani's CD, so the book can benefit from that exposure." Cohen will do "selected events" to promote the poetry, including an appearance June 9 in Toronto at a gala to mark the 100th anniversary of M&S, but it's unlikely he'll do a nationwide tour as he did for Book of Mercy. Nor will excerpts from the collection be published in advance of its publication. "The general feeling is we don't need to do that for this," Seligman says. Underpinning virtually all of Cohen's activities for the immediate future is his need for money. In late 2004, Cohen fired his manager of almost 17 years after he concluded that financial irregularities had reduced his retirement nest egg to $150,000 (U.S.) from what he believed was more than $5-million. Since then, Cohen has been enmeshed in a series of now much-publicized lawsuits and countersuits, most of which are months away from being resolved and which have kept him close to his Los Angeles home (on which he took out a mortgage last year to help cover his legal costs). Cohen remains a model of grace under pressure, a self-described "grocer of despair" who still puts on a fine set of threads each morning. But he admitted: "Things are tough now." Fortunately, he has always found meaning in his work, so that is what he is doing, buoyed by the love of his muse and romantic partner Anjani, "the deep hospitality" his legacy has received over the years and by the hope that the new work will get a similar reception in what he calls "the marketplace."

Could Leonard Cohen Be Coaxed Back to Canada?
by Leigh Anne Williams

Leonard Cohen says he prefers the simple life

After seeing most of his life savings allegedly swiped by his former manager, songwriter Leonard Cohen says he now prefers the simple life -- with a little help from Buddhism. "I don't feel deprived in any sense. I like a room with just a table and a chair and a bed ... that's my idea of beauty. I think simplicity is really voluptuous," Cohen told CTV's Canada AM Monday, a week after he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame. The Montreal native said his family has also greatly helped his peace of mind, particularly as he faces a new life back in the public eye while trying to regain financial stability and move through court proceedings in Los Angeles. "My son said something wonderful to me," Cohen said. "He said, 'listen, Dad… You do what you have to do, but don't do it for us because we've had a good life and we can take care of ourselves. "Parents can wait their whole lives before they hear something like from one of their children and I heard it from both my children." The 71-year-old said he did not realize his nest egg was slowly disappearing because he is not interested in money. His ordeal started when he learned $5 million, which he'd planned to retire on, had been nearly wiped out. Cohen alleges his manager of 17 years bled his personal savings and investment accounts dry during the time he spent living in a Buddhist monastery -- the Mount Baldy Zen Center in Los Angeles. "I never looked at a financial statement, I never looked at a royalty statement," he told AM. "I completely trusted the people who were supposed to be doing that. It (was)… a preference to live simply." Now, on the advice of new manager Sam Feldman, Cohen is back in the public eye and ready to release a series of songs he has worked on over the past few years. He said that despite forcing him into such a radical lifestyle shift, he isn't angry about what happened. "I don't know why I'm not. There's something amusing about it, too," said the warm but contemplative Cohen. "I think because the wipe-out was so thorough, it was astonishingly thorough, you know. In fact, there was almost nothing left. "At a certain point, that background of anxiety and anguish lifted." Cohen and five of his songs were inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 5, in a ceremony where he was honoured by fellow musicians k.d. lang, Bruce Cockburn and Gordon Lightfoot. His new material will be published in the coming months, and his girlfriend, Hawaiian-born singer Anjani Thomas, will release a CD featuring her singing lyrics penned by Cohen on May 2.

Archives

Visit the ARCHIVES for
an Index of all
articles by Date, Type,
Journal, and Author.