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Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen dies aged 82

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By Euronews
Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen dies aged 82

Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen has died at the age of 82, according to a statement on his Facebook page.

“It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passes away,” the statement says.

“We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries.”

A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. No further details on his death were given.

Cohen, a native of Quebec, was already a celebrated poet and novelist when he moved to New York in 1966 at the age of 31 to break into the music business.

Before long, critics were comparing him to Bob Dylan for the lyrical force of his song-writing.

Although he influenced many musicians and won many honours, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Order of Canada, Cohen rarely made the pop music charts with his sometimes moody folk-rock.

But Cohen’s most famous song, “Hallelujah,“ in which he invoked the biblical King David and drew parallels between physical love and a desire for spiritual connection, has been covered hundreds of times since he released it in 1984.

He remained wildly popular into his 80s, when his deep voice plunged to gravelly depths. He toured as recently as earlier this year and released a new album just last month.

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