Leonard Cohen
 

When and how did Leonard Cohen suddenly become popular in the mainstream? He sold out the O2 Arena last year, and this summer is going to be playing a show near to me at a venue that puts on two gigs a year, always mainstream middle of the road artists.

Last time I looked he was a relatively underground miserablist, now he's appealing to the Sunday supplement reading crowd. How'd that happen?

He got old enough to become respectable.

He's been mainstream forever. He is one of the most covered artists of all time. Everyone knows who he is.

EDIT: Over two thousand renditions of Cohen's songs have been recorded. He has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. While giving the speech at his induction into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2008, Lou Reed described Cohen as belonging to the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters.

The dude's huge!

I'd never thought of him as unknown. Nearly everyone knows Hallelujah. He started touring again because he had no money, didn't he? These were his first shows in a very long time, and his fans were very eager to see him. I think his popularity seems to have risen because he's touring now.

Yeah his manager fucked him for pretty much his life savings.



Where did you look? Well, stop looking there. Any source that doesn't recognize Cohen's worldwide popularity since the sixties should probably best be avoided in the future, hm?

I caught his NA tour opener here in Austin and it was pretty much the best show I've ever seen. Definitely up there with seeing Waits, just an overwhelmingly spiritual experience. See him, the money is ridiculous but totally worth it.

tell me more

I've always thought he was on the same level as Neil Young in terms of popularity.

tickets for his show in Dallas were $75+. that's a typical price for seeing The Rolling Stones.

to pull this off, you either have to have a LARGE fanbase who's DYING to see you, or you are willing to put up with about 10 people showing up (see: My Bloody Valentine).

I suspect that with Mr. Cohen, it's the former.

Wiki to the rescue:

On October 8, 2005, Cohen alleged that his longtime former manager, Kelley Lynch, misappropriated over US $5 million from Cohen's retirement fund along with the publishing rights to his songs,[9] leaving Cohen with only $150,000. Cohen was sued in turn by other former business associates. These events placed him in the public spotlight, including a cover feature on him with the headline "Devastated!" in Canada's Maclean's magazine. In March 2006, Cohen won the civil suit and was awarded US $9 million by a Los Angeles County superior court. Lynch, however, ignored the suit and did not respond to a subpoena issued for her financial records.[10] As a result it has been widely reported that Cohen may never be able to collect the cash.[11] Cohen has been under new management since April 2005.

I really wish I had the $350 to see him when he came here a week and a half ago. His recent Live in London album is absolutely phenomenal. I don't know if anyone else can perform that well at age 75, except maybe Neil Young in another ten years. Fucking class act all around.

And yeah, Cohen has been popular for quite a long time, but moreso in Canada and Europe than in the US.

Depends on what you mean by mainstream anyway. He's not playing on any radio stations 'round here.

He's just that type of mainstream where everybody knows him, until you start asking,

It's because he died young.

i didnt know that he ever wasnt mainstream. his music is the kind that transends the underground v. mainstream arguement.

I've been looking for several years now for Leonard Cohen records. With all the reissues coming out on vinyl these days I can't believe his stuff isn't getting re-pressed too.

I've never seen the mainstream arguing with the underground on the street. where do they live now?

Sundazed reissued his first four plus Live Songs two years ago. I only have the debut and Songs of Love and Hate, but they did an excellent job with those.

Might have to ask the local record store dudes to order them. Sundazed definitely does the LP right.

Back when he recorded this song called "Suzanne"...

Seriously, if you type Leonard in Google, it suggests him even before Nimoy. He's been a legend forever.

Good God Man, You're right!