Died On This Date (November 7, 2016) Leonard Cohen / Canadian Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover Leonard Cohen
September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016
Leonard Cohen was a revered Canadian poet, author, and most famously, singer-songwriter. Over a career that spanned almost 50 years, Cohen provided the dimly-lit smoky-bar soundtrack for people who needed hope, lost faith, felt despair, or longed for love. Initially planning a career as an author and poet, Cohen wanted to reach more people, so he switched gears and found himself singing and performing in New York City at the relatively late age of 33. He quickly became an unlikely pop star – rugged baritone voice, simple chord structures, and a private, guarded life within a profession that celebrated extroversion. His career might have seemed over when upon the release of his most famous song, 1984’s “Hallelujah,” his label head reportedly told him, “Look, Leonard; we know you’re great, but we don’t know if you’re any good,” before dropping him. But his songs eventually caught on, and younger generations of singer-songwriters borrowed them to include in their own canons. “Hallelujah” alone was recorded by over 200 artists, including Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, k.d. lang, John Cale, and most famously, Jeff Buckley. In all, Cohen’s tunes have been covered by more than 2000. That list includes such greats as Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Willie Nelson, R.E.M., and Tori Amos. In 2008, at the age of 74, and facing financial ruin, Cohen embarked on an ambitious (and triumphant!) world tour that would last about three years before his health started to get the better of him. After getting well, he hit the road again doing a seemingly endless series of impassioned shows that ran north of three hours a piece. That lasted through December of 2013, when he fell ill again. But Cohen refused to be bound by his health and set out to record what would be the final two albums of his lifetime, 2014’s Popular Problems, and this year’s You Want it Darker, recorded in his home with him in a wheelchair and singing many of the sessions in physical pain. That album was released just two weeks before his death, and served as a profound self-eulogy in much the same way as David Bowie‘s Lazarus. It has been reported, thankfully, that excluding his last album, his late-life career revival earned him around $10 million. Leonard Cohen was 82 when he passed away on November 7, 2016.
What You Should Own
Patty Duke was an American stage, film and TV star who is perhaps best remembered for her leading role in the 1960s sitcom, The Patty Duke Show, which originally ran for three seasons on ABC. Prior to that, she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in The Miracle Worker. At the age of 16, she was, at the time, the youngest to do so. Duke was also a successful recording artist who performed on television numerous times and released six albums. Her hits included, “Don’t Just Stand There” (which reached #8 on the pop charts), “Say Something Funny” (#22), and “Donna Donna.” Patty Duke was 69 when she passed away on March 29, 2016. Cause of death was attributed to sepsis from a ruptured intestine.
George Martin was a classically trained musician, record producer, and talent scout who most famously took a chance on the Beatles after they had been turned down by most other British record labels at the time. What followed was a collaboration that changed not only the musical landscape of the era, but also what would become popular music and pop culture for decades to come. With Martin as producer (and so much more) on the Beatles’ original albums, they scored 30 #1 singles in the UK and 23 in the US – and millions in sales, of course. Of the list of Beatles collaborators who were referred to as “the Fifth Beatle,” it was Martin who actually deserved the title. That alone on a person’s resume is enough to cruise through the rest of his or her life, but not Martin. Over the next six decades, he had a big hand in the success of the likes of Elton John, Dire Straits, Cheap Trick, ELO, and Celine Dion, to name a few. Martin also worked extensively in film, either arranging, scoring or producing. Two of the most famous songs he produced for films were Shirley Bassey‘s “Goldfinger” for Paul McCartney‘s “Live and Let Die” from the James Bond movies of the same name. He’s been recognized with six Grammys, an Academy Award, and countless other accolades. George Martin was 90 when he died in his sleep on March 8, 2016.
Maurice White was the founder and co-lead singer of the highly influential R&B band, Earth, Wind & Fire. Formed in Chicago in 1969, the band went on to sell over 100 million albums, making them one of the most successful bands of the 20th century. For over four decades, the group dazzled audiences around the world thanks in part to their dynamic horn section and energetic live shows. White was born in Memphis, Tennessee and gravitated toward music at an early age along with childhood friend, Booker T Jones. As a teenager, White moved to Chicago where he found work as a session drummer for the legendary label, Chess Records. He played on numerous records by the likes of 