I first "heard " Leonard Cohen in December 1967, when I bought "The Songs of Leonard Cohen".
Yet I had "heard" his voice from reading "Let Us Compare Mythologies" and "Spice Box of Earth" in my earlier teens.
Well, that gives my age away .
I mentioned something about this in the Hydra 2002 file ( Jarkko kindly nailed it for me).
What's more important is to introduce younger people to the sounded and written voice of Leonard Cohen.
His work matters beyond my generation.
Andrew.
Hi Lizzytysh- Ain't that the question! My employer thought the painting to be 'nicely painted' so, since it was a small, non-high falootin' gallery, there was room enough for it in the window. It's not that Leonard knew it was there- until he saw it! And, of course, I didn't know he was there when I decided to come upstairs from the basement for coffee. But he was! He then went up the street to a photography store, which is where I found him exiting with the lady. " Excuse me," I had said, " Aren't you Leonard Cohen?" His hand extending, he said, " Leonard." "Oh, I thought it was you, er, uh, I could tell by your ear lobes." Hmmm. Well, when you paint someone you notice certain 'earmarks'. I mentioned the picture, and he wonderred, "Can I buy it?" " Well... it costs fifty dollars..." Mr. Cohen and the lady came back to the shop and he signified that he'd come tomorrow to pay for it. That's probably why the boss had me clean the floor, which I can't even remember having done previously. Leonard did return, as per his word, and left me two autographs [All good things, love Leonard] (my brother plays guitar) and a kind word: " I like what you see," he said. Not so long after he'd gone, the very same people came by that had been "ga-ga" about him in the English class. Too bad they missed him, but I did say," You know whose footprints those are?!!" Such an experience helps a person to realize that there are not two worlds, or ten thousand. There is One world, "'rich and poor, black and white, famous and otherwise" all rubbing shoulders, when the tale is told. By the way, my soul (sole) wife is from Clearwater. " It's a small world after all..." Dave
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God.
"A Course in Miracles" http://members.shaw.ca/clatwood/
Thanks, David, for the update . Besides a great story, what a pick-up line ! I guarantee you with absolute certainty that Leonard had never heard that line before, nor has he since ! Yes, 'earmarks' ~ the fingerprints that nail . I love your story. Wonderful details. That was a display that was meant to be.
I lived in Clearwater, for awhile, on Hwy 19. That was just prior to my moving to Tarpon Springs. Your "sole [soul] wife" is no doubt familiar with both .
When I was about 12 or so, I heard "Bird on the Wire" in a movie on cable. My mother was all excited because she knew that song as a Rita Coolidge song (I think it was). She had no clue who Leonard Cohen was.
Then in 1984, when I was 16, the video for "Dance Me to the End of Love" came on a movie channel inbetween movies. I remember it to this day, I was busy getting ready for bed and talking to my mother, but I really wanted to stop everything and look at this video, hear this song. It reached into my soul, like nothing ever had done before. I watched the last few precious seconds of the video and noted the name "Leonard Cohen." My mother commented on how much she hated this song, it was "too weird" for her. Her taste in music was dismal, so I knew this was quality. Too bad I didn't look at this video closer because to this day I have never had the fortune of seeing an LC music video again. Why won't they release a collection of them in the US?
A few days after I saw that video I looked for Leonard Cohen in the record store and found the "Best Of..." album on cassette. It had that "Bird on the Wire" song! Then I found "Various Positions" and everything went from there.
I'm guessing it was probably Judy Collins, rather than Rita Coolidge, with "Bird On A Wire" ~ if Rita ever did a cover of it, I'd definitely love to hear it . I'm glad you made it through the bushes and the brambles to find the path to Leonard .
I think I was about 15 years old at the time. That's nearly 16 years ago now.
I want to a school/children's home combined due to abuse at home. I had some great teachers and carers there. One of them was this irish teacher called Mr. Fisher. He knew how much I appreciated music, and had introduced me to people and groups such as Joan Baez, Clannad, Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, lot's of classical and folk music too.
At dinner one night in the big dining room, he brought in a vinyl copy of Songs Of Leonard Cohen for me to borrow. I was into poetry at the time and he was introducing me to myusic and poetry combined. I will be eternally grateful.
Not only for introducing me to really wonderful music, but for taking an interest in me, and planting a seed in me to take an interest in the world.
my turn my turn! i remember listening to random songs by LC since i was a child. Growing older i concidered LC being too much of "my mother's music" so i never really cared about his music. things changed some 4 years ago. was doing my army service at that time (in the island Leros) and a friend ,furious that i didn't care about LC, started brainwashing me. it was actually famous blue raincoat that was the key to open the doors of LC's music.Since then "i'm his fan"!
i haven't seen that friend ever since then but i'll be forever grateful.
My introduction to Leonard Cohen came at the tender age of 12. My sister acquired a male penfriend and they used to swap cassettes of their favourite music. She sent him tapes of T. Rex, The Sweet etc.... and in return he sent Leonard Cohen. My sister and the whole of my family were appalled. I, however, was enthralled!
The recpient of the tape was my older sister and she has continued a sort of mild flirtation with the man's work via me. However, my younger sister became and avid fan and was waiting in line outside the record shop on the Dear Heather release date!!
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Besides a great story, what a pick-up line 
. I love your story. Wonderful details. That was a display that was meant to be.
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