Los Angeles

Los Angeles, a sprawling city of contrasts, played a pivotal role in Leonard Cohen’s life and career. Known for its sun-drenched streets, vibrant creative scene and the glamour of Hollywood, it may seem an unlikely home for the poet and songwriter whose art was steeped in themes of introspection, spirituality and human frailty. Yet, Los Angeles became a sanctuary for Cohen, offering him inspiration, solitude and a backdrop to some of his most transformative years.

The Arrival: Leonard Cohen’s Move to Los Angeles

Leonard Cohen first arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1960s, a period when his career was beginning to shift from poetry and prose to music. Drawn by its burgeoning creative energy and the opportunities it offered to recording artists, Cohen found the city an ideal place to reinvent himself as a musician.

• The Music Scene
  Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s was a hub for musicians, attracting icons like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and The Doors. For Cohen, the city provided access to leading studios, producers and collaborators who helped shape his sound.

• A Base for Exploration
  Although Cohen travelled extensively, Los Angeles became his base, a place he returned to after months on the road or years spent in other parts of the world. It was here that he consolidated his career as an international music icon.

Life in Los Angeles

For Cohen, Los Angeles was both a home and a source of inspiration.

• Residences in the City
  Cohen lived in various parts of Los Angeles, but most famously in the modest duplex on South Laurel Canyon Boulevard. This unassuming property became a quiet retreat where he could write, reflect and recharge away from the public eye.

• The Balance of Fame and Solitude
  In Los Angeles, Cohen navigated the dualities of his life, balancing the demands of fame with his deeply private nature. The city’s sprawling geography and discreet neighbourhoods offered him both the anonymity he craved and access to the creative world he thrived in.

Los Angeles and Cohen’s Music

The city’s unique character found its way into Leonard Cohen’s songs, adding depth and texture to his already evocative lyrics.

• Themes of Urban Loneliness
  Tracks like The Future and Waiting for the Miracle reflect the sense of alienation and longing that Cohen observed in the sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles, with its vastness and diversity, became a metaphor for the existential questions he explored in his work.

• Hollywood Allusions
  Cohen was no stranger to the glamour and darkness of Hollywood. His song Dance Me to the End of Love has often been interpreted as a reflection of the ephemeral nature of beauty and success, themes deeply intertwined with the city’s ethos.

• A Place of Collaboration
  Many of Cohen’s most significant musical partnerships were forged in Los Angeles. Producers like Phil Spector (with whom Cohen recorded Death of a Ladies’ Man) and Sharon Robinson, his longtime collaborator, worked with him in the city’s legendary recording studios.

Los Angeles and Cohen’s Spiritual Journey

While Los Angeles is often seen as a city of materialism and excess, for Cohen, it became a place of profound spiritual exploration.

• Buddhism and Mount Baldy
  Just a few hours’ drive from Los Angeles, Mount Baldy Zen Center became a spiritual haven for Cohen. He spent years there as a Zen monk under the guidance of his teacher, Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi. Los Angeles served as the gateway to this deeply transformative chapter of his life.

• Themes of Redemption
  Songs like Anthem and Hallelujah resonate with the spiritual lessons Cohen absorbed during his time in Los Angeles. The city’s paradoxical mix of chaos and serenity mirrored his own internal struggles and growth.

Cohen’s Legacy in Los Angeles

Even after his passing in 2016, Leonard Cohen’s presence remains deeply felt in Los Angeles.

• The Mural on South Crescent Heights Boulevard
  A stunning mural of Leonard Cohen, completed in 2017, overlooks a busy street in downtown Los Angeles. It has become a pilgrimage site for fans, a place to honour his memory and legacy.

• Concerts and Performances
  Los Angeles hosted some of Cohen’s most memorable performances, including iconic shows at the Greek Theatre and the Staples Center, where he captivated audiences with his inimitable voice and poetic lyrics.

• A City Remembering Him
  Cohen’s connection to Los Angeles is celebrated in documentaries, exhibitions, and fan gatherings. His influence on the city’s artistic community endures, inspiring musicians, poets, and dreamers alike.

Los Angeles: A City of Paradoxes, Like Leonard Cohen Himself

Leonard Cohen’s relationship with Los Angeles reflects the dualities that defined both the city and the artist. It was a place where creativity met chaos, where solitude met celebrity, and where spirituality met the grind of daily life. For Cohen, Los Angeles was more than just a home—it was a canvas upon which he painted some of his most profound artistic and personal explorations.