Leonard Cohen Broke

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Leonard Cohen says his retirement savings are depleted: Macleans article
TORONTO (CP) — Poet, singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen has discovered that his retirement savings, which he thought were worth more than $5 million US, have been depleted, Macleans magazine reports.
The famous troubadour, who has homes in Montreal and Los Angeles, is virtually broke, faces a whopping tax bill and has had to take out a mortgage to pay legal costs, the magazine reported in an exclusive cover story this week.
A forensic audit of his holdings found “massive improprieties.”
“I was devastated,” Cohen says of discovering last fall that his savings had been reduced to about $150,000. “You know, God gave me a strong inner core, so I wasn’t shattered. But I was deeply concerned.”
Cohen, 70, has raised questions about how his money was managed by a longtime trusted personal manager, who had signing authority on his accounts, and a financial adviser.
Cohen will release a new album soon with his current girlfriend, Anjani Thomas.
“This has propelled us into incessant work,” he says of his financial troubles, adding: “It’s one of the best albums I’ve heard.”

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

Cohen will release a new album soon with his current girlfriend, Anjani Thomas.

hmmm... that doesn't sound promising.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

i'm sorry, but the last line of this is kinda amusing

― jermaine (jnoble), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

G-D is a vengeful man! Return to your roots, Leonard!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Watch for famous blue raincoat on ebay.

― M. V. (M.V.), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

x-post

Now hey, if the current girlfriend influence is anything like the last Boston record, it's going to be ...

... appallingly bad.

― faithful luddite, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

The more desperate for cash he becomes = the better the album gets!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

“You know, God gave me a strong inner core, so I wasn’t shattered. But I was deeply concerned.”

what?

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

uh, having $150,000 is far from being "broke."

― michael burble, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

But he still owes taxes on the $5M!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

2005, the year leonard cohen broke

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

It was time for an upgrade anyway.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

uh, having $150,000 is far from being "broke."

that was last year. the money manager guy presumably stole even more since then!

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
you were talking so brave and so sweet,
giving me head on the unmade bed,
while the limousines wait in the street.
Those were the reasons and that was New York,
we were running for the money and the flesh.
And that was called love for the workers in song
probably still is for those of them left.
Ah but you got away, didn't you babe,
you just turned your back on the crowd,
you got away, I never once heard you say,
I need you, I don't need you,
I need you, I don't need you
and all of that jiving around.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend.
You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception.
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."

And then you got away, didn't you babe...

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best,
I can't keep track of each fallen robin.
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

Poor guy. If only he'd stayed a monk...

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

Next time I see him in Bagels, Etc breakfast's on me.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

With all due respect to the poor and the dead, but

http://www.janisjoplin.net/articles/joplin.jpg

I would never let this person suck my dick.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

i doubt she'd be too offended; she was a lesbian.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

That song is about Janis Joplin?

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

This should be a warning to us all. Later today, sit down, talk with your personal managers and ask the hard questions.

― BanjoMania (Brilhante), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

uh, having $150,000 is far from being "broke."

150K is more or less dick as retirement kitties go. But I'm assuming that unlike most septaugenarians LCohen still has some royalty income coming.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

http://www.web-gestalten.de/cohen/dear_heather/Images/anjani.jpg

oh that leonard...

i'm sure he could milk a couple tv performances, interviews and whatnot and boost that $150k up a few notches

― chris andrews (fraew), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

I love the hasty addition that his new album is amazing, when the previous sentence plainly describes it as a desperate money drive. I mean, he could as well have said "I woulda dumped that bitch long ago and made an album with Rick Rubin and a Tibetan monk choir, but it looks like I can't afford either right now, so oh well. Buy my album!"

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

There's a chapter in a Pico Iyer book about Cohen, who comes across as one of the coolest and most bizarre characters ever. I'm rooting for him!

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:33 (twenty years ago)

If Willie Nelson's money & taxes problems are the main reasons why he's given us a reggae album and a role in The Dukes of Hazzard, what's in store for ol' Lenny?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:36 (twenty years ago)

willie nelson kicks butt. i love seeing him on mtv.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:41 (twenty years ago)

ts: willie nelson & jessica simpson vs. loretta lynn & jack white.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:42 (twenty years ago)

If Willie Nelson's money & taxes problems are the main reasons why he's given us a reggae album and a role in The Dukes of Hazzard, what's in store for ol' Lenny?

I predict a deep house album and an appearance in the upcoming A-Team movie.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:45 (twenty years ago)

So, Leonard Cohen and... Anna Nalick? Skye Sweetnam? Amy Lee?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Cohen & Lohan

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

That would be hot. He needs to slip into a Gainsbourg type role and write killer pop songs for teenage girls to sing.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

willie nelson kicks butt. i love seeing him on mtv.

He's become sorta like fellow toker Snoop, a benevolent non-sequitir presence in commercials and TV shows. Not a bad thing, really.

He should do some kinda Goth Travelling Wilburys with him in the Roy Orbison role.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:17 (twenty years ago)

a benevolent non-sequitir presence

beautifully said. i was thinking about that phenomenon recently - the spate of the "oh hey, there's Snoop" moments in everything from a Sidekick ad to "Old School" etc. that don't really contain any jokes; they AREN'T jokes. they're like old variety show walk-ons, mini-frissons of recognizing someone for the joy of recognition.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

That would be hot. He needs to slip into a Gainsbourg type role and write killer pop songs for teenage girls to sing.

or or or LEE HAZLEWOOD

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

i would pay FIVE DOLLARS for an update of "sand" with the both of them

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:59 (twenty years ago)

i'd rather see cohen doing french-fried funk that country duets

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:00 (twenty years ago)

saying lee hazlewood is country is like saying kfc is soul food

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

i know that's a bad analogy but i couldn't think of a better one.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:02 (twenty years ago)

"Hey There Mr. Bartender" - Lohan / Cohen feat. Paris Hilton.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

The tabloids could of course refer to them as CoLo.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

well maybe so but a bunch of his nancy duets (esp. 'jackson'), plus '..almost lady' and whatnot have distinct country leanings. what would you describe him as?

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:05 (twenty years ago)

bizarre '60s cowboy-in-sweden folk-pop anachronism

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

emphasis on "pop"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

Hazelwood is definitely country and since Cohen did a stint in Nashville the comparison is a good one. Although he does have a bit of that French-Canadian influence in him so he's kind of a perfect cross between Gainsbourg & Hazelwood.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

"He" in the last sentence being Cohen.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

Did he get mentioned in the "Artists who should get the Johnny Cash 'American' treatment" thread? Because it looks like he could do with something like that.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:15 (twenty years ago)

He can still find a job, he just needs to go out and talk to a friend.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

He needs to slip into a Gainsbourg type role and write killer pop songs for teenage girls to sing.

Worked for me. For a while. But my retirement nest egg is an egg in a nest. Literally.

― Momus (Momus), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:33 (twenty years ago)

he needs to talk to jason nevins.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:38 (twenty years ago)

worked for kelly clarkson.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:49 (twenty years ago)

I've seen the future, brother. Things don't look good for his personal manager.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:50 (twenty years ago)

still it's not as obscene as sting NEVER ACTUALLY HAVING NOTICED his money was missing!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

How can he be broke, he must be raking it in from the royalties on "Hallelujah" alone!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

jeff buckley never actually sold that many albums.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

Yes but every fucker's done a version of it now and, more importantly, it was in "Shrek", one of the most popular movies of the last 5 years

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

http://www.musicmatic.de/H/HappyMo1a.jpg

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

er, not the same one, no.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

jeff buckley never actually sold that many albums.

I was thinking of the version on John Cale's "Fragments of a Rainy Season", that must have sold shitloads.....................

― Diddyismus (Dada), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

perhaps delete the "loads" part...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:27 (twenty years ago)

.. hallelujah hallelujah, with Leonard william Cohen .. We'll ah keep you goin, ...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

You can certainly pick 'em, Len

― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Friday, 20 April 2012 12:28 (fourteen years ago)

"It gives me no pleasure to see my onetime friend shackled to a chair in a court of law," said Cohen, "her considerable gifts bent to the service of darkness, deceit and revenge."

― lathe darkman (some dude), Friday, 20 April 2012 13:09 (fourteen years ago)

i hope he had some elegant backup singers in court wth him, chiming a low stern chorus as he spoke.

― estela, Friday, 20 April 2012 13:23 (fourteen years ago)

this thread is so weird..."he's got 150k, he's 70 years old, shit he's in great shape...he's probably swimming in royalties!" lol

― same old song and placenta (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Friday, 20 April 2012 13:32 (fourteen years ago)

it seems like only one or two people said anything like that. one does wonder what kind of royalties come from "Hallelujah" being one of the most covered songs of the last couple decades but not necessarily a big sales or airplay hit.

― lathe darkman (some dude), Friday, 20 April 2012 13:45 (fourteen years ago)

Even with legal feels I'd say he's doing fine for a guy with maybe ten years left in him.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 20 April 2012 13:47 (fourteen years ago)

ha – legal FEES

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 20 April 2012 13:47 (fourteen years ago)

i kind of assume that i'm not going to have any firm understanding of the personal finances of anyone with any kind of real money and any kind of real expenses/liabilities, even if they try to publicly clarify what they are as sincerely as possible

― lathe darkman (some dude), Friday, 20 April 2012 14:07 (fourteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.