Leonard Cohen wrote songs.
Leonard Norman Cohen ( September 21 , 1934 -- November 7 , 2016 ) was a Canadian singer , songwriter , musician , poet , novelist , and painter . His 1977 record Death of a Ladies ' Man was co-written and produced by Phil Spector , which was a move away from Cohen 's previous minimalist sound . `` Suzanne '' is a song written by Canadian poet and musician Leonard Cohen in the 1960s .