Leonard Cohen was an artist.
Leonard Norman Cohen ( September 21 , 1934 -- November 7 , 2016 ) was a Canadian singer , songwriter , musician , poet , novelist , and painter . In 1979 , Cohen returned with the more traditional Recent Songs , which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences . Old Ideas is the twelfth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen , released in January 2012 . Recent Songs is the sixth studio album by Leonard Cohen , released in 1979 .