Leonard Cohen was Canadian.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honours Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music . Leonard Norman Cohen ( September 21 , 1934 -- November 7 , 2016 ) was a Canadian singer , songwriter , musician , poet , novelist , and painter . He was a Companion of the Order of Canada , the nation 's highest civilian honor . His first album , Songs of Leonard Cohen ( 1967 ) , was followed by three more albums of folk music : Songs from a Room ( 1969 ) , Songs of Love and Hate ( 1971 ) and New Skin for the Old Ceremony ( 1974 ) .