Hitting the shelves on Thursday November 24, the bumper Hot Press Xmas/New Year Special includes a 14-page tribute to the legend that is Leonard Cohen.
The Webb Sisters, Sharon Robinson, Judy Collins, Sylvie Simmons and Suzanne Vega are among the members of his inner circle sharing their memories of Leonard.
“He defended humanity,” Charley Webb reflects. “If there was somebody who appeared to be suffering an injustice he would delicately readjust the balance with a gentlemanly firm hand, and people would listen. I adored his humour and unexpected jokes and his love of chocolate and chicken soup.”
Adds Sharon Robinson: “Working with Leonard was a dream. In terms of the man/woman thing, he always respected you fully as an equal. Discussing all sorts of things that were on his mind was part of the friendship, part of the interaction. Leonard had an immeasurable wisdom and intellect, and was able to access it and put it into his work.”
Recalling the time they interviewed each other, Suzanne Vega says: “I asked him about his record and he conducted what can only be described as a forensic examination of mine. It was a little dance he was doing, probing into my psyche but not in a way that felt unsettling or inappropriate. Leonard was intensely aware of other people's feelings, which was one of the reasons I loved him so.”
A friend since the 1960s when she covered 'Suzanne', Judy Collins proffers: "As a person, Leonard was very deep and very committed to his friends. In my work, he supported me emotionally, artistically and financially. That’s extremely rare – people don’t do that.
Mike Scott, Cathal Coughlan, Camille O’Sullivan and Gavin Friday tell us why they were such massive Leonard fans, and promoter John Reynolds has the inside story on those historic Lissadell shows.
“I’ll never forget Leonard, who had a slight cold, skipping down the stairs after the first gig and saying to us, ‘That was magic, I can’t wait for tomorrow!’” Reynolds reminisces. “I was like, ‘Oh my, God!’ It obviously had as profound an effect on him as it did those who were watching.”
We also hear the thoughts of President Michael D. Higgins and Gerry Kelly MLA, and look back at Leonard’s remarkable career in the company of our man Paul Nolan.

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