Massive Memorial Planned for Leonard Cohen

To honour the life of Canadian legend Leonard Cohen, a memorial tribute has been organized by the Cohen family with a massive lineup of performers.

On November 6th, the likes of Sting, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang, the Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, and more will gather to perform in memory of the artist who passed away on November 7th, 2016 at the age of 82. Organizers anticipate the list of performers to grow, and include well-known actors who will give spoken-word tributes.

The event is being organized by family, who have called the festivities “Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen.”

According to the Canadian Press, Adam Cohen, the late artist’s son has said, “My father left me with a list of instructions before he passed: ‘Put me in a pine box next to my mother and father. Have a small memorial for close friends and family in Los Angeles…and if you want a public event do it in Montreal’…I see this concert as a fulfillment of my duties to my father that we gather in Montreal to ring the bells that still can ring.”

Two other events will kick off in Cohen’s name around the same time, an exhibition opening at the Musée d’art contemporain on Nov. 9, “Leonard Cohen: Une brèche en toute chose / A Crack in Everything”, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal presents “Dance Me”.

All proceeds from the concert will go to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.