Screenshot from Leonard Cohen 75th Birthday Video
Happy Birthday, Leonard
In celebration of Leonard Cohen’s 75th birthday, September 21, 2009, Heck Of A Guy offers a video pastiche of favorite scenes featuring the singer-songwriter/poet/icon.1
Screenshot from Leonard Cohen 75th Birthday Video
The Leonard Cohen At 75 Birthday Video
Credit Due Department:
Special thanks are owed Phil Celia and Allison Crowe, both of whom generously permitted their music to be used in this video.2
- I know it’s not his birthday yet. I’m posting this video early because (1) with all the to-do over official fan celebrations and gifts, the concert in Barcelona, and other festivities taking place on Cohen’s birthday, I fear my incredibly unofficial, less than spectacular, way imperfect offering will be lost in the crowd, and (2) given that the interest in a video tied to a birthday ends at midnight of that birthday (unless the video features Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”), publishing my effort now extends its potential viewing life from 1 pitiful day to a slightly less pitiful 6 days. [↩]
- Neither Ms Crowe or Mr Celia asked for even a web site link as compensation. [↩]
A birthday tribute more desirable than either Manhattan or Berlin (either of which would require dusting) – and fun for the rest of us. Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant job Allan, as always!
Now THAT is a nice tribute
Loved it as usual.
By the way, how did you obtain that beautiful dedication in your Book of Longing?
Ah, it’s just another re-enactment of the age old story:
Boy (that would be me) finds girl (Anjani) while writing a review of girl’s new album (Blue Alert). Boy, on reading comparison of girl to Holly Cole and Tanita Tikaram, makes the obvious move, using the first part of the review to suggest a foursome consisting of him and the three female singers. Girl leaves comment, thanking boy for positive review. Boy publishes post interpreting girl’s comment as indication girl is torn between running to him and staying with her boyfriend, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lenny Kravitz, Leonard Nimoy, … Lennie somebody. Negotiations ensue re four-way Vs three-way and personnel composition of each but eventually girl sends a ”Dear DrHGuy” letter and it’s splitsville. Boy gets autographed poetry volume from boyfriend/poet as consolation prize.
It’s the kind of thing that happens every day.
The full story can be found at Anjani-DrHGuy FAQ
I suspected something along that line
Especially since I (as probably everybody) am aware of the still indestructible conviction of yours that a promise is a promise (even if never made 
) and that thus a foursome might still be a prospect in the near future (hopefully before the apocalypse). Well, keep us informed about your progress *lol*
Pity the girl erroneously thought she could buy herself free with an autograph of Lennie Who (?) of all people…
Ah – that was fun. Some wonderful pictures there Dr. Heck. And a very nice birthday salute to Leonard. Thanks for sharing.
WoW.
Totally unexpected in its presentation and execution, but fully expected in its quality… first class, pure class… totally befitting your subject.
Inspired and beautiful tribute to Leonard, Allan.
I returned from what was supposed to have been my turning in for the night, when I realized that I forgot to include how lovely it was to see Leonard’s skip those many years ago, and still the same after all these years. Recognize it anywhere
. Was that from “Bird On A Wire/I Am A Hotel”?
I don’t recall ever seeing that photo of him in his bare feet with that long, tall, Oriental painting[?].
Okay… now I’ll call it a night…
.
The scene with the younger Leonard Cohen skipping through a hallway at 1:23 (“The way you haunt my dreams”) is indeed from the “Memories” section of “I Am A Hotel” (1983). I was originally struck by that brief episode of skipping when I was researching a post, Two Leonard Cohen Memories, and used that same segment earlier in the cut and paste video I constructed for the 1976 Do I Have To Dance All Night Video. The photo with the oriental painting is from 1999.
Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories of this sublime literary, poetic and musical genius. May he enjoy his 75th in Barcelona. May he keep well, and share many, many more memories with us.