Details of Leonard Cohen's last days emerge: Musician died after a fall

A week after Leonard Cohen’s family announced that the legendary singer, songwriter, and poet died at age 82, new details have emerged about his final days, including the circumstances of his death.

Cohen’s manager, Robert B. Kory, said in statement to the New York Times, “Leonard Cohen died during his sleep following a fall in the middle of the night on Nov. 7. The death was sudden, unexpected, and peaceful.”

No cause of death had been given initially, although fans knew Cohen had been ailing of late. According to recent interviews with the New Yorker, Cohen battled cancer and came to terms with his own mortality. “I am ready to die,” he said. “I hope it’s not too uncomfortable. That’s about it for me.”

Nonetheless, Cohen pursued his craft to the very end. His 14th studio album, You Want It Darker, was released Oct. 21, and he was working on two more albums — one R&B, one orchestral — as well as a book of poetry.

Patrick Leonard, a producer and songwriter who worked closely with Cohen, told the Times, “He felt the window getting narrower. He wanted to use the time as productively as he could to finish the work that he was so good at and so devoted to.”

Read more about Cohen’s last days at the New York Times.