Leonard Cohen: Master of joy and gloom

Editor’s Note: Gene Seymour is a film critic who has written about music, movies and culture for The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

There are those who will say – if they haven’t already – that Leonard Cohen did not really die Thursday at 82 as has now been widely reported. They will say he simply passed to a higher spiritual plane accessible only to those who are truly and profoundly enlightened.

Which would be a lovely thought, if it weren’t for its implication of privilege and hierarchy that one senses would be abhorrent to Cohen’s spiritual and artistic values. To presume greater enlightenment than anybody else would be presumptuous, dishonest and, above all, selfish.

The world fell in love with the Canadian singer-songwriter more than 45 years ago because it sensed from the beginning his emotional generosity. He wanted to share it all with us, whether the “it” in question was the instinct towards romantic possibility, heard in such early classics as “Suzanne,” “Sisters of Mercy,” “Bird on the Wire” and “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.” Or the submission to joy and exaltation celebrated in “Anthem” and – of course – “Hallelujah,” to whose perpetual airplay and renderings we will likely be exposed over the next 48-to-72 hours– now that he’s gone.

Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and 1960s, died December 28, one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, passed away. She was 84.

Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter's publicist. Fisher had suffered a cardiac event on December 23. She was 60 years old.

Actor and comedian Ricky Harris, who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," died December 26, according to his publicist. He was 54.

Singer George Michael, who shot to fame with the '80s band Wham!, died on Christmas Day, according to Britain's Press Association. He was 53 years old.

English novelist Richard Adams, author of the famous children's book "Watership Down," died at the age of 96 on December 24.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian beauty whose many marriages, gossipy adventures and occasional legal scuffles kept her in tabloid headlines for decades, died December 18, said her former longtime publicist Ed Lozzi. She was 99.

Craig Sager, the longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter best known for his colorful -- and at times fluorescent -- wardrobe, died December 15 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, the network said. He was 65.

Actor Alan Thicke, known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer to composer to author.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died December 8, according to the Ohio State University. He was 95.

Joseph Mascolo, the actor who portrayed archvillain Stefano DiMera in the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died December 7 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, the network said. He was 87.

Greg Lake, a founding member of influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died December 7 after a bout with cancer, his manager said. He's seen here at left with bandmates Keith Emerson, center, and Carl Palmer in 1972.

Actor Ron Glass, known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."

Florence Henderson, whose "Brady Bunch" character Carol Brady was one of television's most famous mothers, died November 24 at the age of 82, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said.

Sharon Jones, the powerful lead singer of the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, manager Alex Kadvan told CNN. She was 60.

Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," died after a battle with endometrial cancer, according to PBS on November 14. She was 61.

Leon Russell, who emerged as a rock 'n' roll star in the 1970s after working behind the scenes as a session pianist for other musicians, died November 13, his wife told CNN. He was 74.

Robert Vaughn, who played a slick spy on TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", died November 11, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, told CNN. Vaughn was 83.

Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."

Janet Reno, the first female US attorney general, died November 7 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, her sister Maggy Hurchalla said. Reno, 78, served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 2001.

Tom Hayden, a peace activist whose radical views helped spur the anti-Vietnam War movement, died October 23. He was 76.

Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney, who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That's not right," died, his agent said October 21. Meaney's age and the cause of death weren't immediately known.

Phil Chess, the co-founder of the iconic rock-and-roll and blues label Chess Records, died October 18, according to his son. He was 95. Phil and his brother Leonard founded Chess Records in the late 1940s and helped spawn the careers of many popular musicians in the 1950s.

Dylan Rieder, a professional skateboarder and model, died on October 12 due to complications from leukemia, according to his father. He was 28.

Actor Tommy Ford, best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.

Award-winning author Gloria Naylor, whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.

Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident September 25, Florida authorities said. He was 24.

Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.

Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.

"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson, 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."

Charmian Carr, best known for her role as Liesl in "The Sound of Music," died September 17 at the age of 73, according to her family. Carr died of complications from a rare form of dementia.

W.P. Kinsella, the author of "Shoeless Joe," the award-winning novel that became the film "Field of Dreams," died at 81 on September 16.

Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- died at the age of 88 after a short illness, according to his personal assistant Jakob Holder. Albee died September 16 at his home in Montauk, New York.

Actress and transgender rights activist Alexis Arquette died September 11. She was 47.

The Lady Chablis, the unabashed Savannah, Georgia, transgender queen who became a gay icon after finding fame in the 1990s through the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie, died September 8. She was 59.

Actor Hugh O'Brian, best known for his portrayal of the title role in the 1950's TV Western "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," died on September 5. He was 91.

Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.

Fred Hellerman, a singer and composer who was the last surviving member of the iconic and influential folk music quartet the Weavers, died September 1 at the age of 89. He is on the right along with the other members of his quartet.

Actor Gene Wilder, who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.

Actor Steven Hill, best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's "Law & Order," died August 23, his son confirmed to CNN. He was 94.

Matt Roberts, former guitarist of the band 3 Doors Down, died August 21, his father said. Roberts, seen here at center, was 38. A cause of death was not immediately known.

British actor Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker's niece, Abigail Shield, told CNN. He was 81.

Famous New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died August 6 of heart failure. He was 86.

Actor David Huddleston, perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.

Youree Dell Harris, better known as "Miss Cleo," the pitchwoman for the Psychic Readers Network, died July 26 of cancer, according to an attorney for her family. She was 53.

Timothy LaHaye, the evangelical minister and co-author of the "Left Behind" book series, died July 26 following a massive stroke. He was 90 years old. Here, he is seen at left with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins in 2004.

Garry Marshall, who created popular TV shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days" and directed hit films such as "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died July 19 at the age of 81, his publicist said.

Actress Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.

Director Michael Cimino, whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel's book "La Nuit" is the story of the Wiesel family being sent to Nazi concentration camps.

Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.

Pat Summitt, who built the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers into a perennial power on the way to becoming the winningest coach in the history of major college basketball, died June 28 at the age of 64. Her death came five years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Bill Cunningham, one of the most recognizable figures at The New York Times and in all of New York, died June 25 at the age of 87. Cunningham was a street-life photographer; a cultural anthropologist; a fixture at fashion events; and a celebrity in spite of his desire to keep the camera focused on others, not himself.

Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley's official website. Stanley was already famous in bluegrass and roots music circles when the 2000 hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" thrust him into the mainstream. He provided a haunting a cappella version of the dirge "O Death" and ended up winning a Grammy.

Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the most recent "Star Trek" movies, died June 19 after a freak car accident outside his home, police said. He was 27.

Actor Ron Lester, who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.

Singer Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.

Michu Meszaros, the actor who played "Alf" in the popular '80s sitcom, died June 12, according to his longtime friend and manager Dennis Varga. Meszaros was 77.

Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.

Hockey legend Gordie Howe, left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.

Mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice died June 6 at the age of 42. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, initially gained fame from online videos that showed him engaging in backyard bare-knuckle fights. He then became a professional fighter with a natural charisma that endeared him to fans.

Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion who called himself "The Greatest," died June 3 at the age of 74. Fans on every continent adored him, and at one point he was the probably the most recognizable man on the planet.

Drummer Nick Menza, who played on many of Megadeth's most successful albums, died after collapsing on stage during a show with his current band, Ohm, on May 21. He was 51.

Actor Alan Young, known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television show "Mr. Ed," died on May 19. He was 96.

CBS News legend Morley Safer, whose work on "60 Minutes" embodied the show's 50 years on air, died at the age of 84, according to CBS on May 19.

Grammy-winning songwriter Guy Clark died May 17 at the age of 74. The Texas native died after a long illness, according to a statement from his publicist.

William Schallert, a familiar face in television and film thanks to roles on "The Patty Duke Show," "Star Trek" and many more, died May 8 at age 93, his son said.

Madeleine LeBeau, known for her role in "Casablanca," died May 1 after breaking her thigh bone, her stepson Carlo Alberto Pinelli told CNN. The actress, who played the jilted girlfriend of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in the movie, was 92.

Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, died after collapsing on stage at a music festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on April 23, according to a statement from the Urban Music Festival. He was 66.

The musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota on April 21 at age 57. The medical examiner later determined he died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.

Michelle McNamara, the crime writer who founded the website TrueCrimeStory.com and the wife of popular comedian Patton Oswalt, died April 21, her husband's publicist confirmed. She was 46. No cause of death was provided.

Joan Laurer, the former pro wrestler better known as Chyna, was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on April 20. The cause of death is under investigation, but police said there were no signs of foul play. Laurer was 45.

Actress Doris Roberts, best known for her role as Marie Barone on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 17. She was 90.

Will Smith, a former first-round pick in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl-winning team, was shot to death after a traffic incident on April 9. He was 34.

Country music legend Merle Haggard died on April 6 -- his 79th birthday -- of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN.

Architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died March 31, a spokesperson from Zaha Hadid Design told CNN. She was 65. Hadid died of a heart attack in a Miami hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis, according to her firm's press office.

Actress Patty Duke, star of "The Patty Duke Show," died March 29, at the age of 69. Duke won an Academy Award at age 16 for playing Helen Keller in 1962's "The Miracle Worker."

Actor James Noble, who played Gov. Eugene X. Gatling in the television series "Benson," died from a stroke on March 28. He was 94.

Author and poet Jim Harrison died March 26 at his winter home in Arizona. He was 78. His many books include "Legends of the Fall," which was made into a 1994 movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

Garry Shandling, the inventive comedian and star of "The Larry Sanders Show," died March 24. He was 66. Shandling's comedy and mentorship influenced a generation of comedians.

Ken Howard, seen here as Hank Hooper on "30 Rock," died March 23. He was 71. Howard also starred in "The White Shadow" and appeared in many other TV series.

Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 at the age of 45. He's seen here at center during a performance in 1996. Taylor had long suffered from health issues associated with having Type 1 diabetes. In 2008, he underwent a kidney transplant.

Actor Larry Drake, best known for his role as Benny on "L.A. Law," died at his home in Los Angeles on March 17, according to his manager Steven Siebert. Drake was 66.

Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary entertainer who had a long musical career of his own, died March 16, said manager Andrea Kauffman. He was 72.

Keith Emerson, keyboardist for the influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died March 10, according to the band's official Facebook page. He was 71.

Sir George Martin, the music producer whose collaboration with the Beatles helped redraw the boundaries of popular music, died March 8, according to his management company. He was 90. Above, Martin poses with the Beatles after the album "Please Please Me" went silver in 1963.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who joined her husband on a storybook journey from Hollywood to the White House, died of heart failure on March 6. She was known as a fierce protector of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, as well as a spokeswoman of the "just say no" anti-drug campaign. She was 94.

Pat Conroy, who used his troubled family history as grist for a series of novels, including "The Prince of Tides" and "The Great Santini," died March 4 at age 70.

Bud Collins, the legendary tennis writer who was the first newspaper scribe to regularly appear on sports broadcasts, died March 4. He was 86. Collins was beloved for his cheerful and enthusiastic coverage of a sport he covered for almost 50 years.

Lee Reherman, a former football player and star of "American Gladiators," was found dead on March 1. He was 49 years old.

George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as "Cool Hand Luke," "Airport" and the "Naked Gun" films, died February 28. He was 91.

Tony Burton, who played trainer Tony "Duke" Evers in the "Rocky" film franchise, died on February 25. He was 78.

Singer Sonny James, who ruled the country music charts for nearly 20 years, died February 22 at the age of 87.

Umberto Eco, author of the novels "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum," died February 19 at the age of 84, his U.S. publisher said.

Harper Lee, whose novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1961, was confirmed dead on February 19. She was 89. Her long-anticipated second novel, "Go Set a Watchman," was published in 2015.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was the United Nations' sixth secretary-general in the early 1990s, died on February 16. He was 93.

George Gaynes, the veteran actor best known for "Punky Brewster" and the "Police Academy" films, died on February 15. He was 98.

Denise Matthews, who fronted the group Vanity 6 but was best known for her collaboration with Prince, died February 15 at a hospital in Fremont, California. She was 57.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the leading conservative voice on the high court, died at the age of 79, a government source and a family friend told CNN on February 13.

Edgar Mitchell was the sixth man to walk on the moon and just one of 12 total who have done so. The Apollo 14 astronaut, who was 85, died on February 4.

Dave Mirra, whose dazzling aerial flips and tricks made him a legend in freestyle BMX, died February 4 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police in North Carolina said. He was 41.

Maurice White, the Earth, Wind & Fire leader and singer who co-wrote such hits as "Shining Star," "Sing a Song" and "September," died on February 4, his brother and bandmate Verdine White said. He was 74.

Joe Alaskey, a voice actor who performed such characters as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, died February 3 at the age of 63. The actor voiced many other beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat and Plucky Duck.

At left is Bob Elliott, half of the TV and radio comedy duo Bob and Ray. He died February 2 at the age of 92. For several decades, Elliott and Ray Goulding's program parodies and deadpan routines were staples of radio and television. Elliott was the father of comedian and actor Chris Elliott and the grandfather of "Saturday Night Live" cast member Abby Elliott.

Paul Kantner, a guitarist in the '60s psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and its successor, Jefferson Starship, died on January 28. He was 74.

Abe Vigoda, the long-surviving "Godfather" and "Barney Miller" actor, died January 26 at age 94. Vigoda became famous for his role as the decrepit detective Phil Fish on the television series "Barney Miller," but it was the inaccurate reporting of his death in 1982 that led to a decades-long joke that he was still alive. He played into the joke in late-night television appearances with Conan O'Brien and David Letterman.

Glenn Frey, a founding member of the Eagles, died at the age of 67, a publicist for the band confirmed on January 18. "Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," read a post on the band's official website. Frey had been suffering from intestinal issues.

Dan Haggerty, who played mountain man Grizzly Adams in a hit movie followed by a TV show, died on January 15. He was 74 and had been battling cancer.

Alan Rickman, the British actor who played the brooding Professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" series years after his film debut as the "Die Hard" villain Hans Gruber, died January 14 after a short battle with cancer, a source familiar with his career said. He was 69.

Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin died January 11 at the age of 96. Irvin was regarded as one of the best hitters and all-around players in the Negro League, making five All-Star teams. He became one of the first African-Americans to play in the majors, and he played a vital role in the New York Giants' World Series runs in 1951 and 1954.

David Bowie, whose incomparable sound and chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself made him a pop music fixture for more than four decades, died January 10 after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69.

French fashion designer Andre Courreges, famous for his "space age" designs of the 1960s and 1970s, died on January 7, his family told CNN affiliate France 3. He was 92.

Pat Harrington, the popular comedian and voice-over talent who made a lasting impact as superintendent Dwayne Schneider on the hit TV sitcom "One Day at a Time," died on January 6. He was 86.

Producer Robert Stigwood, the creative force behind "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and other cultural blockbusters of the 1970s, died on January 4. He was 81.

Vilmos Zsigmond, the Oscar-winning cinematographer whose varied work included "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The Deer Hunter," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "Deliverance," died on January 1. He was 85.

Dale Bumpers, a former U.S. senator and Arkansas governor who defended President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, died on January 1. He was 90.

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley -- co-author of a landmark anti-corporate-fraud law that bears his name -- died on January 1. He was 71.

People we lost in 2016

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If he’s really gone…but hold that thought…

How did this happen? It was only a few weeks ago, when the Nobel Prize committee announced it was giving its literature prize to Bob Dylan, that some of us were bringing up Cohen’s name as a plausible alternative, if indeed this was the year for a singer-songwriter.

As if to back up such arguments, the man himself had released a new album, You Want It Darker, which is as sepulchral and indigo-dyed as its title implies, with mournful backup vocals suggesting a monastic chorus and instrumental support as Spartan and austerely furnished as a monk’s cell.

Perhaps the title track’s lyrics should have served as prelude, or at least a signal that the end was near. “If you are the dealer/ I’m out of the game/If you are the healer/I’m broken and lame/If thine is the glory/Then mine must be the shame/You want it darker…I’m ready, my Lord…”

As with Dylan, Cohen seemed to own a direct line to the prophetic and messianic. They both knew the words to songs that were already conceived, but that could only be accessed by their respective subconscious. Cohen could be as daring with his word combinations as Dylan, and his rage could startle with its prescience and vision.

Perhaps the most paradigmatic example of what aroused Cohen’s ire can be found in a song that, one guesses, will have been played quite a bit in the last 24 hours. “Everybody Knows” can be considered the anti-“Hallelujah” in its more trenchant and yet just-as-all-encompassing view of the pre- and post-Millennial world.

It begins: Everybody knows that the dice are loaded/Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed/Everybody knows that the war is over/Everybody knows that the good guys lost/Everybody knows the fight was fixed/The poor stay poor, the rich get rich/That’s how it goes/Everybody knows…”

It only gets grimmer from then on. Yet we never resented Cohen for coming up with such a despairing, spot-on worldview. If anything, we were grateful that the same mind that could come up with “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Who By Fire,” “Tower of Song,” “Dance Me To the End of Love.” and, (again) of course, “Hallelujah” had a heart and mind big enough to take in such forbidding observations and make us all feel somehow more validated, if not altogether better, for sharing what he knew with us.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 12: Musician Bob Dylan performs onstage during the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards held at The Hollywood Palladium on January 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1)

Related article Bob Dylan deserves the Nobel

When the world loses such generosity, especially when it sort of catches us by surprise, we keenly feel its absence.

Then you wonder again if he’s really gone.

And as long as the question remains open, the question of “absence” remains, at best, theoretical.