Cohen, Madonna to be inducted into Rock Hall of Fame

A group of 600 music industry professionals annually choose a handful of artists for induction.

Irish folk singer Damien Rice will perform one of Cohen's songs as part of the induction ceremony.

Cohen, 73, is being hailed as the "folk rock icon of the singer-songwriter movement."

A member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, he is known for songs such as Suzanne, Hallelujah and Bird on a Wire.

It would be a stretch to call Cohen a rock star, says Ira Nadel, author of biography Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen.

The honour is instead a recognition that Cohen's songs have been covered by dozens of rock 'n roll stars, from Elton John to Joe Cocker to Bono, Nadel told CBC News.

"Leonard Cohen is foremost a composer and secondarily perhaps a singer," Nadel said. "But this is what he's been looking for — a recognition of his significance as a songwriter."

Nadel said Cohen's following continues to grow, especially in Europe where fans are charmed by his far-from-idealized view of life and love.

"It's his melancholy. No one speaks to life like Leonard Cohen," he said.  "It's a recognition that life is not romantic. It's about what you lose and what you gain."