Hallelujah- More Performance Videos of Leonard Cohen’s Much-Loved Song

This is my second hub featuring performances of Leonard Cohen’s iconic song Hallelujah.  You can view the lyrics and read a brief bio on Leonard Cohen in my hub, Hallelujah- 10 Performance Videos of Leonard Cohen’s Much-Loved Song.  That hub features performances by Cohen and classic versions by performers like Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Rufus Wainwright and others.  I am including different Leonard Cohen performances in each of my planned 4 hubs in this series.  This hub features 10 performances of Hallelujah, and 2 performances by bands who incorporate Hallelujah into their original songs. 

Performances in this hub: 

Leonard Cohen

Willie Nelson

Sheryl Crow

Bob Dylan

Bono

Allison Crowe

Damien Rice

Regina Spektor

Katherine Jenkins

Constantine Maroulis

Fall Out Boy

Paramore

Leonard Cohen

Born:  Sept 1934, Montreal

Singer, songwriter, poet, novelist

Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson was born in April 1933 in Ft Worth Texas.  He was a successful songwriter in the 1960s, with his songs performed by country stars Patsy Cline, Ray Price and Faron Young.  He was not widely known as a singer-performer until the 70s.  He has countless solo hits and has recorded with other headliners such as his Highwaymen friends Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.  Willie recorded Hallelujah for his 2006 release Songbird. 

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow was born in Kennett Missouri in February 1962.  Her father played trumpet and her mother sang in swing bands.  She was a singer for 2 years on Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour, and with Don Henley’s End of the Innocence Tour.  She was a session singer for Don Henley, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Sinead O’Connor and Foreigner.  She wrote her first song at age 13.  Her songs have been recorded by Celine Dion, Eric Clapton and Wynonna Judd.  She began finding solo success in the early 90s.  It seems Sheryl has not recorded Hallelujah for audio release. 

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in May 1941 in Duluth Minnesota.  He is a music icon.  His songs are rambling narratives, and have been sung by countless artists.  As a singer, many agree he is not a good singer in a conventional sense.  He started performing under the name Bob Dylan, taking “Dylan” from the poet Dylan Thomas.  Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie were early influences.  He is thought to be one of the first artists to perform Hallelujah in concert, with a performance in Montreal July 1988.  I found one source that indicated Hallelujah is on his recording, A Legend in His Time Disk 3, but I could not find it on Amazon.  I think Bob Dylan is a great poet, but tend to like his songs best when sung by someone else.  I don’t personally care for his version of Hallelujah. 

Bono, singer for U2, was born Paul Hewson in Dublin Ireland in May 1960.  His father was Catholic and his mother Protestant, and he was considered the product of a “mixed marriage”, not accepted in either church community.  The band that ultimately became U2 was formed in 1976.  At the time he was not a very good vocalist, but secured the frontman spot with his powerful personality.  By the time of the 1983 release of War, he had honed his skills.  With the 1987 release of Joshua Tree, the band became international superstars.  Bono’s Hallelujah, a predominantly spoken-word rendition, is included in the 1995 star-studded “Tower of Song” tribute to Leonard Cohen.  I don’t care for this version at all. 

Singer-songwriter Allison Crowe was born in British Columbia in November 1981.  She began performing at age 15 in Vancouver Island coffeehouses in 1996.  Her first recording was 2001.  She has been praised for her live performances, and compared to Mahalia Jackson, Sarah McLachlin and Janis Joplin.  She performed Hallelujah for a Canadian national TV special. 

Singer-songwriter Damien Rice was born in the 70s in Ireland.  His Indie Rock group, Juniper, recorded 2 moderately successful songs in 1997.  His first solo record was an instant Top 20 hit in 2001.  He performed Hallelujah at Leonard Cohen’s 2008 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor was born in February 1980 in Moscow.  Her family moved to the Bronx when she was 9.  She studied classical piano, and played a multitude of parties and small venues while self-releasing works in 2001 and 2002.  Subsequently she began to gain a following in the US and Europe.  She performed Hallelujah in 2005 at the Jewish Heritage Festival. 

Mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins was born in Wales in 1980.  She began studying classical piano and voice at 7 years old.  She later attended the Royal Academy of Music.  After graduation, she continued to pursue opera, but supplemented her income with modeling.  She performed for Pope John Paul II.  Her debut album was released in 2004.  She was the best-selling classical artist in the UK.  She recorded Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You in 2005.  She recorded a classical crossover version of Hallelujah on Sacred Arias. 

Constantine Maroulis was born in 1975, and was raised in New Jersey by Greek-American parents. He earned a degree in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory of Music. He was eliminated early on in the 4^th season of American Idol, but was offered modeling and acting opportunities. He had a role on The Bold and the Beautiful. He recorded Bohemian Rhapsody for the tribute, Killer Queen. This video of Hallelujah was from a performance in Annapolis MD at Ram’s Head. To the best of my understanding, he did not perform Hallelujah on Idol. 

The band Fall Out Boy was formed in Chicago in 2001.  Their music has been described as emo and punk pop, and alternative and indie rock.  Band members are Patrick Stump, vocalist and guitar, Joe Trohman, guitar, Andrew Hurley, drums, and Pete Wentz, bass and lyrics.  If the name Wentz sounds familiar, it may be because he is married to Ashley Simpson and has a child with her.  The band incorporated a few lines of Hallelujah into their song, Hum Hallelujah.  Hallelujah starts at about 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the video clip. 

The band Paramore was born when the Farros brothers asked 13 year old Haley Williams to be their singer.  They subsequently added other members.  Their music has been described as punk, alternative and indie rock.  They were signed by the record label, Fueled by Ramen in 2005.  They were nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2008.  They have toured with No Doubt.  They begin their song Hallelujah with verses from Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. 

Hallelujah- 10 Performance Videos of Leonard Cohen’s Much-Loved Song

Hallelujah- More Performance Videos of Leonard Cohen’s Much-Loved Song

Hallelujah- Idol and X-Factor Video Performances of Leonard Cohen’s Song

Hallelujah- Video Performance Gems of Leonard Cohen’s Song by International Artists

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My Favorite British Rock Bands (with videos), Part II- Zeppelin, Queen, the Who, and the Stones

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