Staff Blog
Linda Cohen, 1947-2009
On Friday night, right before midnight, Philly's godmother of psychedelic classical folk, Linda Cohen, passed away. She was my friend and someone I believed to be one of this city's true musical visionaries — whether she knew it or not.
I've been a little bit shattered most of the week anyway. Family stuff. Things that have been breaking my soul and mind. Linda's passing broke my heart, though.
Here's a recent look at her prodigious talent. And after the jump, read something forwarded to me by her old friend and manager David Carroll. I'll have more chat with her pal — "first boyfriend" Henri David — in this week's Icepack.
Linda Cohen, noted Philadelphia guitarist and music teacher, died on January 23, 2009, surrounded by loving family and friends following a brief, intense battle with cancer. She died as she had lived — on her own terms — at home, surrounded by all she found beautiful, inspiring, honest and comforting.
Linda Cohen was born February 4, 1947. She began her music career as a drummer in her East Oak Lane elementary school. Her first professional engagement was as a member of a local polka band at a Ukrainian Day festival at age 16. She began jazz lessons and then chose to focus on guitar, eventually studying with Segovia-trained classical guitarist Peter Colona.
Linda quickly progressed from guitarist to composer, writing compositions for the guitar in a unique neoclassical-folk-blues style. Over the years she has appeared in Philadelphia at The Second Fret, the Electric Factory, Artemis, The Tin Angel, and the Academy of Music, as well as at the famous Bitter End in New York City. She has opened for acts such as Gordon Lightfoot, Procol Harum, Dave van Ronk, Stephane Grappelli. Linda has often appeared as a solo artist, with electronic musicians Charles Cohen (Anomoli) and Craig Anderton, and more recently with former Mandrake Memorial harpsichordist Michael Kac.
Linda's career as a recording artist began with her debut album "Leda" (1972), and continued with "Lake of Light" (1973) produced by Kevin Eggers for Tomato Records. "Angel Alley" followed (1982). Legendary designer Milton Glaser produced the albums' cover art. Linda joined harpsichordist Michael Kac to create her latest album, "Naked Under the Moon" (1999). Her association with lifelong friend and current manager David Carroll resulted in a personal renaissance and renewed public interest in her work. This past year Linda performed in concert in Philadelphia at The Tin Angel (with Michael Kac) and at the Electric Factory Reunion Concert.
In addition to writing and performing, Linda Cohen enjoyed a thirty-five year career as a guitar teacher, having taught literally thousands of aspiring musicians to play styles varying from blues to classical. Until this past November, Linda was a popular teacher at The Classical Guitar Store, Philadelphia's premier guitar instruction venue. Many current and former students have become life-long friends of Linda's and have joined her wide and loyal fan base.
While admired for her musical gifts as a performer, composer and teacher, Linda may be best remembered for her intimate, loving and long lived friendships here in Philadelphia and, indeed, throughout the country and the world. Enduringly youthful and graceful, she enriched the lives of all she touched with her warmth, humor, keen intellect, and irreverence. Linda served as a constant center for a diverse group of people of many talents and interests. Her generous and free spirit will be sadly missed and her memory treasured.
Linda is survived by: her parents Harry (Ellie) and Selma Cohen, and sister Beth Rose, of Elkins Park, PA; her niece, Aliyah Salotti, of Coatesville, PA; her dog, Ben; and the countless friends and students who mourn her loss.
Linda's family wishes to thank both her many friends and the staff of Wissahickon Hospice for their time and gentle care during her last few months. Linda will be remembered with a private service for family and close friends, and with a memorial event at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Linda's name may be made to MusiCares, (www.grammy.com\musicares), a charitable organization that supports musicians in need.
Linda was such a huge inspiration. I miss her so much. Henri David summed it best,”Look up, there is another star in the sky”.
It doesn’t seem possible that my beloved teacher and friend is gone. Linda, you were a light to me in a thousand different ways, and I will miss you every day for the rest of my life. Rest well, dear angel.
What serene music to be left with! The Philadelphia Folksong Society will miss Linda Cohen…
Always the music….
Levi Landis
PFS, Executive Director
Music truly lived in Linda Cohen. All she had to do was play two notes and you knew you were hearing not just notes but music. You could feel it come alive in her, as she played with the embracing gentleness, driving passion, playful humor, and well of love that was her.
With such fond memories,
Celeste Hardester
I’ve taken guitar lessons off and on with Linda since 1985. We’ve been neighbors in Center City since the early ’90’s. I just can’t imagine living in Philadelphia without running into Linda Cohen. She was always very positve and engageing. I will miss her very much.
Linda my friend ,my aunt, my confidant . I love you. I miss you so. I need your humor and your patience.In Cinnies book Jordan wrote Linda is kind. My girls need to learn the lighter side of life . How is it possible that you were taken so fast? You will live in us forever. Thank you for your many gifts- we have all learned so much.
Linda, Why did you check out so soon? I thought you would always be with us. I didn’t know when we ate at Pat’s Steaks that we were saying goodbye for the last time. I am so shocked and so sad.
It is difficult for me to get a grip on this terrible news. Having known Linda for over 35 years, I feel like a piece of my heart has been ripped out. In the mid-1970’s, while booking the Cellar Door in DC, I booked Linda as an opening act for Robert Hunter (writer for the Grateful Dead), Don Everly and others. We became friends and more. I always had a place to stay in Philadelphia. Her house was welcoming. Linda was even more welcoming. I am glad I was able to spend a couple of days with her when I came to Philadelphia to do a nature photography shoot. Bruce Fitzgerald just wrote me to tell me the news. Linda never let me know she was ill. It was like her not to put worries on others. She was the best.
I had the pleasure of working with Linda on her and Michaels “Naked Under the Moon” record in the late 1990’s. I soon realized that she was the best guitar player to set foot in my recording studio (no offense to any others…). My best memories were actually during the breaks when Linda would go outside and play on the corner bus stop for whoever was passing by. She could pull off the most complex songs with ease, totally amazing! On top of everything she was very humble and easy to work with. A record engineers dream…
I am shattered to hear this news. But as we know, Linda will live forever. Just listen….
Linda can only be described as, “a rare, rare bird”.
I studied with her off and on and sometimes I asked Linda to just play one of her compositions instead of proceeding with the lesson, as they were so gorgeous. She didn’t like that very much. But hearing her play felt like stepping out of time. Some of her compositions were honestly the most beautiful pieces of music I ever heard and one felt moved to hear them. Once while waiting for a lesson, I dappled a simple C chord on the piano. Linda popped her head in the room and I quipped to her, “Linda, why do you think it is, that a simple C chord on piano sounds so dam beautiful”? Linda replied, “I know exactly what you mean and the reason is because it’s the truth.” These poetic responses and awareness’s are what made Linda a beacon to me and how I will always remember her. I will mostly remember the intimate moments studying with her, her manner, her husky voice, being in her teaching room, in the Classical Guitar Store. I imagine if we ever meet again, she will be unchanged, as she and her art were always ageless. Rest in musical peace Linda.
ETERNAL TREBLINKA
Bruce Fitzgerald writes, “Linda, why did you check out so soon? …. I didn’t know when we ate at Pat’s Steaks that we were saying goodbye for the last time. I am so shocked and so sad.”.
I am sorry that Bruce misses his friend but, what he doesn’t realize is that he answers his question - why did you check out so soon? - in his tribute.
I hope that he and all of Linda’s friends will read “Eternal Treblinka” by Charles Patterson. It will not only change their lives, because it will leave them “so shocked and so sad” but, the big bonus is that it will make them much less prone to ill health. I only wish that Linda had read it as then, as she was kind, it would have changed her life too and then she almost certainly would still be here.
Not just rest in peace; we need, each of us, to do our best to lead a peaceful life and help make the world a better, more peaceful place while we are here.
Vegan wishes,
Sandra