Leonard Cohen's estate not praising RNC's unauthorized use of "Hallelujah"

After Trump's final speech at the Republican National Convention, Leonard Cohen's classic song "Hallelujah" was heard twice, albeit a cover recording by Tori Keller and live opera performance by Christopher Macchio. Leonard Cohen's estate did not, um, praise the use of the classic song. Now, they are "exploring their legal options." Meanwhile, Cohen's publisher, SONY/ATV, said the RNC had asked them at the last minute for permission to do the live performance and were denied.

"We are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC's use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner 'Hallelujah,' one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue," Michelle L. Rice, legal representative of the Cohen Estate, posted on Facebook....

"Had the RNC requested another song, 'You Want it Darker', for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song."

Amen.

who knew our descent into fascism would be so fucking tacky pic.twitter.com/URKVkBhsds

- molly conger (@socialistdogmom) August 28, 2020