The bizarre moment Vladimir Putin sang Leonard Cohen’s favourite song: “One of the greatest”
An article recounts an odd episode in which Vladimir Putin sang a verse of Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" during a children's charity event in St Petersburg in 2010, performing it in English before an audience of bemused celebrities. The piece links this to Leonard Cohen, who reportedly regarded "Blueberry Hill" as his favourite song and once praised its lyrics as among the greatest ever written, though Cohen and Putin never actually met.
The song, composed in 1940 by Vincent Rose with lyricists Larry Stock and Al Lewis, only became famous through Fats Domino's 1956 recording, some 16 years later. The article notes this was one of several unlikely crossovers between politics and music, comparing it to Theresa May dancing to ABBA and Ronald Reagan appearing alongside Michael Jackson, and observes wryly that Cohen would likely have been dismayed to see his favourite song performed by Putin.
- Putin sang Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" at a 2010 St Petersburg charity event
- Leonard Cohen called the song one of the greatest ever written
- Cohen and Putin never met, but shared admiration for Fats Domino
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Putin is Russia's president, a former KGB officer who has led the country since 1999 as either president or prime minister. He has occasionally appeared in unusual cultural moments outside politics, including public performances and photo opportunities, which tend to attract attention because they contrast with his usual carefully managed image.
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet, known for songs such as "Hallelujah" and for his often melancholic, literary style. He died in 2016, and his personal tastes in music, including which songs he most admired, have sometimes been recorded in interviews and biographies.
"Blueberry Hill" is a well-known American song from the mid-20th century, most associated with the rock and roll singer Fats Domino, though it was written earlier by other songwriters. Stories connecting political figures to unexpected musical moments, such as this one, are typically reported as light human-interest pieces rather than stories with major political consequences.