Michael Cohen

Below, lyric booklet from "What Did You Expect?"

below, lyric booklet from "Some Of Us Had To Live"

December 2007. Sometimes people who have been moved by the music of the
artists I feature write me, with their own experiences and information. I love
this, and want to share (with his permission) an email from Mal Schoen (California):

Hi,

In 1984, quite by accident, I discovered Michael Cohen's first album
in a used record store in Berkeley. I became obsessed with it, located
his other album (I didn't know there was a third till I read it in your column
this week!), and was determined to find out if he was still around. 
Believe it or  not, I tracked him down!  I called the record company, which
had no information on him (not even a current address, so they couldn't
send him his royalty checks). but they referred me to the musicians who
played on the albums.  This didn't pan out, but I was persistent - I noted
that someone named Warren Selinger had written a Queens-themed poem
on the lyrics page.  It was more than a decade later, but I took a chance -
in that pre-Internet age - and called Queens directory assistance. 
Selinger was still there! 

I called, and another man answered the phone -
he put Selinger on, and I gave him my spiel. He found it touching and
generously gave me Michael Cohen's phone number. I was shaking! 
His songs were so raw and romantic, I was sure that somehow we were
fated to meet and be together (note: I was in my 20s then!).  It took a few
times to get through - he had no answering machine - but eventually he
said hello, and there I was in my Berkeley apartment, talking with
Michael Cohen, gay troubadour of the 70s. 

We didn't talk long - he sounded very sad and it was awkward.  I told him
I'd just discovered his albums and how much I enjoyed them, and he said
he was glad to hear the music was still alive and touching people,
something like that.  I realized I couldn't delve deeper,  he just sounded
too sad, and I didn't want to intrude.  I've wondered over the years what
became of him, but I have no idea.  "Michael Cohen" is not an unusual
name and hard to track.

I know this isn't much....but I guess it's something. - Mal Schoen