Baby girl for Rufus Wainwrightand Leonard Cohen's daughter

Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has announced the birth of his daughter via his website: “Darling daughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen was born on February 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California to proud parents Lorca Cohen, Rufus Wainwright and Deputy Dad Jorn Weisbrodt. The little angel is evidently healthy, presumably happy and certainly very very beautiful.”

He sweetly adds: “Daddy #1 would like to offer everyone a digital cigar and welcome the little lady in with a French phrase from his favorite folk song, A La Claire Fontaine: ‘Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, jamais je ne t’oublierai.’”

The singer is at pains to point out that Viva’s mother, who is the daughter of music legend Leonard Cohen, should not be classed as a ‘surrogate’. “Of course, she is no such thing,” he explains. “She did not carry the child for someone else. Lorca Cohen is the mother of the baby and Rufus Wainwright is the father.”

Wainwright and his partner of five years Jörn Weisbrodt were engaged last year.