Ira Kaplan
Ira David Kaplan[1] (born January 7, 1957) is a co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. He is married to the band's co-founder Georgia Hubley.[2]
Ira Kaplan
Ira David Kaplan
January 7, 1957
Queens, New York, United States
Singer-songwriter, musician
1984–present
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Kaplan formed Yo La Tengo in the early 1980s. Previously, he worked as a music critic for the SoHo Weekly News, New York Rocker and Village Voice,[3] as well as serving as a soundman, roadie and backup musician for Mofungo and other New York-area bands.[4][5] Kaplan's life, family, and musical development were chronicled in the book Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock, by Jesse Jarnow (Avery Books, 2012).[6]
In 2012, Spin Magazine named Kaplan the 97th greatest guitarist of all time.[7]
Kaplan's vocals were featured in Eluvium's 2013 album Nightmare Ending in the song "Happiness". He occasionally hosts a free-form radio program on WFMU under the name "Ira the K."[8]