Ira Leitner is a folk/rock singer songwriter who has performed across the United States. From New York to Boston, Maine to Florida through Nashville and out west to California, he has traveled this land, singing and writing about it.

He began his career in Grenwhich Village New York, at the Café Wha in 1973. At the time it was owned by Woodstock’s opening act – Richie Havens.

30 years later he learned that was also where Bob Dylan first performed when he arrived in NYC. Ira also played Folk City in the summer of 1976, which was the same summer when Bob Dylan spent time in Folk City, making plans for his Rolling Thunder Review.

Similar to most musicians who came out of that era, he was inspired by the Beatles playing the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. One other band’s performance equally inspired him and that was Creedence Clearwater Revival who appeared in November 1969.

While it is widely accepted that Woody Guthrie is from Oklahoma, he also lived in Coney Island, Brooklyn NY, on Neptune Avenue. This was about 2 miles from Ira’s Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn home and could be why his elementary school teacher taught “This Land Is Your Land,” to the entire second grade in 1962. Ira has not only sung it ever since; but aspired to live the lyrics as well.

He has been writing songs since 1973. His song “Massachusetts” written in 1976, is still requested in gigs on Cape Cod where he performs as lead guitarist for a blues band. He wrote “Top Of America,” as a tribute to the United States on the summit of Pikes Peak because he knew that was where “America The Beautiful” was written. Now, twenty three years later “Top of America,” is still among his most requested tunes.

Ira had formal training in Hollywood California’s Guitar Institute of Technology. He counts among his friends Pat Martino, his former instructor and arguably the world’s greatest living Jazz guitar player. No matter the venue, or audience, his passion for music shows in his performance, a tapestry made of sound absorbing life experiences, shared with listeners with the goal of spreading joy.