Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter from Athens, United States, born in 1945. He works mainly in contemporary folk and folk, and is associated with Overdrive Music.

He is known for a fingerpicking approach that draws on blues, jazz and folk, along with syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcomes a series of personal obstacles during his career, including partial loss of hearing and serious tendon damage in his right hand, and becomes widely recognised for his playing.

Kottke focuses largely on instrumental composition and performance, though he also sings occasionally in an unconventional baritone. He describes his voice as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day".

In concert, he mixes humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental pieces drawn from across his career, performing solo on 6-string and 12-string guitars. He resides in the Minneapolis area with his family.