Kurt Neumann (musician)
The driving voice and songwriter behind the BoDeans, crafting heartland rock anthems that became 1980s radio staples.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: October 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kurt Neumann didn't set out to be a rock star; he set out to write honest songs about the people and landscapes of his native Wisconsin. As the co-founder, lead singer, and guitarist of the BoDeans, he helped forge a sound in the mid-1980s that was both distinctly American and refreshingly devoid of glamour. With a voice that could sound both weary and hopeful, and songs built on ringing guitar hooks, the band's music found a home on album-rock radio. Their 1986 album 'Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams' and the follow-up 'Outside Looking In' established them as critical darlings, even if mainstream superstardom remained elusive. Neumann has steered the band through decades, lineup changes, and the shifting tides of music trends, remaining its sole constant member and creative engine. His commitment to the craft of songwriting and the band's live show has earned the BoDeans a devoted, lifelong fanbase.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kurt was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kurt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Kurt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential roots-rock band the BoDeans, serving as its primary songwriter and frontman.
- Saw the BoDeans' song "Closer to Free" become the theme song for the TV show "Party of Five," boosting the band's national profile.
- Earned a Grammy nomination in 1994 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for the song "Closer to Free."
- Released over a dozen studio albums with the BoDeans, maintaining a consistent touring presence for over three decades.
Did You Know?
The band's name, BoDeans, was chosen from a phone book.
He and original co-founder Sam Llanas famously recorded their early vocal harmonies around a single microphone.
He is an avid painter and has exhibited his artwork.
The BoDeans performed at the first Farm Aid concert in 1985.
“I just write about the people I know and the town I'm from.”
