(JTA) — The news has been out there for years, but for many rock and folk music fans, it might still be a shocker: Jeff Tweedy, frontman and songwriter for the beloved band Wilco, is a convert to Judaism.
Tweedy, who is doing interviews these days to promote his new album “Warm” and new memoir “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back),” described the whole story in a recent chat with Jewish comedian Marc Maron on his “WTF” podcast. And it’s a great story.
Tweedy, 51, is married to Sue Miller, a former talent agent who is Jewish. Both of their sons have had bar mitzvahs.
“I find myself extremely comfortable and attracted to secular Judaism,” he said.
When his older son, Spencer, started to struggle with his bar mitzvah training, Tweedy offered to go with him to temple to talk with the rabbi — he would convert, if the rabbi let him, while Spencer learned his Torah portion.
Listen to the heartwarming story here, starting around 1:28:00. He also goes on to talk about his wife, who can’t go to Germany because “whenever she hears anyone saying anything in German she thinks they’re saying ‘Get in the oven,’” and his former rabbi, who influenced Tweedy’s philosophy and passed away at 103.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
