Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore. Early life Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His parents were Andy Moore and Nancy Power, who had already raised three daughters and two other sons. Moore attended a Patrician Brothers primary school and later studied at Newbridge College. In college he formed the group Aes Triplex with his brother Andy and a school friend. He later attended a college in Limerick, but he dropped out after a couple of years to pursue a music career. Early career as Barry Moore In 1969, 14 year old Barry Moore embarked on a tour supporting his eldest brother, Christy, at various English folk clubs. He subsequently spent all of his spare time practicing and writing music. In 1976, Christy recorded one of his songs "Wave up to the Shore". In 1977, Barry Moore toured Germany and England as part of the group Inchiquin. In 1978, Moore released his debut album, Treaty Stone. In 1979, having normally played guitar using a finger-picking technique, he was afflicted with tendinitis—forcing him to learn to play with a plectrum, which altered his guitar style. That year, he moved to Groningen in the Netherlands. In 1980, he recorded and released his second album, In Groningen. In 1982, he released his third album, No Heroes, which contained songs all written by Moore himself. For three years, from 1983 to 1986, Moore was the front-man for the Dublin-based band Red Square. During this time, in 1984, his son Robbie was born. Musical career In 1987, Moore moved to the United States and began performing using the stage name of "Luka Bloom". He chose the name "Luka" from the title of Suzanne Vega's song about child abuse and "Bloom" from the main character in James Joyce's novel Ulysses. Initially he lived and performed primarily in Washington D.C., but in winter 1987 he moved to New York City. The following year, he released his first album – later withdrawn – under the name Luka Bloom. In 1990, Bloom released his album Riverside, which included the song "The Man Is Alive". The album was recorded in New York, with its lyrics reflecting his experiences living and performing in that city. In 1991, Bloom returned to Dublin to record The Acoustic