John Gorka (born in July 1958) is an American contemporary folk musician. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine called him "the pre-eminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement. Gorka was born in Edison, New Jersey. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift, though Gorka alleges that his older brother stole it from him shortly thereafter. He eventually learned, instead, to play the banjo, and began performing in a folk music group at his church. Gorka attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band which would also include guitarist Richard Shindell.