Pokey LaFarge (born June 26, 1983) is an American musician, writer, and actor raised in Illinois, and now is based in Los Angeles, California.
LaFarge was born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington, Illinois. The nickname “Pokey” was coined by his mother, who would scold him to hurry when he was a child.
LaFarge took an interest in history and literature during his childhood, and was greatly influenced by his grandfathers. One was a member of the St. Louis Banjo Club who gave him his first guitar and tenor banjo. The other, an amateur historian, taught him about the American Civil War and World War II.
LaFarge enjoyed the writings of John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Jack Kerouac. As a teenager, he combined his appreciation for history and writing with his discovery of blues music.
