Jay Ungar’s Bio, Net Worth, Wife, & Family

Jay Ungar is a folk musician and composer from the United States; well recognized for his work in the folk genre. Furthermore, Jay banded together with Cat Mother & the All Night New Boys in the late 60s and early 70s. After that, he played with Putnam String County Band and David Bromberg.

Jay Ungar’s Bio, Age, Wiki, & Family 

Jay Ungar was born in the Bronx, New York City, USA on November 14, 1946, and is currently 77 years old as of 2024. He was born to Jewish parents who immigrated to the United States from eastern Europe. He is a Scorpio by birth.

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Jay Ungar’s Wife and Children

Speaking about his personal life, his wife name Molly Mason and he has a daughter named Ruth Ungar  (whose biological mother is Lyn Hardy). 

In 1991, he married Molly Mason, a fellow folk musician. Furthermore, Jay and Molly are exceptional musicians who pull on a diverse variety of American musical styles for their repertoire and inspiration, including 19th-century classics, vibrant Appalachian, Cajun, and Celtic fiddle tunes, and favorites from the golden age of country and swing, as well as their own songs, fiddle tunes, and orchestral compositions. 

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Jay Ungar and Molly Mason received worldwide recognition through their performance of Jay’s composition “Ashokan Farewell”. Moreover, adding to their achievements, the musical duo has had the distinction of playing for two sitting presidents at the White House, and they’re always on the tour, enticing crowds all over the world.

Besides, the couple met in the 70s and still performs together with their band, Swingology, as well as with their daughter Ruth and her band The Mammals occasionally. Jay has also formed a band named Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band. The lineup consists of Jay, his wife Molly, and the couple’s daughter Ruth and her husband Michael.

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Jay Ungar’s Net Worth

As a world-renowned musician, Jay has amassed a substantial fortune. Several media reports suggest that Jay Ungar’s net worth or wealth is estimated to be in the range of $10 million dollars. 

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Career

He launched his career in the 1960s Greenwich Village music scene. He rose to prominence as the composer of “Ashokan Farewell,” a nostalgic song that served as the theme song for Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary in 1990. He has often worked with David Bromberg, a famous singer, and songwriter.

In addition to this, he played with Cat Mother & the All Night New Boys, as well as the Putnam String County Band. He is best known for “Ashokan Farewell,” a waltz he composed for his “Fiddle & Dance” music camp on the SUNY New Paltz Ashokan Field Campus, which was later used as the theme tune for Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War. Ashokan Farewell also won Jay his first and only Grammy award and the composition is still praised by his listeners.

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