Bob Dylan

Guide Note

Bob Dylan is a singer, songwriter, poet and musician whose career has spanned more than five decades and has included forays into music, movies, literature, theater and art. From his early days as a folk hero and traveling troubadour to his embracing of electric instruments, his introduction of folk music, blues and country to rock and roll changed the genres forever.

Fast Facts

1. Real Name: Robert Allen Zimmerman
2. Birthdate: May 24, 1941
3. Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
4. Years Active: 1959 - present
5. Record Label: Columbia
6. Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," behind only The Beatles.

Background

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota, Dylan grew up listening to Blues and Country music on the radio and eventually formed a number of short-lived bands at his high-school. After experimenting with Rock & Roll, Dylan became enamored with Folk music and traded in his electric guitar for an acoustic one. After dropping out of college, he played a number of shows on the Folk music circuit before moving to New York City in 1961.

Folk Hero

Dylan played a number of folk clubs and venues in and around Greenwich village before eventually signing to Columbia Records and releasing his self-titled debut album in 1962. With the release of 1963's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan , Dylan began to more clearly define himself as a "Folk" singer and a performer of "Protest" songs - things that earned him the respect and admiration of those within the folk community and the Civil Rights movement. During this period, Dylan released a number of classic folk anthems - including "Blowin' in the Wind", "The Times They Are a-Changin" and "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall".

Dylan Goes Electric

By this time, Dylan has become the face of Folk music and one of its most successful performers - making his eventual switch to electric instruments and rock and roll music that much more distressing and controversial to Folk music purists. In his infamous 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival, Dylan performed electric for the first on stage and received a harsh reception from fans.

Like a Rolling Stone

With the release of the 1965 single "Like a Rolling Stone", Dylan cemented his transition from Folk-Rock figurehead to Pop-Rock visionary. Often considered to be one of the greatest songs in Rock and Roll history ^[1], the single launched one of the most productive periods in Dylan's life, including the classic albums Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde.