Bob is regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century. In his 60-year long musical career, he has become a major figure in popular culture and he still remains in the same position after so many years. His music became the anthem of the youth due to its undeniable social and political significance.
Bob Dylan emerged as a young folk-rock singer after signing his first recording deal in 1961. He soon became vastly popular with his original and impactful voice. Dylan has toured all over the world pleasing his international fans. The iconic musician has received Academy, Grammy, and Golden Globe Awards and the most prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his great work.
Early life
Bob Dylan was born on May 24th, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. His parents were Abram and Beatrice Zimmerman. He has a brother and they were both raised in the Hibbing community. They studied and graduated from Hibbing High School in 1959.
He was very much interested in music since he was very young. Inspired by legends like Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard, he established several bands in his early days such as Golden Chords and another one where he performed under the stage name Elston Gunn. His real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman and he took the name Bob Dillon when he used to perform country and folk songs at cafés while attending the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Though many think that the name was inspired by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, the artist has said that it was actually formed after the central character from the TV series ‘Gunsmoke’.
Early musical career
Dylan decided to drop out of college and move to New York in 1960 as he wanted to visit his idol, his favorite musician, the famous folk-singer Woody Guthrie, who was battling a rare hereditary disease of the nervous system and was hospitalized. He used to visit Gutherie frequently in the hospital. He soon began to go to the folk clubs and coffee houses in Greenwich Village. There he made acquaintance with many musicians. He used to write songs so fast that it left everyone amazed. There he wrote his tribute song to his idol named, ‘Song to Woody’.
In 1961 he was signed with Columbia Records and legally changed his surname to Dylan. His first album ‘Bob Dylan’ was released in 1962. It had two original songs and covers of different folk and blues songs. It featured his hypnotic singing that earned his vast recognition and popularity.
Dylan released his next album in 1963, ‘The Freewheelin’, which took his popularity to the next level. The songs, ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ became the most memorable folk songs of the decade. His exceptional songwriting skills were showcased in his next album, ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’. It became the mouthpiece for the ‘60s protest movement.
During his romantic relationship with one of the movement’s significant figures, Joan Baez, he wrote many of her songs and she helped him get into the spotlight by presenting him at her concerts. He was performing in 200 concerts per year by 1964. At that time he was trying to break the monotony of his folk singer-songwriter persona and the protest movement. His 1964 album, ‘Another Side of Bob Dylan’ showcased more personal creations that were less political and more emotional.
A new image
As he began to move towards more electric instrumentation in 1965 with his album ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, he was not supported by many of his fans. His next album ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ in 1965 included his hit seminal rock song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ presented his exceptionally innovative talent.
In the next three years, he continued to invent new and refreshing melodies expanding his musical horizon. His next two albums, ‘John Wesley Harding’ and ‘Nashville Skyline’ revealed his smoother side. His two other records, ‘Tarantula’ and ‘Self-Portrait’ were also loved by the audience. He appeared in and wrote the soundtrack of the film, ‘Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid’. The song ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ became a huge hit and still loved by today’s generation.
Back to touring
After Dylan recovered from a serious accident he went on a tour in 1974 all over the country with his band, the Band. The tour was completely sold out. His album, ‘Planet Waves’ with the Band was his first number 1 album. His next albums, ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and ‘Desire’ also became number 1 hit.
He was devastated after his split with his wife Sara Lowndes. He even tried to win her back with the song, ‘Sara’ from ‘Desire’ but failed. He then announced in 1979 that he was a born-again Christian. His album, ‘Slow Train Coming’ was evangelical and it won him his first Grammy.
He started touring again in 1980 with his fellow musicians the Heartbreakers, the Grateful Dead, and Tom Petty. He was placed in the Songwriter Hall of Fame in 1982. He came back to making folk songs with his album, ‘World Gone Wrong’ in 1994 and won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for it.
In 1989 he was placed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was the first rock musician to get the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997. His album ‘Time Out of Mind’ in 1997 won three Grammys, making history. He won the Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for his song, ‘Things Have Changed’ from the 2000 film, ‘Wonder Boys’.
Recent works
Dylan released the album, ‘Modern Times’ in 2006 and it topped the charts the next month. In 2009, he released another studio album, ‘Together Through Life’. His next album, ‘The Witmark’ was released in 2010. In the September of 2012, he dropped another love album named ‘Bob Dylan In Concert- Brandeis University 1963’. In 2016, he released his 37the studio album, ‘Fallen Angels’, and a year later dropped his three-disc album, ‘Triplicate’, featuring songs like, ‘As Time Goes By’, ‘Stormy Weather’, and ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’.
Dylan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Barack Obama in 2012. He was also recognized for his extraordinary articulacy and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. It was the first time a musician was awarded the prize. He is also the first American to be awarded the prize after Toni Morrison in 1993.
He released the boxed set of ‘Trouble No More- The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981’ in 2017 and it became the talk of the town. In the meantime, it was revealed that the recording studio in Greenwich Village, where he used to make music was transformed into a luxury apartment. The cost of the lofts was reported to start from $12,500 per month. Soon after, the door of the room in the Chelsea Hotel, where he used to stay was sold for $100,000 at an auction.
He was featured in the EP, ‘Universal Love: Wedding Songs Reimagined’ along with others in 2018. He launched his own whiskey brand, ‘Heaven’s Door Spirit, which attracted controversy after Heaven Hill Distillery filed a lawsuit claiming trademark violation.
In 2020, Dylan released a new song, ‘Murder Most Foul’ depicting the story of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The song was 17-minutes long and was a lovely surprise for the fans.
Personal Life
Dylan was romantically involved with Joan Baez in 1963. He was also linked to gospel singer Mavis Staples and even wanted to marry her though it never happened. He married Sara Lowndes in 1965 and had four children with her, Anna, Jesse, Jakob, and Samuel. They divorced in 1977, leaving him heartbroken. He adopted her daughter from a previous marriage, Maria. His son, Jacob became the lead singer of the rock band the Wallflowers in the 1990s. Jesse Byron Dylan became a film director and a successful business executive.
In 1986, Dylan married Carolyn Dennis, who was his backup singer. They have a daughter named Desiree Gabrielle Dennis-Dylan. They divorced in 1992. The marriage and the daughter were a secret until it was revealed in the book, ‘Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan’.
Other notable works
Dylan’s talent is not limited to just music-making. He is an excellent visual artist. He has used his incredible paintings as the covers of his albums, ‘Planet Waves’ and ‘Self Portraits’. His artworks have been exhibited all over the world. He has published many books featuring his drawings and paintings.
He released his biography as a three-book memoir series named, ‘Chronicles: Volume One’ in 2004. A documentary was released in 2005 named, ‘No Direction Home: Bob Dylan’, featuring his first full interview in 20 years. It revealed many unknown facts about him and his music. It was directed by Martin Scorsese. A 160-foot wide mural of Dylan created by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra was revealed in downtown Minneapolis in 2015.