We remember Robert Zimmerman, who was born in Minnesota on this day in 1941. We know him as Bob Dylan.
As far as I know, Dylan has been quiet lately. He seems to be enjoying retirement and having the rest of us listen to his songs. (By the way, May is another anniversary of Dylan’s second album, the one that included “Blowing in the wind.”)
Dylan did win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016. Eventually, he accepted the award, but his trip to Stockholm was typical Dylan, as I recall reading in The New Yorker:
When he finally showed up in Stockholm, during an April tour stop, to receive the Nobel medal, he looked more like a cat burglar than a laureate, sneaking into the private prize hand-off through a service door, wearing a hoodie, leather jacket, and gloves.
Maybe he should have done a solo rendition of “Boots of Spanish Leather” with that outfit! On second thought, maybe he should have asked Joan Baez to do it.
I never really liked Dylan singing his own songs, although “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Like a Rolling Stone” are obvious exceptions. Nobody can sing those two songs like Dylan. I love The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man,” but Dylan is Dylan.
Nevertheless, I was one of those who loved others singing Dylan songs. Nobody did it better than Peter Paul and Mary and Joan Baez.
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