Bob Dylan
4/19/202655 min
The American singer-songwriter and musician Bob Dylan is one of the most important recording artists on the planet. A cultural icon, his work has had a profound influence on popular music since the 1960s. First gaining fame as a folk singer with songs that addressed the subjects of the Cold War and the civil rights movement, he later revolutionised rock music. But Dylan is an artist of contradictions. A magnetic performer who remains fiercely private. One of the wealthiest musicians of his generation who dresses like a vagabond. A womaniser who has penned some of the world’s most tender love songs. But how did a suburban boy from Minnesota become one of the world’s most famous artists? Why does he inspire such fierce devotion and myth-making? And after six decades of songwriting and performing, how can we begin to characterise his legacy? This is a Short History Of Bob Dylan. A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Michael Gray, the pioneer of Dylan Studies, and the author of the first critical study of Bob Dylan’s work, Song & Dance Man: The Art of Bob Dylan. Written by Nicola Rayner | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman Unlock the next two episodes of Short History Of… right now by subscribing to Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, including Real Survival Stories and Sherlock Holmes Short Stories. Just click the subscription banner at the top of the feed, or head to www.noiser.com/subscriptions to get started. A Short History of Ancient Rome - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit noiser.com/books to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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John Hopkins· Host0:29
[gentle music] It is Sunday, July the 25th, 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, one of the most anticipated events on the American folk calendar. [crowd cheering] Darkness has fallen on a gently rolling field crammed with eager music fans. [crowd cheering] 46-year-old Pete Seeger, an elder statesman of this music community and a member of the festival board, now emerges from backstage. [microphone feedback] Slim, with a receding hairline, he crosses the empty stage and adjusts the microphone. [microphone feedback] It's almost time for the headline act. [tense music] 24-year-old Bob Dylan is a rising star, but the folk community still feels a sense of ownership over him. It was Newport, after all, that helped to make his name. Even so, Seeger is a little nervous right now. He's