Bob Dylan Influence

Bob Dylan is an important icon whose music continues to influence rock music even six decades later, despite after several top forty hits, not one being a number one hit. His music has inspired many iconic musicians like Johnny Cash and The Grateful Dead (nj101.com) . What Bob Dylan brought to rock music back in the sixties can be heard in today’s music.
Bob Dylan started his life as Robert Zimmerman from Duluth, Minnesota and raised in Hibbing from the age of six. He first learned how to play guitar and harmonica, deciding to start a band called the Golden Chords in high school. After graduating in 1959, Bob Dylan would go on to study art at University of Minnesota. It would be his time at college when would start to perform folk music at coffee houses under the name, Bob Dylan. He drew his inspiration and even last name from poet Dylan Thomas. Blues musicians like Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie would influence Dylan’s music. In the Summer of 1960, Dylan would meet blues artist Jesse Fuller where Dylan would pick up the harmonica rack and guitar combination (allmusic.com). By the time of his return, Bob Dylan had grown substantially as an artist and now was determined to become a professional.
In 1961, Dylan would make his way to New York City. Immediately, Greenwich Village folk community would embraced his presence. After, he would visit his own idol, Guthrie, in the hospital. Returning to performances in the coffee house. Dylan’s gruff charm would win him an impressive fanbase. He’d open for John Lee Hooker in April and five months later, he’d perform at another concert in Gerde’s Folk City. John Harmond found Bob Dylan and signed him in the fall of 1961. Together they would release his first album, the following year. The a...

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...s career would mostly be a wind-down. He’d release greatest-hits album and would release another completely original material until 1997 with Time Out of MInd. He’d receive two Grammies for it and have his concert sell-out once again.
Bob Dylan would make another album in 2001 comprised of original material called Love and Theft then announced he’d be producing his own film.
Bob Dylan’s contributions to rock music will live on. He caused teenagers to appreciate poetry again and made people who’d normally ignore politics care. His nasally voice and six minute hits forced music out of it norms and opened the doors for more unconventional artists. Dylan’s view on the world and his ability to educate on others on it through his art led many to believe him to a be a prophet. The ideas Bob Dylan contributed music will continue to thrive for as long as rock music lives.