A Folk Legend: Bob Dylan

In 1959, Dylan attended the University of Minnesota emphasizing folk music but soon dropped his education to pursue his interest in music, his obsessions with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. (www.top-success.com.) Dylan apparently started three prior bands to his own, "The Gaden Chords," "Elston Gunn," and "His Rock Boppers." At eighteen, Dylan was eager to join Little Richard and soon followed his heart straight on into New York City. By the beginning of the year 1961, he was renowned throughout Greenwich Village, the artist district of New York City, to play at coffeehouses throughout the area.

Dylan had begun to listen to folk and rock music. Dylan around this time had begun to master the harmonica and adopted his stage name "Bob Dylan". It is still unsure where he got the name "Dylan" from, but it is presumed that the name was taken from a popular poet named Dylan Thomas. The next year he dropped out of school and made his way to New York. Bob Dylan began playing amazing material at local coffee houses and was seen often in the company of many popular upcoming artists.

His songs were labeled as social protest songs with the genre of Folk and later forming to Folk-Rock (ABCCLIO Interactive). Bob Dylan’s major success came once he was found and represented by a “folk-music critic of New York Times, Robert Shelton” (The H.W. Wilson Company). Dylan began his fame in the world playing his guitar, harmonica, or piano and even created the stage name Bob Dylan during his years shortly after high school (ABCCL... ... middle of paper ... ...sage, for people to begin to take notice and reason out actions of civil equality between not only blacks and whites but all people. Dylan stands by his belief of the relevance that his songs, even Oxford Town, are to the society during the time written and future years for as long as it is heard.

Dylan then went and attended the University of Minneapolis and became a part of the folk scene. While in school Dylan became aware of the political and sexual freedoms amplifying among his peers. After dropping out of college Dylan then moved to New York and began to play small gigs until he was signed by Columbia Records in October of 1961. January of 1962, Dylan started to utilize his music in order to “show the experiences of injustice within American society” (Bob Dylan: 1960s Political and Social Movements ). Dylan became a spokes... ... middle of paper ... ...um and Luhrssen).

She was practically born into the movement, being the daughter of union and protest organizers, and a volunteer for the Congress of Racial Equality. She encouraged him to perform at a benefit in 1962, where he performed his first ever “protest song”, “The Death of Emmitt Till.” His second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, was when he started to plunge into his political song writing and further work with the civil rights movement. (Corbett) One of his biggest hits that really kick started his career, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, was also one of his most prevalent protest songs. In this song, Dylan says: How many roads must a man walk down/Before you call him a man? Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a white dove sail/Before she sleeps in the sand?

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.

"Cadillac Records." rogerebert.com. N.p., 08 12 2008. Web. 11 Nov 2013. .

"Dylan" came from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, with whom Zimmerman was frequently compared in the University folk circles. After leaving the University, Dylan moved to New York's Greenwich Village to follow his folk hero, Woodie Gunthrie. In fact, his main goal of moving to the Village was simply to meet his hero. He not only met the fo... ... middle of paper ... ... Lady Land, which contained his most successful single: Dylan's "All along the Watchtower". Hendrix's most memorable performance was in 1969, at Woodstock, where he played his immortal "Star-spangled Banner", however it is still unclear if he played the song in such an unpatriotic, angry style in protest of the war, or from the pressure from black militant groups.

Even during his early efforts Dylan responded very positivly to mainstream musicians, such as country star Hank Williams. Yet, he responded especially well to early rock stars such as Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. In the summer of 1959, after graduation Dylan began to work at a cafe, where he began to pay increasing attention to folksingers such as Judy Collins and Jesse Fuller. Finding an instant connection with their songs, songs relevant to social issues. Dylan was drawn into both the musical style and the social message of these indivisuals.

Nevertheless, "Dylan had merely created the most influential folk-rock ever recorded" (Bob Dylan: Desire). In essence, he moved forward from the mentality, in which a large part of the public during the 1960's still remained, in order to be better able to speak to his fans. He simply tried a new invention for the purpose of making his music sound better and holding on to his listeners. At the same time, though, when bands such as the Beatles had followed Bob's lead by creating blues and "psychadelic-influenced" music, Dylan retreated to his country forms (Bob Dylan: Desire). In other words, he spoke to the modern world, by progressing with the new, electric instruments, while still reaching his older, perhaps more traditional fans, with his alternated use of country forms.