Bob Dylan's Biography

Patricia Prado

Express Plus 1

Tues & Thurs

7:30 am

His real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman. He was born in Minnesota in 1941, in a town situated very close to the border with Canada. His grandparents were Jews Russian immigrants. His star sign is Gemini (The Twins), and this is something we have in common. His stage name is Bob Dylan.

Dylan began to write his own poems at the age of ten, and He learned to play the piano and guitar alone during his teenage years. At this time and also joined some small rock groups in Minnesota. But in 1959, He got away home to Minneapolis University to study art, and then He changed his music style to folk. Dylan was really fond of work of Woody Guthrie, a very famous folk musician from that time. Bob liked Woody’s music so much, that he traveled to New York in 1961, jus to visit Guthrie. In “big apple”, Dylan came to Greenwich Village, the neighborhood that was the earthquake’s epicenter that folk music was in New York in those years.

Up to 1962, Bob Dylan had made more that 45 music albums. This year, could be heard in the Radio his firs long play. The second long play, The Freewhellin' Bob Dylan”, was launch in 1963. It contains the song that made Dylan known around the World, the hit “Blowing in the wind”. In those years, Dylan became more and more involved with political and social problem by his time. He participated in the stronger cultural movement of ´60, like fighting for the equality application of civil rights in United State and against the Vietnam War an racism.

Between 1964 and 1966, Dylan changed again the music style. By the influenced of the “beat” movement, He electrified his music. Moreover, He shocked his folk public inviting a rock blues band to play with him. In spite of it, He also had success with the new style, won new public, and was accepted by the critics. He became increasingly influent among musician of his time.

In May 1966, Dylan crashed driving his motorcycle. The accident took him off the stages until 1968. The album "John Wesling Hardin", whit strong influence by country music, marked Dylan’s´ returned. This new tendency will be more and more present in his futures work. Eighties were years full of creativity and success.

He divorced by Sara Lownes in 1977, his waif since 1965. After that, Dylan lived a personal crisis that had reflected in his work. After 1978 He began to have strong contact with the gospel music, besides His joining to the Church. It was a very controvertial period of his carrier, because He was very interested in religious music.
In 1983, whit "Infidels”, Dylan leaved the Christianity and turns back to his Jews roots. At the same time, He had a new reconciliation whit his public.

Nowadays, He continues to do music, compositions and makes successful songs. Dylan also paints, draws, and writes. He has edited the book "Drawn Blank" during 1994.
In 2005 Martin Scorsese made a Biographic film about Dylan, “No Direction Home”. The movie gives a completely sight about Dylan story and his different musical creations. Regardless, does not answer the big question: Who is really Robert Allen Zimmerman?