Bob Dylan

783 Words2 Pages

From the start of the Counterculture, singers and songwriters took on a role that would dramatically change the way emotions were expressed in music, but not many were as influential as Mr. Bob Dylan. Not only did his works alter his life, but they also altered the lives of everyone living in the historical era. Dylan would not have done any of this without the impact of his past, his biographical and sociocultural influences, and his poetic characteristics. Bob Dylan, a widely known singer whose works are still worshipped today, was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 19, 1941. He worked along side his father at an oil company as he grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and “he taught himself piano and guitar” (Dylan Biography, IMDb). Because of his unique outlook on life, he focused much on words in the form of protest singing, but his lyrics are greatly considered to be poetic by himself and others. He acknowledged this by changing his name to Bob Dylan in honor of one of “his favorite poets”, Dylan Thomas, and by leaving his heart on the stage (Dylan Biography, IMDb). From the start of his career, he loved to perform for others. He played in many bands of Hibbing High, and he graduated only to continue to the University of Minnesota in 1959. Dylan later earned his gain to fame after dropping out of college and playing at various cafés around Greenwich Village, New York. In 1961, Columbia Records signed him and he released his first record in 1963 called “Bob Dylan” (Corbett, Ben). Because of his two-year relationship with fellow singer Joan Baez, he gained large popularity, but in 1966 after his marriage to Sara Lowndes, he was in a serious motorcycle accident. It took him a year or so to recover, but he soon “reinvented” himself ... ... middle of paper ... ...n, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. . "Bob Dylan Biography." IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. . Corbett, Ben. "Bob Dylan Timeline - A Timeline of Bob Dylan's Career." About.com Folk Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. . Smith, Nicole. "The Influence of the 60s and Psychedelic Music and Culture on Modern Society." Article Myriad. N.p., 16 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 May 2014. . The New Yorker. "Bob Dylan, the Beat Generation, and Allen Ginsberg’s America." The New Yorker. N.p., 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 May 2014. .

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