Happy Birthday Bob Dylan: His Greatest Hits Celebrated
If there’s one thing we can say about Bob Dylan, it’s that he’s a legend. Today’s his 76th birthday, and in honor of that momentous occasion, we join many other publications all over the world in wishing him a happy birthday, and in looking back at some of his greatest hits and career accomplishments.
In 1985, Bob Dylan gave an interview to The Los Angeles Times to promote his then-new album, Empire’s Burlesque, and he gave the interview with the outlet under the stipulation that they only talk about his new album and not about anything he’d done in the past (even though, at that time in history, he was only known for his past work).
“I hope you don’t make this look like some carny trying to hawk his records. I don’t know if you even want to hit on the records. When people think of me, they are not necessarily going to buy the latest record anyway. They may buy a record from years ago. Besides, I don’t think interviews sell records. I guess it’s OK for someone who has never heard of me and is looking for a crash course or something. But I’ve got a lot of stuff that is lying around all over the place in cassette recorders that I’d put out if I was putting the set together.”
Bob Dylan’s new exhibition, The Beaten Path: The Silkscreen Collection, now open at @HalcyonGallery #DylanAtHalcyon https://t.co/ueMi35nWvW pic.twitter.com/Pgdfkia5Zn
— bobdylan.com (@bobdylan) April 25, 2017
The New York Daily News is also taking a look back at Bob Dylan, his life, and his career. Dylan, whose real name is Robert Zimmerman, first made himself known on the Greenwich Village folk scene, where he performed at places like Cafe Wha?, which is still around today.
Dylan came to New York City in 1961 from Minnesota, where he was born and raised and where he attended the University of Minnesota.
“In 1961, at only 20-years-old, Dylan dropped out of college and moved to New York City and frequently clubs in Greenwich Village playing folk music. Only a few months later, Dylan was singed to Columbia Records and released his first album, “Bob Dylan,” in 1962 with two original songs. Although the album was a flop and Columbia nearly dropped his contract, Dylan’s talent showed through and he later proved that he was something special.”
A limited number of Triplicate Deluxe Ltd Edition LPs in a numbered case are available now on the Bob Dylan Store: https://t.co/X7o8EbxJn6 pic.twitter.com/Wl7ASnP1of
— bobdylan.com (@bobdylan) March 31, 2017
But one of the biggest things that Bob Dylan is known for is writing and singing songs that made history and changed the course of history as well.
CNN took a look back at some of the songs that made Bob Dylan a cultural icon.
For example, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which is cited as one of Dylan’s most covered songs, is also credited as being the cornerstone of all anti-war songs that came out of the 1960s. Another song that’s cited as a game-changer is “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” which is considered the premier song about youthful caring (and was referenced by Dylan in his 2006 hit, “Things Have Changed”).
Finally, one of the biggest songs of Bob Dylan’s career was called “The Hurricane,” which was written about boxer Ruben “Hurricane” Carter. It’s not really well-known for those that aren’t die-hard Bob Dylan fans, or those that weren’t born in the 1960s. However, the hit film The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington in the title role, reintroduced the song to fans and told the story of the injustice that Carter faced.
Happy birthday, Bob Dylan — you are an immortal!
[Featured Image by Evening Standard/Getty Images]
