Minneapolis’ 4th Gift to the World: Bob Dylan
This week, Metroblogging sites around the globe are unveiling seven gifts their cities can share with the world. Browse the numerous Metblogs, or check here to see what other cities are giving.
Let us know if you totally agree or totally disagree with the gifts we’ve chosen. When we say “Minneapolis” sometimes we mean “St. Paul” or “Minnesota.” Our 4th gift is Bob Dylan.
Robert Zimmerman was born in Duluth and raised in Hibbing, MN. He moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota and it was on the Dinkytown music scene that he began introducing himself as “Bob Dylan.” Shortly thereafter, he moved to New York City and the rest is history.
His unusual voice made him stand out. His folk style made him stand out even more in a time when rock and roll, Motown, and the Beatles were popular. While it’s really difficult to tell what he’s even singing sometimes, scads of artists from the ’60s to today claim Bob Dylan and his unusal style as an influence. Chances are one of your favorite songs from Sonny and Cher or Peter, Paul and Mary or The Byrds is actually a song that Bob Dylan wrote. In fact, Bob Dylan may be the most covered artist ever. “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” has been covered by over 150 different artists.
He eventually transitioned from folk to rock, making for schizophrenic audiences and unhappy folk fans who apparently kept coming to watch him anyway. He’s maintained his protest spirit all along, writing songs on the politics of the times, and responding to said folk fans by rocking out louder and harder and longer.
Bob Dylan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. He’s collaborated with, written songs for, been covered by, and influenced damn near every rock band there is and half the pop bands, too. Like him or not, everyone knows who he is. Know it or not, everyone knows a Bob Dylan song.
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I’m convinced Mason Jennings is his long-lost son.
Every time we drove to my grandparent’s house, my dad would point out Dylan’s house. I have no idea if that was the real house or not, but I still have the memories.
Chris… what brought that comment on? do you think Mason looks like Bob or what?
and fwiw, Mason was born in Hawaii and grew up in Pittsburgh
cause they both have left-leaning, first-person, character-driven songs sung in “swingy” voices (that people sometimes mistake for a minnesota accent)
huh… they’re not even remotely similiar to me, especially in terms of quality of songwriting…
oh c’mon
mason jennings isn’t THAT much better…
Mason hasn’t written a single song that would be fit as a Dylan B-Side