Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author and visual artist who has been a major figure in popular culture for more than fifty years…..with much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960’s….when songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963) and “The Times They Are a-Changin'” (1964) became anthems for the civil rights movement and anti-war movement. His lyrics during this period incorporated a wide range of political, social, philosophical and literary influences….which defied pop-music conventions….and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture.
In July 1966, Dylan withdrew from touring after being injured in a motorcycle accident….during which time he recorded a large body of songs with members of The Band….who had previously backed him on tour….as these recordings were released as the collaborative album The Basement Tapes in 1975…..when In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Dylan explored country music and rural themes in John Wesley Harding (1967), Nashville Skyline (1969), and New Morning (1970)…..then in 1975, he released Blood on the Tracks….which many saw as a return to form. In the late 1970’s, he became a born-again Christian….and released a series of albums of contemporary gospel music before returning to his more familiar rock-based idiom in the early 1980’s. The major works of his later career include Time Out of Mind (1997), Love and Theft (2001), Modern Times (2006) and Tempest (2012). His most recent recordings have comprised versions of traditional American standards….especially songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980’s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour.
Since 1994, Bob Dylan has published eight books of drawings and paintings….as his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. He has sold more than 100 million records….which makes him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has received numerous awards to include the Presidential Medal of Freedom….ten Grammy Awards….a Golden Globe Award….and an Academy Award…..while Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame….the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame….and the Songwriters Hall of Fame….and in 2008, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded him a special citation for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
