Robert Allen Zimmerman, born 24 May 1941. Changed his name to Bob Dylan in 1962. He’s 80 years old today, unbelievable, makes me feel young.

Dylan has written well over 600 songs and countless other verses and stories and sold more than 125m albums. His songs have been covered by over 6,000 artistes including The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Guns ‘n Roses and Adele. A version of “Another Cup Of Coffee” is on Tom Jones’ album released 2 weeks ago. Dylan says he wrote one of his most iconic songs, “Blowin’ In The Wind” in ten minutes then went across the road to perform it in the Gaslight coffee house in Greenwich Village NY. Labelled as the song that launched a thousand protest marches.

His output is prodigious and overwhelmingly powerful. He has performed 4045 concerts in over 800 cities worldwide since he began in 1961. That’s 1 concert every 5½ days on average. His concert performances are quirky to say the least. I’ve been to a couple, the first at the Albert Hall in 1966 was brilliant. The second at Wembley 10 years later, not so. In addition to the songs he writes and records he is also an author, poet, composer of film scores, actor, artist, sculptor, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner and, more recently, creator of fine ‘Heaven’s Door’ whisky. And he’s funny. And an enigma.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I am unashamedly a fan. I will be playing my favourite Dylan albums today and sipping some Heaven’s Door later.

I realise he’s a bit Marmite, but are any of you with me on this or do you not get him? Have you any Bob tales to tell?

Anyway, Happy Birthday Bob and thanks.

“Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now”
from My Back Pages on Another Side of Bob Dylan.

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

It's a shame that his biggest fan Robert George Dylan Willis MBE didn't make it to celebrate this day dues to his untimely death eighteen months ago

Bob changed his name by deed poll adding Dylan to it in honour of his hero

Bit rotten to Joan though.

Agreed. Didn't know until I read something about him the other day.

Dad and I watched games standing on the muddy slope of the Holmesdale Road end. He cheered and I rattled.

Saw Bob around 1989 at Hammersmith Odeon. In my lifetime, Dylan seems to have always looked 80 and sounded that age too.

saw him at Woodstock 1994, and nothing much had changed.

I disengage, I turn the page.

I never really got Dylan. His ideas were great, but I didn't rate his musical prowess or his voice.
However, the fact he has such a noteworthy fanbase means you have to respect the guy.
I keep listening now and then, but I don't think I'll ever 'get' Dylan

* somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm never quite sure he's not actually taking massive amounts of p1$$ with his output

Edited by Forest Hillbilly (24 May 2021 6.23pm)

I disengage, I turn the page.