Bob Dylan Music Influence

Of all the songwriters in the history of popular music, no artist has left a bigger impact than Bob Dylan. With beautifully crafted lyrics that require deep scrutiny and analysis in order to be understood, Dylan pushed the boundaries of songwriting and made people think differently about the world they lived in. Right from the beginning with his first album recorded in 1962, Dylan refused to go along with the simple songwriting that was popular at the time. He said what he wanted and was not afraid of what people would think. If anything, he was assertive, in a way telling people that they should listen to what he had to say, and that those who criticized were not looking hard enough at the song. He was a revolutionary performer whose influence

His father, Abram Zimmerman was the manager of the Standard Oil Company while his mother, Beatrice Stone was a homemaker. Without even learning how to read music, Dylan taught himself piano at the age of ten. He also attempted to learn trumpet and saxophone before choosing acoustic guitar, as well as the harmonica. To this day, his combination of guitar and harmonica is iconic and synonymous with his name. He admired artists like Johnny Ray, Woodie Guthrie, and Hank Williams. He looked up to Williams especially, calling him the greatest American songwriter. Along with country and folk music, Zimmerman had a strong taste for the blues, listening to artists such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, and Chuck Berry. He loved the actor James Dean as well. All these people played a part in influencing his image and sound. Zimmerman graduated from Hibbing High School in June 1959. He started playing in bands with his friends under the name Bobby Zimmerman, a name he eventually felt was “too Jewish for success.” He created the stage name Bob Dylan after his favorite poet Dylan Thomas. He legally changed his name to Bob Dylan in 1962. He went to the University of Minnesota and majored in music. He enjoyed music more than actually going to class. He smoked marijuana and was sexually active, but he also read Beat literature frequently. Tired of staying in the same place, he left college and hitchhiked from Minneapolis to New York City, living homeless for a long period of time. He “immersed himself in the Bohemian Culture of Greenwich Village.” (St James). His first composition came after he visited Woodie Guthrie, his lifelong hero. He wrote a song called “Song to Woody.” He sang at coffeehouses before landing a regular gig at Gerde’s Folk City on West Fourth Street. In 1961, Columbia Records business manager Roy Silver saw Dylan performing and gave him a record deal. A year later,