Bob Dylan

**see footnote before beginning

WHO: born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941 in Duluth , Minnesota.

WHEN: 1959-present

WHAT: an American singer-songwriter, author, musician, poet, disc jockey who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades.

WHY:

Historical Use:
Bob Dylan- what can I say? He is the greatest songwriter that pop music has had to date. Some people would say arguably--I don't think it is arguable. He started out in the folk and ballad tradition that goes back centuries into American and European history. At the start of his career he played folk music as it fit into the present musical community of such acts as Pete Seeger and the Kingston Trio. He outgrew that form in the middle sixties and began making a lyrical type of electric rock and roll that had never been heard before, and was not particularly well-received by his audience ( See Albums "Bringin' it All Back Home", "Highway 61 Revisited", and "Blonde on Blonde").
Bob Dylan's records have earned Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and Songwriter's Hall of Fame. He has been regularly referred to as on of the 2oth centuries most important people, has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times, and in 2008 won the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

Practical Use:
Going in and out of popularity with fans and critics through out his entire career, there has never been any doubt that Bob Dylan is a major artist and one of historical significance. He is probably the most likely of all musicians to end up in your children's social studies book and yet can currently be heard weekly on his own radio show.
Because of his exceptional lyrical ability, people can often times underestimate (and/or overlook) how musical Bob Dylan is. Throughout his entire catalog of music can be found a profound musicality that comes directly out of the ballad tradition. It is the music that the kids immediately react to.

Also, sometimes Bob Dylan liked to paint his face too. Very cool.


WHICH:

The Man in Me

I Want You

Subterranean Homesick Blues

SHOW THIS TO YOUR KIDS:




**disclaimer: we will obviously revisit Bob Dylan so let's just consider this "getting our feet wet" and blame it on our kids by calling it "first introductions".