American singer-songwriter, author, painter and all-round king-of-cool, Bob Dylan, celebrates his 78th birthday today. For the artist who has released over 40 albums, influenced The Beatles, won twelve Grammy Awards and the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, there's plenty to celebrate.
We found this movie-perfect moment of music history zeitgeist, captured backstage at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in D.A. Pennebaker's Don't Look Back documentary, where Bob Dylan, Donovan, Mary Travers and more kill time between their sets chain-smoking, philosophising and swapping songs. As the saying goes, “… to be a fly on the wall…”
Dylan meets Donovan:
Faced with the most intimidating audience imaginable, a young Donovan holds his own, offering up a tentative but stirring performance of “To Sing For You”.
Dylan follows with an inspired rendition of the now classic tune, “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” Whether it’s a scene of genuine camaraderie or burgeoning competition, it’s a priceless document of a candid, unguarded moment between artists. Both give flawless, captivating performances, but Dylan carries himself with the confidence of a man who knew he was destined to win a Nobel Prize the first time he ever strummed a guitar, an attitude he can't be denied.
Happy birthday Bob! Celebrate the prolific life and music of the groovy, intellectual rock ‘n roll poet with the This Is Bob Dylan playlist on Spotify:
Listen to all the Bob Dylan Essentials on Apple Music:
