• Bob Dylan is a famous music star
  • He has been making music for decades
  • Learn more about his life and career through the years

Robert Allen Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota. The American singer-songwriter has been active in the music industry for more than fifty years.

Often addressing political, philosophical, and social topics in his lyrics, the amazing Bob Dylan is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time, also because of defying pop music conventions. Why don't we take a look at his amazing music career through the years?

Bob Dylan used to listen to blues and country radio stations in his early years, but as a teenager, he got into rock and roll music. Later on, he formed several bands while in high school, where he also performed covers of iconic music stars like Elvis Presley. However, one of the key moments of his life was when he started to perform at a local coffeehouse and became involved in the folk music world. 

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Bob Dylan performing in Paris, 1978

This is what Bob Dylan's impressive music career looked like back in the day

In 1962, Bob Dylan released his debut album Bob Dylan, followed by The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963, and The Times They Are a-Changin' in 1964; his tracks "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for civil rights and anti-war movements.

However, it was in 1965 when he released his iconic song "Like a Rolling Stone", a six-minute track that has been described as challenging, and which according to music experts "transformed the artistic conventions of that time." It was named #1 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.

During the 1970s the Minnesota native released 10 albums, including his big successes New Morning, Planet Waves, Desire, and Slow Train Coming. In that time he collaborated with a track for the album The Concert for Bangla Desh, which won a Grammy Award for Best Album.

For many decades Bob Dylan has been proving his impressive music skills

The 1980s were a successful decade for Dylan as well! During that time he released seven albums such as Infidels, Knocked Out Loaded, and Oh Mercy, in 1983, 1986, and 1989. He was also nominated for a Grammy award four times, winning one in 1980 for his track "Gotta Serve Somebody" for Best Vocal Performance. In 1985 he sang on USA for Africa's famine relief single "We Are the World," earning even more public attention.

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Moving on to the 1990s, the legendary musician proved once again he really knows how to create amazing music. The four albums he released in that period -Under the Red Sky, Good as I Been to You, World Gone Wrong, and Time Out of Mind, can easily confirm that - as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award he received in 1991 from American actor Jack Nicholson.

Bob Dylan is also best known for collaborating with other remarkable music stars, such as he did in the late 1990s while touring with the amazing Paul Simon.

What has Bob Dylan been doing lately?

In the past two decades, Bob Dylan has released 8 albums; the most recent one, Triplicate, in 2017. One year before, in 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

A few years ago, Bob Dylan undertook two European tours, starting in Germany and concluding in Ireland. He played his 3000th show in Innsbruck, Austria, back in April 2019.

Five quick facts about Bob Dylan

  • He was married to Sara Dylan from 1965 to 1977. In 1986 he got married for the second time to Carolyn Dennis, and eventually divorced in 1992
  • He has six children, including Jakob Dylan, lead singer of The Wallflowers, and film director Jesse Dylan
  • Some of his trademarks are his messy brown hair, black outfits, and low raspy voice
  • Bob Dylan turned down an offer to headline the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969. Jimi Hendrix 
  • was the headliner instead
  • He has appeared in commercials for Victoria's Secret, Cadillac, Apple and Pepsi within the last 10 years. Though he has disparaged the use of his music for advertisements