Born Robert Zimmerman, Bob Dylan remains in the hearts of countless fans to this day. And he’s had an adventurous life, to say the least. He was destinated to be one of the greats from a young age, and his search for fame came with different obstacles and having to move from place to place, but he managed to become a legend. What he went through will intrigue his fans – they get to follow in the footsteps he made to become a spectacular artist.
The Start of Bob Dylan
Hibbing, Minnesota – the town built on and from rich iron ore is where everything started for the future artist. Robert Zimmerman, his original name, was born on May 24, 1971, and was obsessed with folk music early on. He left his hometown for Minnenopolis and changed his name to what we all know him as. At the age of 19, just two years later, he left Minnesota altogether to travel to New York in search of the man who inspired him to play folk music – Woody Guthrie. He found him in a psychiatric hospital in New Jersey. He sat at his idol’s bedside but also searched for fame, playing at local coffeehouses in Greenwich Village. He had a rough go of it, but ten months later, fate smiled upon him. Discoverer of Billie Holiday, John Hammond, sighed him to Columbia Records at the age of 20.
The Journey Continues
As an average Midwest child – Bob Dylan has a simple upbringing. He enjoyed fishing, sledding, ice hockey, and racing bikes around town. In 1969, he attended his hometown high school reunion and was met with disdain because he would lie about his upbringing at the beginning of his career. After he hit fame, he never returned to his hometown, and the residents did little to honor him. But in New York, he was met with fame and a surprising rise in the music business.
The Boy Flourished
Met with great success after sighing with Columbia Records, he soon began tapping into his power of songwriting. His lyrics were made with glee, and it’s even said he wrote the lyrics to “Blowin’ in the Wind” in ten minutes! On one of his first days in New York, Bob Dylan played at Cafe Wha? Which closed down in 1968, although music can still be heard from the venue!
Although Bob Dylan moved from place to place and may have struggled to find his fame early on, no one was more surprised than he was when John Hammond signed him into Columbia Records. From there, his career flourished, and he became a legend. Although his hometown doesn’t honor him much, the rest of the world always will!