ABSTRACT
American folk and popular singer, born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota. He played the guitar as a child. He went to the University of Minnesota and sang in nearby coffee houses, influenced by Woody Guthrie. In New York he found hardship until he was discovered by John Hammond of Columbia Records, who arranged for Dylan’s first recording sessions. A successful album was released in 1961, Bob Dylan. A half dozen chart albums followed within five years, notably The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (Columbia CL 1896; 1963), and The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Columbia CL 2105; 1964). By 1974 Dylan had posted 17 chart albums. His early style had been a folk idiom, but he moved gradually toward folk-rock and country rock, using intricate lyrics that addressed social problems.
