Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and has been a major figure in popular music for more than six decades.
Dylan began his musical career in the early 1960s, performing in Greenwich Village clubs and coffeehouses. His self-titled debut album Bob Dylan was released in 1962 and featured mostly traditional folk songs. However, it was his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), that established him as a leading voice of the protest movement.
Throughout the 1960s, Dylan continued to release groundbreaking albums, including The Times They Are a-Changin' (1964), Bringing It All Back Home (1965), and Highway 61 Revisited (1965), which included the iconic song "Like a Rolling Stone."
In 1966, Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident and retreated from the public eye. He re-emerged in 1967 with the album John Wesley Harding, which marked a departure from his earlier electric sound and showcased his talent for storytelling.
Dylan continued to experiment with different genres and styles throughout the 1970s, releasing albums such as New Morning (1970), Blood on the Tracks (1975), and Desire (1976). He also embarked on the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1975.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Dylan continued to release acclaimed albums, including Infidels (1983), Oh Mercy (1989), and Time Out of Mind (1997), which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and has received numerous other honors and awards throughout his career.
Bob Dylan remains a cultural icon and a major influence on generations of musicians. He has continued to release new music well into his 70s, including Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020), which earned him his first Number 1 album on the Billboard 200 in over a decade.
