Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, and influenced by blues and country radio, then early rock-and-roll, he was writing songs and playing in a band by high school. When he went to college at the University of Minnesota he discovered Celtic-flavored folk music, and adopted the stage name Bob Dylan (influenced by Dylan Thomas). His early folk recordings typify the turbulent period he was singing about, but his voice was untrained and his music was largely being heard sung by other vocalists. But nothing stopped Bob Dylan from singing his own music, bringing out the message with simple instruments and his own distinctive, gruff vocals. His third album, The Times, They Are A'Changin' moved an entire generation. Bob Dylan is largely known as a folk and rock singer, but he never strayed far from those country blues roots. In 1967 he released John Wesley Harding, an album largely influenced by the mythos of the American West, and in '69 he released the all-country album Nashville Skyline, which included a duet with Johnny Cash and the country crossover hit, "Lay Lady Lay." He appeared on Cash's TV show, and also wrote the soundtrack (and appeared in) the western, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (which starred Kris Kristofferson). In 2003 and 2004, he toured with Merle Haggard. Bob Dylan is possibly one of the most influential artists who ever worked in music, a genius songwriter, skilled guitar player, and consummate performer who continues recording and touring today.
