Sometimes I do a Dylan song and it seems to fit me so right that I figure maybe I wrote it. Dylan didn’t always do it for me as a singer, not in the early days, but then I started listening to the lyrics. That sold me.
– Jimi Hendrix, Beat International 1969
I love Dylan. I only met him once, about three years ago, back at the Kettle of Fish on MacDougal Street. That was before I went to England. I think both of us were pretty drunk at the time, so he probably doesn’t remember it.
– Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stone Magazine
James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His mainstream career lasted only four years, but he is widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in history and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music”.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert in Cleveland, Ohio on September 2nd, 1995. – Photo by Kevin Mazur
PG: Recently here, Bruce Springsteen’s gone down very well. Do you like him?
Bob Dylan: Yeah, Bruce is a very, very talented guy.
PG: Did you know that Bruce has included This Land Is Your Land in his concert program?
Bob Dylan: Oh he has? That’s amazing! That’s good. Well maybe he’ll start doing Blowin’ In The Wind! Maybe he’ll do an album with Bob Dylan songs!
– Paul Gambaccini Interview (June 1981)
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is both a solo artist and the leader of the E Street Band. He received critical acclaim for his early 1970s albums and attained worldwide fame upon the release of Born to Run in 1975. During a career that has spanned five decades, Springsteen has become known for his poetic and socially conscious lyrics and lengthy, energetic stage performances, earning the nickname “The Boss”. He has recorded both rock albums and folk-oriented works, and his lyrics often address the experiences and struggles of working-class Americans.
… When I was 12 years old, or however old I was when Bringing It All Back Home came out, I’d just skip back and forth endlessly between ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ and ‘It’s Alright, Ma’ and ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ and now my Dylan roots are showing big time.
— Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt. He has also written songs and produced for other artists.
Joseph Hass: Can you explain why you were booed at the Newport Folk Festival last summer when
you came on stage with an electric guitar and began singing your new material? Bob Dylan: Like, I don’t even know who those people were. Anyway, I think there’s always a little boo in all of us. I wasn’t shattered by it. I didn’t cry. I don’t even understand it. I mean, what are they going to shatter, my ego? And it doesn’t even exist, they can’t hurt me with a boo.
(Joseph Hass interview – Nov 1965)
“They certainly booed, I’ll tell you that. You could hear it all over the place. I don’t know who they were… they’ve done it just about all over… I mean, they must be pretty rich to go some place and boo. I mean, I couldn’t afford it if I was in their shoes.”
~Bob Dylan ( San Francisco press conference in December ‘65)
“The reason they booed is because he only played for fifteen minutes, when everybody else played for forty-five minutes or an hour. They were feeling ripped off. Wouldn’t you? They didn’t give a shit about us being electric. They just wanted more.”
~Al Kooper
On July 25, 1965, Dylan performed with a rock band at the Newport Folk Festival. Some sections of the audience booed Dylan’s performance. Leading members of the folk movement, including Irwin Silber and Ewan MacColl criticised Dylan for moving away from political songwriting, and performing with an electric band. (wikipedia)
Freebody Park Newport, Rhode Island 25 July 1965 Newport Folk Festival