Musician Singer history

Dylan’s eponymous first album was released in March 1962 to mixed reviews.

In April 1963 Dylan played his first major New York City concert, at Town Hall.

On his next album, Bringing It All Back Home (1965), electric instruments were openly brandished—a violation of folk dogma—and only two protest songs were included.

In February 1966, at the suggestion of his new producer, Bob Johnston, Dylan recorded at Columbia’s Nashville, Tennessee, studios, along with Kooper, Robertson, and the cream of Nashville’s play-for-pay musicians.

Four hours long, yet covering Dylan’s career only up to 1967, it was widely hailed by critics.

At the end of the year, Dylan purchased a house in Malibu, California; he had already left Woodstock for New York City in 1969.

In August 1971 Dylan made a rare appearance at a benefit concert that former Beatle George Harrison had organized for the newly independent nation of Bangladesh.

In 1974 he toured for the first time in eight years, reconvening with the Band (by this time popular artists in their own right). Before the Flood, the album documenting that tour, reached number three.

Lowndes and Dylan divorced in 1977.

Nonetheless, Dylan received a Grammy Award in 1980 for best male rock vocal performance with his “gospel” song “Gotta Serve Somebody.”

By 1982, when Dylan was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, his open zeal for Christianity was waning.

In 1989 Dylan once again returned to form with Oh Mercy, produced by Daniel Lanois.

Apple, seeing this trend, launched iTunes in 2001, a way of legally purchasing and downloading MP3s.

In 2003 he cowrote and starred in the film Masked & Anonymous and began favouring keyboards over guitar in live appearances.