Bob Dylan
There are vast amounts of electronic resources available on Bob Dylan. Most internet resources deal with current tour dates, set listings, available lyrics, and general reasons why the web designer has a Bob Dylan page and why he or she likes Dylan. These are of little use for someone attempting to persuade his audience that Dylan is an American icon, and a significant contributor to twentieth century music and literature. However, there are a few sources that provided interesting and thoughtful reasons why Dylan is significant and/or how his lyrics go beyond simple rhymes that blend together well with some guitar chords, a bass, and drums. An article written by Robert Chapman, "African American Culture and Bob Dylan: Why He Matters", discusses Dylan's role as a white man championing the cause of civil rights in the early 1960s. One of the reasons I gave for Dylan's importance to American culture was his involvement in the volatile and controversial civil rights movement. Therefore, this source relates directly to my topic. Although it is not clearly stated, I have to assume that Mr. Chapman is African American because in the second paragraph of his article, he justifies why he is writing about "what a white man has to do
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Parr, Bill. EDLIS Dylan & Chritianity Agency . 5 Sept. 1996. Online. Internet. ylan's lyrics. He feels Dylan is significant because "he knocked down some serious barriers to what was thought possible within the parameter of popular music." Mr Chapman allowed me to be able to see further into some of Dylan's most poignant lyrics, to view them in a different light than I was able to as a white male. This made my appreciation of Dylan greater because he really was able to express through his lyrics what was occurring in the world around him. Chapman, Robert. "African American Culture and Bob Dylan: Why He Matters" Gunderson, Edna. "At the heart of Dylan." USA Today 28 Sept. 1997: 3 pag. In my opening paper I posed the question, Why is Dylan still relevant today? I found on the internet an article from USA Today by Edna Gunderson that examines his new album, Time Out of Mind, and lists some of the reasons why Dylan is still relevant. Gunderson claims Dylan "radically transformed folk, rock, and the singer/songwriter genre in the 60s." She also points out that his star power is evident by the fact that he received France's highest cultural honor in 1990, a Grammy lifetime achievement in 1991, and in 1992 he was honored with an all-star concert, pay-per-view, and compilation album celebrating his 30 years in the music business. This year he played for the Pope and will be the first rock star to receive a Kennedy Cente
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Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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