114-561: Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan 's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded Arc Angels and created the Charlie Sexton Sextet. He was still a teenager when he gained fame for his 1985 hit, "Beat's So Lonely", from his debut album, Pictures for Pleasure . When he
228-500: A Triumph Tiger 100 , near his home in Woodstock, New York . Dylan said he broke several vertebrae in his neck. The circumstances of the accident are unclear since no ambulance was called to the scene and Dylan was not hospitalized. Dylan's biographers have written that the crash offered him the chance to escape the pressures around him. Dylan concurred: "I had been in a motorcycle accident and I'd been hurt, but I recovered. Truth
342-644: A cameo fronting a bar band in Thelma & Louise . In 1992, Sexton formed the Arc Angels with Doyle Bramhall II (son of Doyle Bramhall , one of Stevie Ray Vaughan 's writing partners), and Vaughan's Double Trouble rhythm section, composed of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris "Whipper" Layton . The name originally was spelled as ARC Angels, named for the Austin Rehearsal Complex, where they practiced. The blues-rock band released
456-525: A Gravel Road and Shawn Colvin 's Grammy -winning album A Few Small Repairs (uncredited). Sexton was hired by Bob Dylan to replace Bucky Baxter in 1999. Sexton had previously played with Dylan during a pair of Austin, Texas , concerts in 1991 and 1996, and on some demos recorded in 1983. Sexton's residency with Dylan from 1999 to 2002 brought him great exposure—with many critics singling out his interplay with Larry Campbell . The group, hailed as one of Dylan's best, recorded " Things Have Changed " (from
570-639: A damn". By the end of 1963, Dylan felt manipulated and constrained by the folk and protest movements. Accepting the " Tom Paine Award" from the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy , an intoxicated Dylan questioned the role of the committee, characterized the members as old and balding, and claimed to see something of himself and of every man in Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald . Another Side of Bob Dylan , recorded in
684-844: A few film festivals. Secluded from public gaze, Dylan recorded over 100 songs during 1967 at his Woodstock home and in the basement of the Hawks' nearby house, " Big Pink ". These songs were initially offered as demos for other artists to record and were hits for Julie Driscoll , the Byrds, and Manfred Mann. The public heard these recordings when Great White Wonder , the first " bootleg recording ", appeared in West Coast shops in July 1969, containing Dylan material recorded in Minneapolis in 1961 and seven Basement Tapes songs. This record gave birth to
798-558: A five-year contract, which prevented him from working elsewhere. When that deal expired, he returned to work in 1980 and struck a deal with Warner Bros. Records (now simply Warner Records , due to the label's disassociation from Warner Bros. Pictures in 2004), to create Geffen Records. Warner Bros. Records provided 100 percent of the funding for the label's start-up and operations, while it distributed its releases in North America , with CBS 's Epic Records handling distribution in
912-523: A folk artist with his mind wandering towards Elvis Presley and Sun Records ". In May 1963, Dylan's political profile rose when he walked out of The Ed Sullivan Show . During rehearsals, Dylan had been told by CBS television's head of program practices that " Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues " was potentially libelous to the John Birch Society . Rather than comply with censorship, Dylan refused to appear. Dylan and Baez were prominent in
1026-560: A hostile response from the folk music establishment. In the September issue of Sing Out! , Ewan MacColl wrote: "Our traditional songs and ballads are the creations of extraordinarily talented artists working inside disciplines formulated over time ...'But what of Bobby Dylan?' scream the outraged teenagers ... Only a completely non-critical audience, nourished on the watery pap of pop music, could have fallen for such tenth-rate drivel". On July 29, four days after Newport, Dylan
1140-504: A large body of songs with members of the Band , who had previously backed him on tour. These recordings were later released as The Basement Tapes in 1975. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dylan explored country music and rural themes on John Wesley Harding (1967), Nashville Skyline (1969) and New Morning (1970). In 1975, he released Blood on the Tracks , which many saw as
1254-430: A management contract with Albert Grossman . Grossman remained Dylan's manager until 1970, and was known for his sometimes confrontational personality and protective loyalty. Dylan said, "He was kind of like a Colonel Tom Parker figure ... you could smell him coming." Tension between Grossman and John Hammond led to the latter suggesting Dylan work with the jazz producer Tom Wilson , who produced several tracks for
SECTION 10
#17327829874221368-480: A minor industry in the illicit release of recordings by Dylan and other major rock artists. Columbia released a Basement selection in 1975 as The Basement Tapes . In late 1967, Dylan returned to studio recording in Nashville, accompanied by Charlie McCoy on bass, Kenny Buttrey on drums and Pete Drake on steel guitar. The result was John Wesley Harding , a record of short songs thematically drawing on
1482-487: A music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pictures , it is owned by the Interscope Geffen A&;M (IGA) faction of Universal Music Group (UMG). Geffen has been a part of IGA since 1999 and has been used by Universal Music as a syndicating division of Interscope Records , serving its purpose to operate as a premier label for many new releases since 2003 and its 2017 reboot. At the same time, it
1596-430: A new label, David Geffen 's Asylum Records , when his contract with Columbia Records expired. His next album, Planet Waves , was recorded in the fall of 1973, using the Band as his backing group as they rehearsed for a major tour. The album included two versions of "Forever Young" , which became one of his most popular songs. As one critic described it, the song projected "something hymnal and heartfelt that spoke of
1710-526: A part of UMG during its preceding MCA days from 1988 to 1993). In the ensuing months, a number of corporate reshufflings occurred, resulting in Geffen and A&M, on New Year's Eve 1998, being merged into Interscope Geffen A&M Records . Interscope Geffen A&M became one of Universal Music Group's four new label factions alongside the Verve Label Group , Universal Motown Republic Group and
1824-565: A rare appearance as a duo opening for Roky Erickson and Okkervil River at Austin's Paramount Theatre on April 24, 2010. Sexton was also the guest performer for Conan O'Brien 's Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour stop in Austin on May 14, 2010. Sexton appeared with the band Spoon during their performance on the television show Austin City Limits . The episode premiered on PBS on October 9, 2010. Sexton performed on
1938-631: A raucous confrontation between Dylan and his audience at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in England on May 17, 1966. A recording of this concert was released in 1998: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966 . At the climax of the evening, a member of the audience, angered by Dylan's electric backing, shouted: " Judas !" to which Dylan responded, "I don't believe you ... You're a liar!" Dylan turned to his band and said, "Play it fucking loud!" During his 1966 tour, Dylan
2052-483: A return to form. In the late 1970s, he became a born-again Christian and released three albums of contemporary gospel music before returning to his more familiar rock-based idiom in the early 1980s. Dylan's Time Out of Mind (1997) marked the beginning of a career renaissance. He has released five critically acclaimed albums of original material since, most recently Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). He also recorded
2166-598: A revelation to Dylan and influenced his early performances. He wrote of Guthrie's impact: "The songs themselves had the infinite sweep of humanity in them... [He] was the true voice of the American spirit. I said to myself I was going to be Guthrie's greatest disciple". In addition to visiting Guthrie, Dylan befriended his protégé Ramblin' Jack Elliott . From February 1961, Dylan played at clubs around Greenwich Village , befriending and picking up material from folk singers, including Dave Van Ronk , Fred Neil , Odetta ,
2280-500: A self-titled album on Geffen Records that same year. The Steven Van Zandt -produced disc was well received by fans and critics, but the band broke up in less than three years. Sexton formed the Charlie Sexton Sextet in 1995 and recorded Under The Wishing Tree, released on MCA Records . Although sales were disappointing, it was met with critical acclaim. In the meantime, Sexton continued to perform with other artists—appearing on such notable albums as Lucinda Williams ' Car Wheels on
2394-399: A single evening on June 9, 1964, had a lighter mood. The humorous Dylan reemerged on " I Shall Be Free No. 10 " and "Motorpsycho Nightmare". " Spanish Harlem Incident " and " To Ramona " are passionate love songs, while " Black Crow Blues " and " I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) " suggest the rock and roll soon to dominate Dylan's music. " It Ain't Me Babe ", on the surface
SECTION 20
#17327829874222508-818: A small studio in Greenwich Village. These sessions resulted in " Watching the River Flow " and a new recording of " When I Paint My Masterpiece ". On November 4, 1971, Dylan recorded " George Jackson ", which he released a week later. For many, the single was a surprising return to protest material, mourning the killing of Black Panther George Jackson in San Quentin State Prison . Dylan's surprise appearance at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh on August 1, 1971, attracted media coverage as his live appearances had become rare. In 1972, Dylan joined Sam Peckinpah 's film Pat Garrett and Billy
2622-619: A small, close-knit Jewish community. They lived in Duluth until Dylan was six, when his father contracted polio and the family returned to his mother's hometown of Hibbing, where they lived for the rest of Dylan's childhood, and his father and paternal uncles ran a furniture and appliance store. In the early 1950s Dylan listened to the Grand Ole Opry radio show and heard the songs of Hank Williams . He later wrote: "The sound of his voice went through me like an electric rod." Dylan
2736-480: A song about spurned love, has been described as a rejection of the role of political spokesman thrust upon him. His new direction was signaled by two lengthy songs: the impressionistic " Chimes of Freedom ", which sets social commentary against a metaphorical landscape in a style characterized by Allen Ginsberg as "chains of flashing images," and " My Back Pages ", which attacks the simplistic and arch seriousness of his own earlier topical songs and seems to predict
2850-456: A songwriter. Janet Maslin wrote of Freewheelin ' : These were the songs that established [Dylan] as the voice of his generation—someone who implicitly understood how concerned young Americans felt about nuclear disarmament and the growing Civil Rights Movement : his mixture of moral authority and nonconformity was perhaps the most timely of his attributes. Freewheelin ' also included love songs and surreal talking blues . Humor
2964-497: A staff exchange that July, longtime Interscope executive Nicole Bilzerian was drafted to Geffen to become its executive vice president. Olivia Rodrigo joined Geffen in the fall of 2020. Her single, " Drivers License ", made the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2021. That May, she released her debut album, Sour . It accumulated 295,000 album-equivalent units. Its five-week reign at number one on
3078-517: A time with his brother Will Sexton in 1988. Will and the Kill released a 38-minute, self-titled album featuring both Sexton and Jimmie Vaughan . The album was recorded at Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, Texas , with Joe Ely producing, and released via MCA Records . Sexton later contributed songs to various motion picture soundtracks , including True Romance and Air America — and made
3192-655: A trilogy of albums covering the Great American Songbook , especially songs sung by Frank Sinatra , and an album smoothing his early rock material into a mellower Americana sensibility, Shadow Kingdom (2023). Dylan has toured continuously since the late 1980s on what has become known as the Never Ending Tour . Since 1994, Dylan has published nine books of paintings and drawings , and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. He has sold more than 125 million records, making him one of
3306-513: Is projected to reissue many releases from recording labels (some of which have been directly absorbed into Geffen) such as Decca Records (exclusively the American pop/rock catalog), Kapp Records , DreamWorks Records , MCA Records , Uni Records , Chess Records , Almo Sounds (Interscope has managed reissues of the label in 2015), Dot Records , ABC Records (primarily its pop, rock, and R&B recordings) and DGC Records (the label had merged into Geffen in 2021 with reissues now being handled by
3420-556: The Glass Spider video playing guitar on The Stooges ' " I Wanna Be Your Dog " and the Velvet Underground 's " White Light/White Heat ". While he was still in his late teens, Sexton became a popular session player—recording with artists such as Ronnie Wood , Keith Richards , Don Henley , Jimmy Barnes and Bob Dylan. He also recorded My Time with the artist who gave him his start—R.C. Banks. Sexton worked for
3534-732: The American West and the Bible . The sparse structure and instrumentation, with lyrics that took the Judeo-Christian tradition seriously, was a departure from Dylan's previous work. It included " All Along the Watchtower ", famously covered by Jimi Hendrix . Woody Guthrie died in October 1967, and Dylan made his first live appearance in twenty months at a memorial concert held at Carnegie Hall on January 20, 1968, where he
Charlie Sexton - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-530: The Billboard 200 became the longest by a female recording artist that year. Sour also made Rodrigo the first Geffen recording artist and first female artist overall to have a number one album under the label in nearly 13 years since Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains (2007). Rodrigo followed up Sour in 2023 with Guts . Released in September, it once again debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, though its first week units were moderately slim behind
3762-594: The Brechtian " The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll " the death of Black hotel barmaid Hattie Carroll at the hands of young White socialite William Zantzinger. " Ballad of Hollis Brown " and " North Country Blues " addressed despair engendered by the breakdown of farming and mining communities. The final track on the album contained Dylan's angry response to a hostile profile of the singer that had appeared in Newsweek magazine. As biographer Clinton Heylin puts it,
3876-672: The Holy See to produce an album of Marian songs and prayers from Pope Benedict XVI . Interscope Geffen A&M chairman and CEO Jimmy Iovine relaunched Geffen in 2011, moving its headquarters from Santa Monica to New York City . Former manager of Kanye West , Gee Roberson was appointed chairman. However, in late 2013, the label went idle with a majority of Geffen's artists now recording under Interscope. On May 28, 2014, Iovine departed from Interscope Geffen A&M as its chairman and CEO and hired Fueled by Ramen co-founder John Janick as his replacement. In March 2017, Neil Jacobson
3990-662: The Island Def Jam Music Group . However, the IGA merger resulted in Geffen firing 110 of its employees. Unlike A&M, which was closed entirely, Geffen was able to continue existing as a one-off brand under Interscope Records . At the same time, international distribution of Interscope and Geffen releases respectively switched from BMG Distribution and Island Records UK to ex-PolyGram label Polydor Records , which had already been distributing A&M releases overseas (in return for A&M handling Polydor releases in
4104-548: The New Lost City Ramblers and Irish musicians the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem . In September, The New York Times critic Robert Shelton boosted Dylan's career with a very enthusiastic review of his performance at Gerde's Folk City : "Bob Dylan: A Distinctive Folk-Song Stylist". That month, Dylan played harmonica on folk singer Carolyn Hester 's third album, bringing him to the attention of
4218-688: The Newsweek journalist wrote a story about "the way the Bar Mitzvah boy from Hibbing, Minnesota, had reinvented himself as the prince of protest", emphasising his birth name Robert Zimmerman, his attendance at the University of Minnesota and his close relationship with his parents whom he claimed to be estranged from. The day after the article appeared, Dylan returned to the studio to record " Restless Farewell " which ends with his vow to "make my stand/ And remain as I am/ And bid farewell and not give
4332-522: The Woodstock Festival closer to home. In the early 1970s, critics charged that Dylan's output was varied and unpredictable. Greil Marcus asked "What is this shit?" upon first hearing Self Portrait , released in June 1970. It was a double LP including few original songs and was poorly received. In October 1970, Dylan released New Morning , considered a return to form. The title track
4446-786: The best-selling musicians ever . He has received numerous awards , including the Presidential Medal of Freedom , ten Grammy Awards , a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award . Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame . In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In 2016, Dylan
4560-584: The "Godfather of Austin Blues." Charlie's first band was the Groovemasters, fronted by Lubbock native R.C. Banks. Under the moniker Little Charlie, he played about 16 dates with the Joe Ely Band in June 1982, after guitarist Jesse Taylor broke some bones in his hand. An observer at the time commented, "Several older guitar players are somewhat miffed but the chemistry is A+". Sexton performed under
4674-458: The "accompaniments" as "often so trashy they sound like mere practice takes". In Rolling Stone , Jon Landau wrote that "the record has been made with typical shoddiness". Over the years critics came to see it as one of Dylan's masterpieces. In Salon , journalist Bill Wyman wrote: Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly Geffen Records Inc. until 2004) is an American record label , founded in late 1980 by David Geffen . Originally
Charlie Sexton - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-597: The 2000 film Wonder Boys ) and 2001's critically acclaimed album Love and Theft . Duke Robillard took over on lead guitar in Dylan's touring band In 2013 but was let go after just 27 shows. Sexton and Colin Linden subsequently shared lead guitar duties for the band from July and into early August. By the European leg of the 2013 Never Ending Tour , Sexton again became the sole lead guitar player and remained so through
4902-581: The Arc Angels reunited to play four shows in Texas, with Eric Holden replacing Tommy Shannon on bass. In April 2023, Sexton played at Willie Nelson's 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl, playing "Remember Me" with Edie Brickell. Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan ; born Robert Allen Zimmerman , May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often considered one of
5016-753: The Byrds , Sonny & Cher , the Hollies , the Association , Manfred Mann and the Turtles . " Mixed-Up Confusion ", recorded during the Freewheelin' sessions with a backing band, was released as Dylan's first single in December 1962, but then swiftly withdrawn. In contrast to the mostly solo acoustic performances on the album, the single showed a willingness to experiment with a rockabilly sound. Cameron Crowe described it as "a fascinating look at
5130-706: The CD/DVD Living in a Dream , their second album in 17 years. Sexton performed the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah" with Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris at the Hope for Haiti Now benefit concert and telethon for earthquake relief In 2010. Released as a single, the song marked Sexton's second appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached No. 13. Charlie and Will Sexton made
5244-475: The Flood , was released on Asylum Records. Soon, according to Clive Davis , Columbia Records sent word they "will spare nothing to bring Dylan back into the fold". Dylan had second thoughts about Asylum, unhappy that Geffen had sold only 600,000 copies of Planet Waves despite millions of unfulfilled ticket requests for the 1974 tour; he returned to Columbia Records, which reissued his two Asylum albums. After
5358-625: The Jewish-centric fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu house, Dylan began to perform at the Ten ;O'Clock Scholar, a coffeehouse a few blocks from campus, and became involved in the Dinkytown folk music circuit. His focus on rock and roll gave way to American folk music , as he explained in a 1985 interview: The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough ... There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms ... but
5472-532: The Juniors ' " Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay " at their high school talent show was so loud that the principal cut the microphone. In 1959, Dylan's high school yearbook carried the caption "Robert Zimmerman: to join 'Little Richard ' ". That year, as Elston Gunnn, he performed two dates with Bobby Vee , playing piano and clapping. In September 1959, Dylan enrolled at the University of Minnesota . Living at
5586-708: The Kid , providing the soundtrack and playing "Alias", a member of Billy's gang. Despite the film's failure at the box office, " Knockin' on Heaven's Door " became one of Dylan's most covered songs. That same year, Dylan protested the move to deport John Lennon and Yoko Ono , who had been convicted for marijuana possession, by sending a letter to the US Immigration Service which read in part: "Hurray for John & Yoko. Let them stay and live here and breathe. The country's got plenty of room and space. Let John and Yoko stay!" Dylan began 1973 by signing with
5700-509: The MCA, DGC and DreamWorks labels, along with the signage of new acts such as Ashlee Simpson , Angels & Airwaves and Snoop Dogg , had boosted the company to the extent that it began gaining equal footing with the main Interscope label, leading some industry insiders to speculate that it could revert to operating as an independently managed imprint at UMG again. In 2006, musician Ron Fair
5814-475: The North Country " appeared on the album. The album influenced the nascent genre of country rock . In 1969, Dylan was asked to write songs for Scratch , Archibald MacLeish 's musical adaptation of " The Devil and Daniel Webster ". MacLeish initially praised Dylan's contributions, writing to him "Those songs of yours have been haunting me—and exciting me," but creative differences led to Dylan leaving
SECTION 50
#17327829874225928-570: The Troubadour , Les Cousins , and Bunjies . He also learned material from UK performers, including Martin Carthy . By the release of Dylan's second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan , in May 1963, he had begun to make his name as a singer-songwriter. Many songs on the album were labeled protest songs , inspired partly by Guthrie and influenced by Pete Seeger 's topical songs. " Oxford Town "
6042-554: The U.S.); A&M was forced to remain as a one-off active label for Interscope following a lawsuit by its co-founders Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert , which was later settled in 2003. In October 1999, Jordan Schur (of Flip Records ) was declared Geffen's new president; this led to Schur stepping down as the head of Flip, but he still managed to maintain control of the label, while certain acts from Flip's roster, such as Cold and Professional Murder Music , were transferred over to Geffen. Geffen's first release under Schur's leadership
6156-575: The US and Canada for six months, backed by the five musicians from the Hawks who became known as The Band . While Dylan and the Hawks met increasingly receptive audiences, their studio efforts foundered. Producer Bob Johnston persuaded Dylan to record in Nashville in February 1966, and surrounded him with top-notch session men. At Dylan's insistence, Robertson and Kooper came from New York City to play on
6270-471: The US and UK. " It's All Over Now, Baby Blue " and " It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) " were two of Dylan's most important compositions. In 1965, headlining the Newport Folk Festival , Dylan performed his first electric set since high school with a pickup group featuring Mike Bloomfield on guitar and Al Kooper on organ. Dylan had appeared at Newport in 1963 and 1964, but in 1965
6384-658: The United States and peak at number one on Billboard 's Hot Latin Songs chart. In December 2019, Neil Jacobson vacated his position as the president of Geffen, leaving to start his own company, Crescent Drive Productions. The following month to a new year, in mid-January 2020, Lee L'Heureux was appointed the general manager of Geffen. The label then started to see more success from artists Rod Wave , Lil Durk , Yungblud and Hotboii (the former two were signed to Geffen through Todd Moscowitz 's Alamo Records). In
6498-410: The United States, following the pogroms against Jews of 1905. His maternal grandparents, Florence and Ben Stone, were Lithuanian Jews who had arrived in the United States in 1902. Dylan wrote that his paternal grandmother's family was originally from the Kağızman district of Kars Province in northeastern Turkey. Dylan's father Abram Zimmerman and his mother Beatrice "Beatty" Stone were part of
6612-436: The Wind " and " A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall ", which adapted the tunes and phrasing of older folk songs. He released the politically charged The Times They Are a-Changin' and the more lyrically abstract and introspective Another Side of Bob Dylan in 1964. In 1965 and 1966, Dylan drew controversy among folk purists when he adopted electrically amplified rock instrumentation, and in the space of 15 months recorded three of
6726-539: The X (2005). He released his Cruel and Gentle Things album in late 2005. He has continued his producing albums for other artists—including Canadian singer-songwriter Peter Elkas ' 2007 release, Wall of Fire . The Arc Angels began playing occasional reunion shows around Austin and Dallas in 2002. In 2009, the band announced it would tour with original members Layton and Bramhall, but not Shannon, who had health issues. The tour included England dates with Bramhall's sometime boss, Eric Clapton . The band also recorded
6840-417: The album's producer John Hammond , who signed Dylan to Columbia Records . Dylan's debut album, Bob Dylan , released March 19, 1962, consisted of traditional folk, blues and gospel material with just two original compositions, " Talkin' New York " and " Song to Woody ". The album sold 5,000 copies in its first year, just breaking even. In August 1962, Dylan changed his name to Bob Dylan, and signed
6954-471: The album, Dylan was booked for two US concerts with Al Kooper and Harvey Brooks from his studio crew and Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm , former members of Ronnie Hawkins 's backing band the Hawks . On August 28 at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, the group was heckled by an audience still annoyed by Dylan's electric sound. The band's reception on September 3 at the Hollywood Bowl was more favorable. From September 24, 1965, in Austin, Texas, Dylan toured
SECTION 60
#17327829874227068-403: The backlash he was about to encounter from his former champions. In the latter half of 1964 and into 1965, Dylan moved from folk songwriter to folk-rock pop-music star. His jeans and work shirts were replaced by a Carnaby Street wardrobe, sunglasses day or night, and pointed " Beatle boots ". A London reporter noted "Hair that would set the teeth of a comb on edge. A loud shirt that would dim
7182-705: The charts, Lennon was murdered in New York City. Subsequently, the album went on to sell millions and gave Geffen its first number-one album and single; the rights to the album would later be taken over by EMI , which eventually would be absorbed by Geffen's then-future parent, Universal Music Group in 2012. As the mid-1980s progressed, Geffen would go on to have extended success with such acts as Asia , Berlin , Enya , Kylie Minogue , Quarterflash , Wang Chung , and Sammy Hagar . The label also signed several established acts such as Elton John , Irene Cara , Cher , Debbie Harry , Don Henley , Joni Mitchell , Neil Young , Peter Gabriel , and Jennifer Holliday . Toward
7296-433: The civil rights movement, singing together at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. Dylan performed " Only a Pawn in Their Game " and " When the Ship Comes In ". Dylan's third album, The Times They Are a-Changin' , reflected a more politicized Dylan. The songs often took as their subject matter contemporary stories, with " Only a Pawn in Their Game " addressing the murder of civil rights worker Medgar Evers , and
7410-401: The effect was dramatic and electrifying". Many early songs reached the public through more palatable versions by other performers, such as Joan Baez , who became Dylan's advocate and lover. Baez was influential in bringing Dylan to prominence by recording several of his early songs and inviting him on stage during her concerts. Others who had hits with Dylan's songs in the early 1960s included
7524-560: The emergence of alternative rock — Nirvana being an example. Geffen also briefly distributed the first incarnation of Def American Recordings (now simply American Recordings ) through Warner Music Group from 1988 to 1990. After nearly a decade of operating through WMG, its contract with the company ended. Geffen was then sold to MCA Music Entertainment, by then, a label division of the now-defunct MCA Inc. in 1990. The deal earned founder David Geffen an estimated US$ 800 million in stock and an employment contract that ran until then. Following
7638-445: The end of the decade, the company also began making a name for itself as an emerging rock label, thanks to the success of Whitesnake (U.S. and Canada only), The Stone Roses , Guns N' Roses , Tesla , Sonic Youth and the comeback of 1970s-era rockers Aerosmith . This prompted Geffen to create a subsidiary label, DGC Records (formerly the David Geffen Company), in 1990; which focused on more progressive rock and would later embrace
7752-404: The end of the touring year. Sexton continued working with other artists; in 2001, he produced Double Trouble 's Been a Long Time, and Jimmie Vaughan 's album Do You Get the Blues? (2001). Sexton has produced numerous other works, including Edie Brickell 's Volcano (2003), Jon Dee Graham 's Great Battle (2004), Shannon McNally 's Geronimo (2005), and Los Super Seven 's Heard It on
7866-726: The energy of beat poetry and as a forerunner of rap and hip-hop . The song was provided with an early music video, which opened D. A. Pennebaker 's cinéma vérité presentation of Dylan's 1965 British tour, Dont Look Back . Instead of miming, Dylan illustrated the lyrics by throwing cue cards containing key words on the ground. Pennebaker said the sequence was Dylan's idea, and it has been imitated in music videos and advertisements. The second side of Bringing It All Back Home contained four long songs on which Dylan accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica. " Mr. Tambourine Man " became one of his best-known songs when The Byrds recorded an electric version that reached number one in
7980-522: The event, Dylan denied he was married. Writer Nora Ephron made the news public in the New York Post in February 1966 with the headline "Hush! Bob Dylan is wed". Dylan toured Australia and Europe in April and May 1966. Each show was split in two. Dylan performed solo during the first half, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica. In the second, backed by the Hawks, he played electrically amplified music. This contrast provoked many fans, who jeered and slow clapped . The tour culminated in
8094-453: The father in Dylan", and Dylan said "I wrote it thinking about one of my boys and not wanting to be too sentimental". Columbia Records simultaneously released Dylan , a collection of studio outtakes, widely interpreted as a churlish response to Dylan's signing with a rival record label. In January 1974, Dylan, backed by the Band, embarked on a North American tour of 40 concerts—his first tour for seven years. A live double album, Before
8208-548: The folk music of the early 1960s, infusing it "with the intellectualism of classic literature and poetry". His lyrics incorporated political, social and philosophical influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture . Dylan was born and raised in St. Louis County, Minnesota . Following his self-titled debut album of traditional folk songs in 1962, he made his breakthrough with The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963). The album featured " Blowin' in
8322-451: The given name spelling. In a 2004 interview, he said, "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free." In May 1960, Dylan dropped out of college at the end of his first year. In January 1961, he traveled to New York City to perform and visit his musical idol Woody Guthrie at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital . Guthrie had been
8436-513: The greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 60-year career. He rose to prominence in the 1960s, when songs such as " The Times They Are a-Changin' " (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and antiwar movements. Initially modeling his style on Woody Guthrie 's folk songs , Robert Johnson 's blues and what he called the "architectural forms" of Hank Williams 's country songs, Dylan added increasingly sophisticated lyrical techniques to
8550-419: The label was previously absorbed in 1999 following its merger with Interscope. Retained artists, Beck and Sonic Youth , were later redirected to record for Geffen afterwards; DGC was later reactivated in 2007, later operating under Interscope rather than Geffen. With the mergers of MCA, DGC and DreamWorks into Geffen, more than 103 employees were laid off. As the mid-2000s progressed, Geffen's absorption of
8664-528: The label. Meanwhile, DreamWorks Records, in October, also folded, with its artists roster, consisting of Nelly Furtado , Lifehouse and Rufus Wainwright , being absorbed by Geffen as well. The absorption occurred following a reorganization at DreamWorks Pictures, which resulted in DreamWorks Animation being divested and DreamWorks Records being acquired by UMG. During this time, the remains of DGC Records were also folded into Geffen, although
8778-569: The latter's 2019 European tour, covering selections from the Rolling Stones ' Some Girls album. Sexton joined Elvis Costello & the Imposters on their Hello Again 2021 US tour, and continued the association on the band's Boy Named If, and Other Favorites 2022 tour as well. Sexton appeared on the 75th birthday celebration for David Bowie, produced by former Bowie keyboard player Mike Garson , on January 8, 2022. In January 2022,
8892-454: The most influential rock albums of the 1960s: Bringing It All Back Home , Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde . When Dylan made his move from acoustic folk and blues music to rock, the mix became more complex. His six-minute single " Like a Rolling Stone " (1965) expanded commercial and creative boundaries in popular music. In July 1966, a motorcycle accident led to Dylan's withdrawal from touring. During this period, he recorded
9006-652: The name Guitar Charles Sexton on Juvenile Junk, a five-song EP by the group Maxwell (a.k.a. the Eager Beaver Boys) in 1983. Sexton released his debut full-length album Pictures for Pleasure in 1985. Recorded in Los Angeles when he was 16, it yielded the Top-20 hit single "Beat's So Lonely". Jon Pareles of the New York Times described him as "a teen idol singing David Bowie-style rock during
9120-663: The neon lights of Leicester Square . He looks like an undernourished cockatoo ." Dylan began to spar with interviewers. Asked about a movie he planned while on Les Crane 's television show, he told Crane it would be a "cowboy horror movie." Asked if he played the cowboy, Dylan replied, "No, I play my mother." Dylan's late March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home was another leap, featuring his first recordings with electric instruments, under producer Tom Wilson's guidance. The first single, " Subterranean Homesick Blues ", owed much to Chuck Berry 's " Too Much Monkey Business "; its free-association lyrics described as harking back to
9234-478: The newly-founded company's DreamWorks Records subsidiary. That spring, Panasonic's ownership percentage of MCA was decreased to 20% when the remaining 80% was sold to Canadian distillery company Seagram in exchange for $ 5.7 billion USD. In January 1996, Geffen funded and distributed a short-lived boutique label, Outpost Recordings , featuring the likes of Whiskeytown , Ry Cooder , Veruca Salt , and Hayden . On December 9, 1996, Geffen's parent company, MCA Inc.
9348-406: The parent label). Geffen Records began operations in 1980. It was created by music industry businessman David Geffen who, in the early 1970s, had co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts . Geffen stepped down from Asylum in 1975, when he crossed over to film and was named a vice president of Warner Bros. Pictures . He was fired from Warner c. 1978 , but still remained locked in
9462-471: The project. Some of the songs were later recorded by Dylan in a revised form. In May 1969, Dylan appeared on the first episode of The Johnny Cash Show where he sang a duet with Cash on "Girl from the North Country" and played solos of "Living the Blues" and " I Threw It All Away ". Dylan traveled to England to top the bill at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1969, after rejecting overtures to appear at
9576-479: The rest of the world until 1985 when Warner Music Group (parent company of Warner Records and formerly a division of Time Warner/ Warner Bros. Discovery until 2004) took over distribution for the rest of the world. Profits were split 50% each between Geffen Records and its respective distributors. Despite being named for founder and original owner David Geffen, it has been acknowledged that Ed Rosenblatt, who became president of Geffen Records upon its inception in 1980,
9690-719: The sale, Geffen Records operated as one of MCA's leading independently managed labels. A year later, MCA was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic ), bringing Geffen, Universal Pictures and other sister companies along. The acquisition was completed on New Year's Day 1991 for $ 6.6 billion USD. Geffen stepped down as head of the label in 1995 to collaborate with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Amblin Entertainment co-founder Steven Spielberg to form DreamWorks SKG (later DreamWorks Pictures ), an ambitious multimedia empire dealing in film, television, books and music. Geffen Records would distribute releases on
9804-728: The second album without formal credit. Wilson produced the next three albums Dylan recorded. Dylan made his first trip to the United Kingdom from December 1962 to January 1963. He had been invited by television director Philip Saville to appear in Madhouse on Castle Street , which Saville was directing for BBC Television . At the end of the play, Dylan performed " Blowin' in the Wind ", one of its first public performances. While in London, Dylan performed at London folk clubs, including
9918-510: The sessions. The Nashville sessions produced the double album Blonde on Blonde (1966), featuring what Dylan called "that thin wild mercury sound". Kooper described it as "taking two cultures and smashing them together with a huge explosion": the musical worlds of Nashville and of the "quintessential New York hipster" Bob Dylan. On November 22, 1965, Dylan quietly married 25-year-old former model Sara Lownds . Some of Dylan's friends, including Ramblin' Jack Elliott, say that, immediately after
10032-527: The sole exception, with Dylan alluding to figures in Western culture in a song described by Andy Gill as "an 11-minute epic of entropy, which takes the form of a Fellini-esque parade of grotesques and oddities featuring a huge cast of celebrated characters". Poet Philip Larkin , who also reviewed jazz for The Daily Telegraph , wrote "I'm afraid I poached Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited (CBS) out of curiosity and found myself well rewarded." In support of
10146-606: The song, "Who Makes Your Money". Charlie and Will Sexton, Jakob Dylan , Brady Blade and Dave Matthews recorded an album at Blade's studio in Shreveport, Louisiana in early 2013. The group named themselves the Nauts. The album has not yet been released. Sexton had a bit part in the Richard Linklater film Boyhood , released in 2014 to near-universal acclaim. (The Guardian ranked it at No. 3 on its 2019 list of
10260-442: The song: "that snare shot sounded like somebody'd kicked open the door to your mind." The song opened Dylan's next album, Highway 61 Revisited , named after the road that led from Dylan's Minnesota to the musical hotbed of New Orleans . The songs were in the same vein as the hit single, flavored by Mike Bloomfield's blues guitar and Al Kooper's organ riffs. " Desolation Row ", backed by acoustic guitar and understated bass, offers
10374-482: The songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings. During this period, he began to introduce himself as "Bob Dylan". In his memoir, he wrote that he considered adopting the surname Dillon before unexpectedly seeing poems by Dylan Thomas , and deciding upon
10488-520: The top 100 films of the 21st century.) In 2018, Sexton appeared in the documentary film Carmine Street Guitars and played Townes Van Zandt in the movie Blaze . Also in 2018 he produced the album Writing Wrongs for the Last Knife Fighter at Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas . He has also played on guitar on the last two Jack Ingram records. Sexton appeared with Chuck Prophet during
10602-460: The tour, Dylan and his wife became estranged. He filled three small notebooks with songs about relationships and ruptures, and recorded the album Blood on the Tracks in September 1974. Dylan delayed the album's release and re-recorded half the songs at Sound 80 Studios in Minneapolis with production assistance from his brother, David Zimmerman. Released in early 1975, Blood on the Tracks received mixed reviews. In NME , Nick Kent described
10716-448: The years he was promoted by MTV". The album spent 34 weeks on Billboard magazine's Billboard 200 albums chart, reaching No. 15. It also spawned three Australian Top-100 singles—with "Beat's So Lonely" peaking at No. 17. The song was featured in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful , but was not included on the commercial soundtrack. Sexton was an occasional opening act for David Bowie on his Glass Spider Tour in 1987, and appears on
10830-563: Was also impressed by the delivery of Johnnie Ray : "He was the first singer whose voice and style, I guess, I totally fell in love with… I loved his style, wanted to dress like him too." As a teenager, Dylan heard rock and roll on radio stations broadcasting from Shreveport and Little Rock . Dylan formed several bands while attending Hibbing High School . In the Golden Chords, he performed covers of songs by Little Richard and Elvis Presley . Their performance of Danny &
10944-443: Was an account of James Meredith 's ordeal as the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi . The first song on the album, "Blowin' in the Wind", partly derived its melody from the traditional slave song "No More Auction Block", while its lyrics questioned the social and political status quo. The song was widely recorded by other artists and became a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary . " A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall "
11058-578: Was an important part of Dylan's persona, and the range of material on the album impressed listeners, including the Beatles . George Harrison said of the album: "We just played it, just wore it out. The content of the song lyrics and just the attitude—it was incredibly original and wonderful". The rough edge of Dylan's singing unsettled some but attracted others. Author Joyce Carol Oates wrote: "When we first heard this raw, very young, and seemingly untrained voice, frankly nasal, as if sandpaper could sing,
11172-400: Was appointed president of Geffen Records to oversee the second relaunch of the label via new signings as well as reinvigoration of the label's legendary catalog. In 2018, Interscope musician DJ Snake was drafted to Geffen to release his second studio album, Carte Blanche , which commenced on July 26, 2019. Its single, " Taki Taki ", went on to accumulate four million equivalent units in
11286-838: Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature . Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman ( Hebrew : שבתאי זיסל בן אברהם Shabtai Zisl ben Avraham ) in St. Mary's Hospital on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota , and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota , on the Mesabi Range west of Lake Superior . Dylan's paternal grandparents, Anna Kirghiz and Zigman Zimmerman, emigrated from Odessa in the Russian Empire (now Odesa , Ukraine) to
11400-576: Was back in the studio in New York, recording " Positively 4th Street ". The lyrics contained images of vengeance and paranoia, and have been interpreted as Dylan's put-down of former friends from the folk community he had known in clubs along West 4th Street . In July 1965, Dylan's six-minute single " Like a Rolling Stone " peaked at number two in the US chart. In 2004 and in 2011, Rolling Stone listed it as number one on " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ". Bruce Springsteen recalled first hearing
11514-420: Was backed by the Band. Nashville Skyline (1969), featured Nashville musicians, a mellow-voiced Dylan, a duet with Johnny Cash and the single " Lay Lady Lay ". Variety wrote, "Dylan is definitely doing something that can be called singing. Somehow he has managed to add an octave to his range." During one recording session, Dylan and Cash recorded a series of duets, but only their version of " Girl from
11628-476: Was based on the folk ballad " Lord Randall ". With its apocalyptic premonitions, the song gained resonance when the Cuban Missile Crisis developed a few weeks after Dylan began performing it. Both songs marked a new direction in songwriting, blending a stream-of-consciousness , imagist lyrical attack with traditional folk form. Dylan's topical songs led to his being viewed as more than just
11742-427: Was described as exhausted and acting "as if on a death trip". D. A. Pennebaker, the filmmaker accompanying the tour, described Dylan as "taking a lot of amphetamine and who-knows-what-else". In a 1969 interview with Jann Wenner , Dylan said, "I was on the road for almost five years. It wore me down. I was on drugs, a lot of things ... just to keep going, you know?" On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his motorcycle,
11856-592: Was four, Charlie and his mother relocated from San Antonio , Texas to Austin —where clubs such as the Armadillo World Headquarters , Soap Creek Saloon, the Split Rail and Antone's exposed him to popular music. He moved back to Austin at age 12 after a brief period living outside Austin with his mother. When Charlie and his brother, Will Sexton, were still young boys, they were taught how to play guitar by Austin legend W. C. Clark —known as
11970-547: Was from Dylan's ill-fated collaboration with MacLeish, and "Day of the Locusts" was his account of receiving an honorary degree from Princeton University on June 9, 1970. In November 1968, Dylan co-wrote " I'd Have You Anytime " with George Harrison; Harrison recorded that song and Dylan's " If Not for You " for his album All Things Must Pass . Olivia Newton-John covered "If Not For You" on her debut album and " The Man in Me "
12084-466: Was later transferred to Geffen to avoid contractual obligations with G-Unit . His sophomore studio album (also his first under the label), Doctor's Advocate , debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 upon release on November 14, 2006. Geffen's urban division pertained even more notoriety with the IGA resigning of Keyshia Cole through the imprint, following DGC's relaunch and A&M's revitalization as A&M Octone Records in 2007; Cole
12198-440: Was met with cheering and booing and left the stage after three songs. One version has it that the boos were from folk fans whom Dylan had alienated by appearing, unexpectedly, with an electric guitar. Murray Lerner , who filmed the performance, said: "I absolutely think that they were booing Dylan going electric." An alternative account claims audience members were upset by poor sound and a short set. Dylan's performance provoked
12312-413: Was named the chairman of Geffen. That same year, after disputes with Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine (at the time, the chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, parent unit of Geffen), former labelmates 50 Cent and Dr. Dre , rapper The Game was dismissed from G-Unit Records and Interscope division imprint Aftermath Entertainment (the respective labels of the aforementioned latter two), but
12426-425: Was previously signed to sister label A&M early in her career from 2004 to that point. Her sophomore album, Just like You , received critical praise and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. However, at the end of 2007, Geffen was subsided further into Interscope. The restructuring resulted in Geffen laying off sixty employees. In 2009, it was announced that Geffen Records had signed an agreement with
12540-579: Was prominently featured in the film The Big Lebowski (1998). Tarantula , a freeform book of prose-poetry, had been written by Dylan during a creative burst in 1964–65. Dylan shelved his book for several years, apparently uncertain of its status, until he suddenly informed Macmillan at the end of 1970 that the time had come to publish it. The book attracted negative reviews but later critics have suggested its affinities with Finnegans Wake and A Season In Hell . Between March 16 and 19, 1971, Dylan recorded with Leon Russell at Blue Rock ,
12654-551: Was reincorporated as Universal Studios, Inc. Even so, its music division, MCA Music Entertainment Group, was also renamed Universal Music Group. However, under UMG's new ownership, Geffen's fortunes began to dwindle. On December 10, 1998, Seagram completed its seven-month $ 10.6 billion plan to acquire PolyGram. As a result, PolyGram's music division was merged into Universal Music Group. Geffen now became sister labels to A&M Records , Island Records , Mercury Records , Def Jam Recordings and Motown (which had previously been
12768-496: Was that I wanted to get out of the rat race." He made very few public appearances, and did not tour again for almost eight years. Once Dylan was well enough to resume creative work, he began to edit D. A. Pennebaker's film of his 1966 tour. A rough cut was shown to ABC Television, but they rejected it as incomprehensible to mainstream audiences. The film, titled Eat the Document on bootleg copies, has since been screened at
12882-591: Was the End of Days soundtrack , released in November 1999. Geffen became a predominantly rock music-based label. Geffen continued to do steady business—even within 2003 , UMG folded MCA Records into Geffen that July. Though Geffen had been substantially a pop-rock label, its absorption of MCA (and its back catalogs) led to a more diverse roster; with former MCA artists such as Mary J. Blige , The Roots , Blink-182 , Rise Against , and Common now being transferred to
12996-486: Was the one who led Geffen Records during its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. The label's first artist signing was superstar Donna Summer , whose gold-selling album The Wanderer became the label's first release in October 1980. At the time, Donna Summer was undergoing a dispersing contract with and subsequent lawsuit against Universal Music Group 's Casablanca Records . The label then released Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono . Two weeks after it entered
#421578