The only singer who inspired Bob Dylan to become a folk star

Instead, he seems to prefer to keep his music as something mythical. He never lets the world in on the meaning of his songs, their inspirations, or the faces or stories behind them. He has never revealed much about his songwriting process. The closest his fans have come to a glimpse behind the scenes of his life as an artist has been through the many demos on the Bootleg series, where he slowly carved out a track in multiple takes, or in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Thunder Revue Documentary film that captures the artist on tour.

However, there are some artists that Dylan admitted to having a major influence on him as a musician, lyricist and fan. One of them was Woody Guthrie, who referred to himself as the “Woody Guthrie Jukebox.” But while Guthrie inspired him in his writing, there was another artist who inspired him to become a folk singer.

“The first thing that got me into folk singing was Odetta,” he said playboy“I heard one of her records in a record store, back when you could listen to records in the store. That was 1958 or something. Right then I went and swapped my electric guitar and amp for an acoustic guitar, a flattop Gibson.”

Odetta is often referred to as the “voice of the civil rights movement” and her influence on Dylan and the entire folk and music world can hardly be underestimated. She was a pioneer who combined folk tradition with blues, protest lyrics and a jazz attitude. Alongside Joan Baez and later Dylan himself, she was one of the most important figures in the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

For Dylan, her album was imbued with something special, calling it “just something vital and personal.” From the first moment he heard Odetta’s voice, Dylan was moved to pick up an acoustic guitar and keep it simple. With no frills other than her pure talent, Odetta taught Dylan that good lyrics and a good melody were all he needed.

But besides singing, Odetta also helped Dylan play his instrument. “I learned all the songs on that record. It was her first, and the songs were ‘Mule Skinner,’ ‘Jack of Diamonds,’ ‘Water Boy,’ ‘Buked and Scorned,'” he said. By learning her work, he became familiar with her more classic, finger-picking folk style, which he then made his trademark on his first releases.

Joan Baez was also a huge fan, saying, “Odetta was a goddess. Her passion moved me. I learned everything she sang.” So Dylan’s love for Odetta not only inspired him to become a folk star, but also connected him with his peers as part of a collective folk revival force.

Related topics