Most music fans know that Bob Dylan formerly went by the name Robert Zimmerman. If you didn’t, then now you do. Regardless, and like all things Dylan, people have questioned his motive behind the decision ever since the media revealed his true name. That being so, people have speculated Dylan’s reasoning and the influences behind the decision. Though Dylan has never confirmed any of them.
Videos by American Songwriter
For context, the public discovered Dylan’s real name fairly early on in his career. Reportedly, the first major article to mention Dylan’s real name was in a profile run by Newsweek. Dylan started going under the name in 1959 when he was around 18 years old. And in 1962, he legally changed his name from Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan.
Despite the coverage of this event, Dylan has never explicitly divulged why he decided to change his name. So, to this day, we are still unclear as to why Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan’s Affinity for The Poet Dylan Thomas
Many people have associated Dylan’s name change with the 20th-century British poet and writer, Dylan Thomas. However, that is not the case, as Dylan told the New York Times in 1961, “Straighten out in your book that I did not take my name from Dylan Thomas.”
“Dylan Thomas’ poetry is for people that aren’t really satisfied in their bed — for people who dig masculine romance,” concluded Dylan, per WGMK. On a separate instance, he told a reporter from the Saturday Evening Post, “I’ve done more for Dylan Thomas than he’s ever done for me,” per Rock 95. Also, some people have speculated that Dylan was inspired to become Dylan thanks to the Gunsmoke character, Matt Dillon.
It’s The Name That Stuck…
Before officially adopting the name, Robert Zimmerman tried out several different ones. According to the 2004 autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan also tried out the names Elston Gunn, Robert Allen, and Bob Dillon. However, he recalled in his book, “The first time I was asked my name in the Twin Cities, I instinctively and automatically, without thinking, simply said: ‘Bob Dylan’.”
Maybe Bob Dylan is just the name that stuck? Maybe it was just the name that sounded the coolest? In essence, we will likely never know why he changed his name to Bob Dylan. After all, the man has never been incredibly forthright with details regarding his past. However, that is what makes Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan.
Photo by John Byrne Cooke Estate/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.