"Bob Dylan" (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades.

I think the most influential Folk Music Artist is Bob Dylan. I believe that this man was the founding father of real music in American. Not only did he establish what was good and unusual, but because his dedication to his particular skill craft and particular talent that has led him to becoming a true music legend, he has not only inspired singers and other musical artist but his career spans five decades more than any other including M.J. (Rest in peace). His music has reached all over the planet, into the hearts and minds and ears of all those who want to listen, his music has been featured in movies, plays, radio, television etc. Everything that you can think of has been done in this man's name, he was part of the social movement for civil rights an advocate and anti-war movements. He has explored many traditions of American song, from folk, blue and country to gospel, rock and roll and rock-ability to English, Scottish and Irish folk music, and even jazz and swing.

Not only has he been singing, songwriting since such a young age as sixteen, but his contributions to the music world is beyond what anyone has ever done. He has been awarded every possible award that a music artist can achieve, including Grammy, Oscars and even the hall of fame. Plus the song writer Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer price, for profound impact on popular music culture.

Through history, most recently a movie about his life was made while still living - the only other person in history this been done about is Nelson Mandlea. The movie was made by no other than Martin Scorsessi the greatest film director on earth.

Reference: www.wikipedia.org/Bob_Dylan. Bob Dylan has been described as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, musically and culturally. Dylan was included in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century where he was called "master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation".

Dylan's influence has been felt in several musical genres. As Edna Gundersen stated in USA Today: "Dylan's musical DNA has informed nearly every simple twist of pop since 1962." Many musicians have testified to Dylan's influence, such as Joe Strummer, who praised Dylan as having "laid down the template for lyric, tune, seriousness, spirituality, depth of rock music." Other major musicians to have acknowledged Dylan's importance include John Lennon,Paul McCartney, Neil Young,Bruce Springsteen,David Bowie, Bryan Ferry,Syd Barrett, Nick Cave,Patti Smith,Joni Mitchell,Cat Stevens, and Tom Waits.

If Dylan's legacy in the 1960s was seen as bringing intellectual ambition to popular music, as Dylan advances into his sixties, he is today described as a figure who has greatly expanded the folk culture from which he initially emerged. As J. Hoberman wrote in The Village Voice, "Elvis might never have been born, but someone else would surely have brought the world rock 'n' roll. No such logic accounts for Bob Dylan. No iron law of history demanded that a would-be Elvis from Hibbing, Minnesota, would swerve through the Greenwich Village folk revival to become the world's first and greatest rock 'n' roll beatnik bard and thenhaving achieved fame and adoration beyond reckoningvanish into a folk tradition of his own making.

The artist has 34 Studio Albums, Fifty Eight Singles, Thirteen Live Albums, and his own film. No Direction Home (July 2005), directed by Martin Scorsese 2000 Academy Award for Best Original Song "Things Have Changed" from Wonder Boys (film) 1970 Princeton University, New Jersey Honorary Doctorate of Music 1982 Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducted 1990 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres Honors 1997 Kennedy Center Honors Honors 2000 Polar Music Prize Winner 2002 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducted 2004 St. Andrews University, Scotland Honorary Doctorate of Music 2007 Prince of Asturias Awards Winner 2008 Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards Winner

Bob Dylan Grammy Hall of Fame Award Inducted 1963 Blowin' in the Wind Folk (Single) Columbia 1997 1965 Like a Rolling Stone Rock (Single) Columbia 1998 1966 Blonde on Blonde Rock (Album) Columbia 1999 1965 Mr. Tambourine Man Rock (Track) Columbia 2002 1965 Highway 61 Revisited Rock (Album) Columbia 2002 1965 Bringing It All Back Home Rock (Album) Columbia 2006

Learn more about this author, Richard Encarnacion.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about The most influential folk music artists?
We want to hear your view. Write now!