Bob Dylan: The Real Name Behind the Legend

Robert Allen Zimmerman, now known worldwide as Bob Dylan, was born in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1941. Before achieving legendary status in music and poetry, Zimmerman explored various stage names, even introducing himself as 'Elston Gunnn' to bandmates.

By 1960, he moved to New York to pursue his musical ambitions, adopting the name Bob Dylan. He explained in his memoir that he considered 'Dillon' but found inspiration in the works of poet Dylan Thomas. However, he later confided to biographer Robert Shelton that his connection to Thomas's poetry was less direct than popularly assumed.

Further revelations from a 1971 interview suggest that fear of anti-semitism also played a role in his decision to adopt a new identity. In August 1962, he officially changed his name to Bob Dylan, a move he later described as embracing his destiny in the land of the free.