3 Folk Artists Bob Dylan Loved and Paid Tribute To

Bob Dylan is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time. But the Bard is nothing if not the totality of all of his influences. Those who watched the excellent 2005 Martin Scorsese documentary, No Direction Home, saw how a young Minnesota-based Bob would listen to and even steal folk records as part of his early musical education.

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But who was the cream of the crop when it came to Dylan’s ear. Which folk artists did he find himself leaning toward more? That’s what we wanted to discuss here. Indeed, these are three folk artists Bob Dylan loved and paid tribute to throughout his career.

Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie, the folk singer who gave the world songs like “This Land is Your Land”, was perhaps Bob Dylan’s first and biggest musical influence. In short, he was his hero. Dylan was able to visit Guthrie in a New York State hospital before he died. And after the fact, he wrote this beautiful ode to the folk artist called “Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie”. The seven-minute poem describes a man so important and so of the fabric of music that it’s impossible not to go out and seek Guthrie’s music after hearing Dylan speak so glowingly about it.

Lead Belly

The controversial songwriter and performer Lead Belly has one of the largest influences on rock music. He was a major inspiration to Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. He was a major inspiration to the Beatles. And he was a major inspiration to Bob Dylan. Those three acts could be considered the most important American recording artists of the 20th century. But when it comes to Bob, the Bard told a story about Lead Belly when he received his Nobel Prize. Dylan said Lead Belly’s recording of the song “Cotton Fields” changed his life. Noted Dylan, “It was like somebody laid hands on me. I must have played that record a hundred times.”

Johnny Cash

Speaking of Dylan movies, those who saw the recent biopic on the Bard called A Complete Unknown got to see the friendship between the Bard and country star Johnny Cash. The two were in awe of one another’s tunes, style, and skill. So much so that they later started to collaborate on tracks. The duo’s most famous and popular offering is likely the song “Wanted Man”, which highlights their penchant for telling stories about men on the run. In their hearts, despite the fact that they were famous artists, they were both one boxcar away from leaving town.

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