Bob Dylan fundamentally altered the course of music history when he debuted in 1962 with his self-titled freshman album. Since then, the “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer has seemingly reinvented himself with every album, selling 100 million records worldwide across his nearly seven-decade career. Refusing to slow down at age 84, Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) recently added to his infinite list of accolades when he accepted an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
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By issuing him an honorary Doctor of Music degree, Berklee is recognizing not only Bob Dylan’s unmistakable influence on modern music, but also his lifelong commitment to creative exploration.
“Bob Dylan’s music has shaped how the world hears itself. He’s an artist who has never stopped evolving, who keeps chasing truth through sound and language,” said Berklee president Jim Lucchese in a statement. “That’s the spirit we try to cultivate here every day. Honoring him feels like a reaffirmation of the creative impulse that built this place.”
Bob Dylan Joins Loretta Lynn, Duke Ellington, and More Among Berklee Honorary Doctorate Holders
Dropping out of the University of Minnesota in 1960, the Nobel Prize winner headed to New York City bound and determined to become folk legend Woody Guthrie’s “greatest disciple.” Blues legend Robert Johnson and country music pioneer Hank Williams also left their mark on the Duluth-born artist’s songwriting.
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“Bob Dylan has spent a lifetime learning, absorbing, and transforming every American song tradition, and Berklee strives to teach all the music that Dylan loves,” said Matt Glaser, artistic director of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program. “His deep immersion in African American blues parallels much of Berklee’s curriculum, which is rooted in the distinctly American variants of the music of the African diaspora… He shows us how to keep learning about music and the arts our whole lives through, and to embrace it all as one thing.”
“The Times They Are A-Changin’” crooner is in elite company, joining the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, and more among Berklee’s honorary doctorate holders.
“Thank you, Berklee College of Music, for bestowing on me this prestigious honor. What a pleasant surprise,” Dylan said in a statement. “Who knows what path my career might have taken if I’d been fortunate enough to learn from some of the great musicians who taught at Berklee. It’s something to think about.”
Featured image by Gary Miller/Getty Images
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