In the folklore of rock ‘n’ roll, there are stories that fans and publications continually tell year after year. Keith Moon crashing a car into a hotel pool, Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off a bat, and Nikki Sixx dying and coming back to life are a few of the more notable. In addition to those historic stories is the tale of The Beatles and Bob Dylan‘s first meeting, which occurred way back on August 28, 1964.
In 1964, The Beatles and Bob Dylan were two of the biggest musical players of the year (and arguably the decade). Thus, their first interaction holds a glorified weight. In reality, it probably wasn’t that special of a meeting. After all, they weren’t solving all the world’s problems. They were just kicking back and chopping it up like you would do with some of your friends.
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However, given their names and vocational stature at the time, folks remember the moment with a tinge of legend, thanks in no small part to The Beatles’ alleged first meeting with Mary Jane.
A Couple of Puffs and a Few Giggles: The Beatles and Dylan’s First Encounter
On August 28, 1964, the initial meeting between The Beatles and Bob Dylan was facilitated by rock journalist Al Aronowitz. After learning about the prospect of meeting each other, both parties took to the Delmonico Hotel in New York City.
As the story goes, Dylan introduced The Beatles to marijuana for the very first time during this meeting. Being the most affable of the Fab Four, Ringo Starr indulged first, allegedly fell straight to the floor, and erupted in laughter. Subsequently, the rest of The Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein, participated. Dylan and The Beatles continued to smoke, drink wine, and talk amongst each other as friends and colleagues outside of the public eye.
The Beatles and Bob Dylan are undoubtedly musical giants, which obviously informs the reverence we give to a hotel room get-together. But there is something to be said about the effect marijuana (and, later, psychedelics) would play in The Beatles’ sound. It was the 60s, so it’s likely the Fab Four would have found those drugs on their own. The fact that Dylan was the one who facilitated it only adds to the rock ‘n’ roll mystique of the historic first meeting.
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