27 September 2007
Newsdesk
Bob Dylan's contribution to popular music is immense. A new book published later this month will, for the first time, look at Dylan as a rock star and cast new light on the life, times and significance of one of the most important popular musicians of the 20th century.
As such a famous figure, Dylan has been the subject of countless books and research looking at both the man and his music.
Showing how theories of stardom can help to understand both Bob Dylan and the history of rock music, Bob Dylan: the never ending star by Bristol University sociologist, Dr Lee Marshall, gives new insight into how Dylan's songs acquire meaning and affects his relationship with his fans, his critics and the recording industry.
The book discusses Dylan's emergence as a star in the folk revival and the formative role that Dylan plays in creating a new type of music - rock - and a new type of star.
Bringing the book right up to date, Lee also sheds new light on how Dylan's later career has been shaped by his earlier star image and how Dylan repeatedly tried to throw off the limitations and responsibilities of his stardom.
The book concludes by considering the revival of Dylan over the past ten years and how Dylan's stardom has developed in a way that contains, but is not overshadowed by, his achievements in the 1960s.
