Welcome to "My Bob Dylan Story"!
I am currently writing my PhD on "Dylan Fans and Followers". As is 'well-known', and for the past 50 years now, Dylan and his music have been 'well-read' and elicited much interest indeed from a wide array of writers, critics, journalists and fans, all singularly drawn to Bob and his music, particularly his poetic and oft surreal song lyrics, as well as his celebrated and enduring 'live'-concert performances the world over.
Accompanying Bob on this musical journey, "together through life", have always been his devoted fans and followers. At every 'turn' in the road and at every 'stopping-station', Bob's fans have been 'nearby'. And so, it is this life-journey experience and the deeply personal and meaningful relationships that Bob's fans have with his music and art that I am researching and trying to 'capture', document and illustrate.--I want to articulate and 'bring to life' what it really means to be a Dylan fan, by drawing directly from the fans themselves and how they have personally been affected by Bob's music. I am not wanting to merely 'theorize', categorize or look at Bob from the "outside, looking in", but rather engage with Bob and his music through the eyes and ears of his fans, allowing the fans to share their own innermost thoughts and feelings and personal experiences as related to Bob's music and art. And so, it will be these very personal responses, experiences, stories and meanings attached to Bob’s music that I will concentrate on and highlight in my thesis. I also want this particular approach and process to be a constructive way of further understanding (Dylan) fandom itself. I am utilising an ethnographic approach and phenomenological methodology to underline what the fans themselves say about their own personal feelings, experiences and identification with Bob’s music and lyrics, which are, of course, on such an individual and everyday existential level.
I have been discovering that the fans’ own personal life stories, their connections and passions with the music and the message in Bob's songs bring out very special and personal life-experiences in a manner that more traditional and formal methodologies and approaches do not. In many ways, the fans make sense of their personal world in relation to the music and lyrics of the songs.
I very much value what Bob's fans have written and sent to me over the past 18 months. They have been very 'moving', heart-felt and sincere and particularly reflective of Bob's inspired music -- from the simplest, short reaction to one of Bob's concerts, to the more lengthy 'life-stories' and narrated experiences relaying where and when Bob and his music have inspired, illuminated and meant something very relevant and true to the individual fan at that particular time, often at a 'special moment' in their life. My research is also specifically addressing a lack of academic literature on and from Bob's audience, and particularly from the Dylan fan's point of view. (Excerpts from my research will be posted on the Research Updates page.)
Thank you very much for your time, your love of his music, and for sharing what Bob means to you!
Yours very sincerely,
Barry Williams
Doctoral Researcher
Aston University
Birmingham, UK
Email: bw@mybobdylanstory.com
[Please use the 'CONTACT' tab above to fill out a general response form and as a way to submit your own personal stories, experiences and feedback--and/or to contribute whatever you want to share about Bob's music/lyrics on any of the other pages on the site. You can also directly email me with your story &/or any other thoughts on Bob and his music you may have. The website content will be added to and updated as the research progresses. There is also a Facebook link at the bottom of this page!
I am currently writing my PhD on "Dylan Fans and Followers". As is 'well-known', and for the past 50 years now, Dylan and his music have been 'well-read' and elicited much interest indeed from a wide array of writers, critics, journalists and fans, all singularly drawn to Bob and his music, particularly his poetic and oft surreal song lyrics, as well as his celebrated and enduring 'live'-concert performances the world over.
Accompanying Bob on this musical journey, "together through life", have always been his devoted fans and followers. At every 'turn' in the road and at every 'stopping-station', Bob's fans have been 'nearby'. And so, it is this life-journey experience and the deeply personal and meaningful relationships that Bob's fans have with his music and art that I am researching and trying to 'capture', document and illustrate.--I want to articulate and 'bring to life' what it really means to be a Dylan fan, by drawing directly from the fans themselves and how they have personally been affected by Bob's music. I am not wanting to merely 'theorize', categorize or look at Bob from the "outside, looking in", but rather engage with Bob and his music through the eyes and ears of his fans, allowing the fans to share their own innermost thoughts and feelings and personal experiences as related to Bob's music and art. And so, it will be these very personal responses, experiences, stories and meanings attached to Bob’s music that I will concentrate on and highlight in my thesis. I also want this particular approach and process to be a constructive way of further understanding (Dylan) fandom itself. I am utilising an ethnographic approach and phenomenological methodology to underline what the fans themselves say about their own personal feelings, experiences and identification with Bob’s music and lyrics, which are, of course, on such an individual and everyday existential level.
I have been discovering that the fans’ own personal life stories, their connections and passions with the music and the message in Bob's songs bring out very special and personal life-experiences in a manner that more traditional and formal methodologies and approaches do not. In many ways, the fans make sense of their personal world in relation to the music and lyrics of the songs.
I very much value what Bob's fans have written and sent to me over the past 18 months. They have been very 'moving', heart-felt and sincere and particularly reflective of Bob's inspired music -- from the simplest, short reaction to one of Bob's concerts, to the more lengthy 'life-stories' and narrated experiences relaying where and when Bob and his music have inspired, illuminated and meant something very relevant and true to the individual fan at that particular time, often at a 'special moment' in their life. My research is also specifically addressing a lack of academic literature on and from Bob's audience, and particularly from the Dylan fan's point of view. (Excerpts from my research will be posted on the Research Updates page.)
Thank you very much for your time, your love of his music, and for sharing what Bob means to you!
Yours very sincerely,
Barry Williams
Doctoral Researcher
Aston University
Birmingham, UK
Email: bw@mybobdylanstory.com
[Please use the 'CONTACT' tab above to fill out a general response form and as a way to submit your own personal stories, experiences and feedback--and/or to contribute whatever you want to share about Bob's music/lyrics on any of the other pages on the site. You can also directly email me with your story &/or any other thoughts on Bob and his music you may have. The website content will be added to and updated as the research progresses. There is also a Facebook link at the bottom of this page!
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© barry williams