On This Day, April 11, 1961…
Bob Dylan played his first professional live gig at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village, New York. He was the opening act for blues singer John Lee Hooker.
Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman, came to New York in January of that year to visit his musical idol Woody Guthrie.
The early days of Dylan’s career were the focus of the recent biopic A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold and starring Timothée Chalamet as Dylan. The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including best picture and best actor. It is currently streaming on Hulu.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
