WATCH: Celebrating Dylan’s 75th

Legendary musician Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) turns 75 this week.

Dylan was born on May 24, 1941, in Deluth, Minnesota, USA, and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota.

He has influenced popular music for over 50 years and his songs, including “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin”, became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements.

In celebration of this, his birthday, South African musician Joe Somebody has recorded a song titled “Echo Star”, which was written by Jonathan Handley of Radio Rats fame, about Dylan’s first girlfriend.

Listen to the track here:

The song forms part of a tribute show which is being spearhead by a legend on the South African music scene, Danny de Wet.

Danny decided, after reciving a demo of “Echo Star”, to record the song with Joe Somebody, who is signed with Stone Studios International, one of the many ventures with which Danny is involved.

The writer

Jonathan arrived in Springs, from East Africa, in 1959, at the age of three, and has had a long affiliation with the town as part of the Radio Rats.

Speaking about the song he penned, he says he wrote it in 2001 after reading an inspiring tome about Dylan’s life.

“When Danny mentioned he was looking for songs to include in his tribute to Dylan on his 75th birthday I gave him the demo.

“It’s the type of song they wouldn’t play on the radio so it had just be lying around amidst other demos.”

Jonathon says his music career was strongly influenced by the music of Dylan.

“The release of every one of his albums in the late ’60s and into the ’70s and ’80s was a socio-political event so it definitely had a influence on my career.”

While Jonathan no longer lives in Springs, his influence and presence can still be felt in his work with the Radio Rats who will be releasing a new CD in June.

The singer

While Joe Somebody was not even born during Dylan’s heyday, the 31-year-old singer says his childhood was peppered with Dylan’s music, which his father enjoyed.

Joe, recorded “Echo Star” after Danny approached him to be part of the tribute to Dylan.

Danny is part of label I am signed to and I had just recorded my first single when Danny got the demo from Jonathan.

“He approached me to be part of the tribute he is doing at the Pretoria Barnyard on June 11 and asked me to record this song.

“I went out and read up about Dylan’s girlfriend and learnt so much about him and it was quite cool to be part of this tribute,” he says about recording the song.

”I grew up with a lot of old music because of my dad

“I love old school rock, like the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.

“His influence is huge.

“So many people have made covers of Dylan’s work so people even know they have been influenced by his music,” Joe says.

He adds that Dylan’s influence on his own life has been in becoming the musician Joe strives to be.

“When Dylan performed he always did his own thing, he wasn’t influenced by what others thought and stayed true to himself and his music.

“That is something I try do, I want to have my own sound and not get caught in the maelstrom of other’s expectations.”

He adds that Dylan’s lyrics have true meaning, “I try to take that ideal from him and that is how he has influenced my music and my vision for my career.”

The Song

Echo Star Helstrom was Bob Dylan’s high-school girlfriend in Hibbing, Minnesota.

She met Dylan (then Bob Zimmerman) in 11th grade, and they were romantically involved for about one year.

Helstrom, a free-spirited blonde from a less-affluent section of town than the Zimmerman family, has been frequently cited as the inspiration for Dylan’s classic folk ballad “Girl from the North Country”, (although the truth of this is uncertain) as well as the possible inspiration for Dylan’s song “Hazel”, as well as parts of his album Blonde on Blonde (1966).

What influence Helstrom had on the young Dylan is unclear, although it is popularly accepted that she did have a profound influence on him and his music.