Bob Dylan is back on the road in Europe this autumn. At 85, he opened his 2026 UK and Europe tour in Oslo on 17 October, and the run carries on until 8 December, finishing with five nights at London's Royal Festival Hall. Earlier in 2026 he closed the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, then played summer dates across North America.
Here is the story of the Minnesota songwriter who changed what a song could be. You can find him alongside his peers in our Music collection.
Bob Dylan Fact File
| Full name | Robert Allen Zimmerman (legally Robert Dylan from 1962) |
| Born | 24 May 1941 (age 85) |
| Place of birth | Duluth, Minnesota, USA (raised in Hibbing) |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter, musician, author, painter |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1957-present |
| Genres | Folk, folk rock, blues, rock, gospel, country, traditional pop |
| Labels | Columbia, Asylum |
| Nickname | Zimmy |
Career History
| Years | Label | Key albums |
|---|---|---|
| 1962-1966 | Columbia | Bob Dylan (1962), The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Blonde on Blonde (1966) |
| 1967-1973 | Columbia | John Wesley Harding (1967), Nashville Skyline (1969) |
| 1974 | Asylum | Planet Waves (1974) |
| 1975-1997 | Columbia | Blood on the Tracks (1975), Desire (1976), Time Out of Mind (1997) |
| 2001-2023 | Columbia | Modern Times (2006), Triplicate (2017), Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020), Shadow Kingdom (2023) |
Columbia has been Dylan's home for almost his entire career, with a single detour to Asylum in the mid-1970s. Rough and Rowdy Ways was his 39th studio album and went to number one in the UK.
Early Years in Minnesota
Robert Zimmerman was born in Duluth and moved to Hibbing, his mother's hometown, at around six. Folk music pulled him in after he enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 1959 and found the Dinkytown scene. In January 1961 he arrived in New York City, and in 1962 Columbia released his debut album of mostly traditional folk, blues and gospel songs.
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The Breakthrough and Going Electric
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963 was the breakthrough, and it made him the leading songwriter of the folk revival. He did not stay put for long. On 25 July 1965 he played an electric set at the Newport Folk Festival, and the crowd's mixed reaction became one of rock's most famous moments. Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde followed within a year of each other, proving rock lyrics could carry real poetry.
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Defining Moments
Nashville Skyline turned towards country, and Blood on the Tracks in 1975 is still held up as one of the great albums of the decade. On 7 June 1988 he began what fans call the Never Ending Tour. Time Out of Mind in 1997 brought a major critical comeback and the Grammy for Album of the Year.
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Later Career and Legacy
In 2016 Dylan became the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Rough and Rowdy Ways arrived in June 2020, and its closing track Murder Most Foul, nearly 17 minutes long, became his first song to top a US Billboard chart. He published The Philosophy of Modern Song, 66 essays on other artists' songs, in 2022. The biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet, brought his early years to a new audience in 2024, and The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 followed in October 2025.
Honours
Major Awards
- Nobel Prize in Literature (2016)
- Ten Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Time Out of Mind
- Academy Award for Best Original Song, Things Have Changed (2001)
- Pulitzer Prize special citation (2008)
Honours and Halls of Fame
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012)
- Kennedy Center Honors (1997)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988)
- Songwriters Hall of Fame
Away From the Spotlight
Dylan is also a prolific visual artist and has published ten books of paintings and drawings since 1994. His memoir Chronicles: Volume One came out in 2004. His son Jakob Dylan is a musician and leads the band the Wallflowers.
FAQs
How old is Bob Dylan?
Bob Dylan is 85. He was born on 24 May 1941.
What is Bob Dylan's real name?
He was born Robert Allen Zimmerman and legally changed his name to Robert Dylan in 1962.
Where is Bob Dylan from?
Duluth, Minnesota, and he grew up in Hibbing.
How many albums has Bob Dylan released?
Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020) was his 39th studio album, and Shadow Kingdom followed in 2023.
Is Bob Dylan touring in 2026?
Yes. His UK and Europe tour runs from 17 October to 8 December 2026, with UK dates in Bournemouth, Birmingham, Sheffield, Blackpool and London.
Shop the Bob Dylan Collection
Our Bob Dylan range is a set of tribute fan designs, made to order in the UK for anyone who grew up on his records.
Bob Dylan Men's T-Shirt
£29.99
Bob Dylan Men's Hoodie
£39.99
Explore more legends in our Music collection and Rock Music Clothing collection, or make it personal with our Custom Name Men's Hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Bruce Springsteen Career Story and Johnny Cash Career Story.
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