"In the work of each performer there is an attempt to create oneself, to make a new man out of what is inherited and what is imagined; each individual attempt implies an ideal community..." This quote is from Greil Marcus in the book Mystery Train. Like the American character, Bob Dylan is inventive, innovative, and unpredictable. As a vocalist, he broke the barrier and tradition of performers having a well-defined voice by creating his own unique style. As a performer, he inspired many types of music, including country-rock and folk-rock. Dylan influenced many musicians including the Beatles and Rolling Stones who mimicked Dylan's music. Songs such as "Blowing In the Wind" encouraged musicians to be brave in writing their thoughts in music with lyrics like this:
             Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
             Dylan started out as a folk singer and then switched to electric in 1965 which created a unique sound later labeled folk rock.
             Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. Dylan was the grandson of Jewish-Russian immigrants. The Zimmerman family moved to the small town of Hibbing in 1947. Dylan started writing poetry at age 10 and taught himself how to play the guitar and piano in his early teens. Influenced by early rock stars such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, Dylan started forming his own bands, including the Golden Chords, Elston Gunn, and the Rock Boppers. According to his high school yearbook, his goal was "to join Little Richard".
             Dylan left for Minnesota in 1959 where he was influenced greatly by folk pioneers such as Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, and Woodie Guthrie. Dylan met Guthrie while Guthrie was hospitalized and played him songs while he was in the hospital. He began writing songs including a tribute to his hero, "Song To Woody".
             Dylan began playing at various clubs in Greewich Village whe...