Johnny Money is, indubitably, one of the revered singer-songwriters of all time, chargeable for creating a few of the most beloved songs like “Folsom Jail Blues,” “Ring Of Hearth,” and “I Stroll the Line,” amongst many others. His title stands amongst a handful of legends who’ve contributed vastly to the music business. So, in fact, when he praised one thing — or somebody — it really meant one thing. That weight carried much more significance when Money used such excessive reward to explain a fellow singer-songwriter, even as soon as calling him “the very best factor on the market.” That singer is none apart from the “Like a Rolling Stone” hitmaker, Bob Dylan.
Johnny Money Acknowledged Bob Dylan as a Musical Genius
When Money debuted within the late Nineteen Fifties, it wouldn’t take lengthy for Dylan to comply with go well with within the early Sixties. The beginning of their respective careers wasn’t actually that far aside. They usually had been each groundbreaking in their very own proper, with Money carving out an area in nation music, whereas Dylan redefined the folks style. However that doesn’t make Money’s phrases about Dylan any much less vital. Money was a poetic storyteller himself, identified for his uncooked, sincere songwriting that explored themes of affection, religion, loss, redemption, and extra. In fact, expertise acknowledges expertise, and Money acknowledged that Dylan stands among the many best songwriters of all time. Within the e-book Money on Money: Interviews and Encounters With Johnny Moneythe “Highwayman” singer mirrored on the primary time he heard Dylan’s music. He stated:
“The primary time I heard him — I don’t know the place it was, I consider in Las Vegas — I believed it was an previous nation singer. After which I spotted any individual advised me who he was—and I stated, that is actually unbelievable that he might get airplay singing that type of music. I simply heard a recent method to some previous themes, however actually achieved nicely with an perception that had by no means been placed on document. I simply liked his work, liked him. All the time have. Nonetheless do. I simply assume he’s nonetheless the very best factor on the market.”
Money’s phrases towards Dylan weren’t all that stunning. In any case, Dylan is taken into account one of the celebrated songwriters in historical past. And that status comes with a string of songs that absolutely embody that legacy, together with “A Laborious Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” and plenty of extra. Additionally, Dylan and Money shared a real friendship, which was then highlighted within the 2024 biographical movie, A Full Unknownstarring Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and Boyd Holbrook as Money.
Johnny Money and Bob Dylan Share Mutual Admiration Towards Every Different
It wasn’t simply Money who admired Dylan, although. In reality, lengthy earlier than messaging apps made communication straightforward, Money and Dylan exchanged letters as pen friends, forming a a long time‑lengthy bond that started early of their careers. They wrote to one another about music, life, and every part in between, finally changing into shut pals after assembly in individual on the 1964 Newport People Pageant. That friendship finally led to their collaboration in February 1969, when Money and Dylan recorded a duet of “Woman From the North Nation,” which was featured on Dylan’s Nashville Skyline album. When Money handed away on September 12, 2003, on the age of 71, Dylan wrote heartfelt phrases in tribute to his late pal. Printed in Rolling StoneDylan remembered Money as a singular expertise, providing excessive reward for his music. However maybe essentially the most putting half was Dylan’s refusal to summarize Money in just some phrases. As an alternative, he insisted that Money couldn’t be summed up. He wrote:
“I feel we will have recollections of him, however we will’t outline him any greater than we will outline a fountain of reality, mild and sweetness… If we wish to know what it means to be mortal, we want look no additional than the person in black… He rises above all, and he’ll by no means die or be forgotten, even by individuals not born but — particularly these individuals — and that’s endlessly.”
Money is well-known for his nickname, the “Man in Black,” impressed by his behavior of carrying all-black clothes on stage — the very nickname that Dylan used to consult with his previous pal. It’s such a outstanding second in music historical past that two of essentially the most proficient and influential figures of their time had been related not simply by their craft, however by mutual admiration and respect. And the respect that they had for each other showcases how two plain skills acknowledge one another.