Newport Folk Festival will mark the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan “going electric” with an event billed as ’65 Revisited.
The Rhode Island festival, at which Dylan was a household name before his controversial 1965 set, has revealed that the “all-star lineup” will include nearly a dozen contemporary artists.
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Conceding to The Guardian that Dylan has not accepted the festival’s invitation to perform, festival producer Jay Sweet said: “Having him back would be the least Newport way to celebrate it. Trying to recreate that moment is a fool’s errand. We’re about the future, not about reliving the past.” Dylan last played at Newport in 2002, albeit dressed in a wig and fake beard.
The tribute will close out the three-day festival, which runs from July 24-26.
Meanwhile, Dylan recently performed on US TV’s Late Show with David Letterman (May 19), serving as one of the show’s final musical guests.
The legendary singer-songwriter had last performed on the Late Show in 1993, also “>appearing on Letterman’s preceding NBC Late Night programme in 1984.
Dylan performed ‘The Night We Called It A Day’ from his recent Frank Sinatra covers album ‘Shadows In The Night’. Prior to the performance, host David Letterman revealed that he has taught his son that the only two things you need to know in life is to be nice to people and that the greatest songwriter of all-time is Bob Dylan.
Watch Dylan’s performance below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_djZiswcrQ