It was 80 degrees here the day before, then 40 on Monday the 24th as we shivered against the cold on Duluth's Central Hillside. The forecast had been for rain, but the weather gods smiled and we were blessed. A crowd of 90 people or so came to hear music, a few short talks, a reading of the Proclamation of our Year of Dylan and lots of camaraderie as we celebrated Bob Dylan's 80th birthday.
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| Souvenir pens for fans and collectors. |
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| 519 North 3rd Avenue East. First home of Robert Allen Zimmerman. The family lived upstairs in this duplex. |
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| Greg Tiburzi has been providing accompaniment for longer than I can remember at this annual event. |
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| Bill Pagel (leather jacket on right) owns both houses Bob Dylan grew up in here in the Northland. Talking with Christa Lawler of the News Tribune who also served as a judge in the singer/songwriter contest. |
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| Miriam Hansen (L) keeps the flame lit as host of the KUMD radio show Highway 61 Revisited. With Zane Bail. Notice how they are mugging for the camera rather than listening to the speaker. (wink) |
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| County Commissioner Frank Jewell read the Official Proclamation. Jewell has served 10 years as commissioner, 4 years on the City Council and a lifetime as a community organizer. |
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| View from up the hill. |
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| A volunteer hands out copies of the Proclamation regarding our Year of Dylan in St. Louis County. |
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| Zane Bail (R) has been the Chair and primary engine for the Duluth Dylan Fest Committee this past decade. Sunbonnet Sue (L) is an Honorary Duluthian for her 10 years of annual service to the cause of honoring Bob Dylan's Birthday. It takes a village... and we've welcomed her to our tribe. |
Craig Grau, retired professor from UMD welcomed the gathering crowd of well-wishers, then introduced writer/blogger Ed Newman who shared remarks about how amazing that Robert Allen Zimmerman was once a toddler who played on this very porch. Mighty oaks emerge from tiny seeds. After Commissioner Frank Jewell read the proclamation we all sang a cheerful, heartfelt Happy Birthday chorus.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOB!
We're saving a piece of cake for you.
Thanks for all you have given us.
Bob, if you don't come get your big piece of cake we saved you, we're eating it on your 90th! SbS
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Ed for sharing those pictures. What a warm gathering of nice and smiling people, if Bob had a look at it he would certainly appreciate and be touched.
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