Bob Dylan Is a ‘Best Friend’ to a US President: ‘He Was a Kindred Spirit’
Bob Dylan moved away from politically-minded music early in his career, but he befriended a US president many years after this. He met Jimmy Carter when he was still the governor of Georgia. While Dylan felt uneasy at first — he wasn’t sure why a politician liked his music — they soon connected. Carter said that he considers Dylan one of his best friends.
Bob Dylan said he was uneasy to learn that a president liked his music
From 1971 to 1975, Carter was the governor of Georgia. During this time, Dylan was playing a show in Atlanta, and Carter invited him to the governor’s mansion. He was a fan of Dylan’s music, even quoting him in his 1976 presidential acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. At first, Dylan found this slightly off-putting.
“When I first met Jimmy, the first thing he did was quote my songs back to me,” Dylan said, per USA Today. “It was the first time that I realized that my songs had reached into the establishment world. And I had no experience in that realm; I had never seen that side, so it made me a little uneasy.”
Soon, though, the two men began discussing spirituality and faith. Carter never spoke down to Dylan, which put the musician at ease.
“He put my mind at ease by not talking down to me and showing me that he had a sincere appreciation for the songs I had written,” Dylan explained.
Bob Dylan befriended the president
The meeting went over so well that Dylan and Carter formed a lasting friendship. In a rare onscreen appearance, Dylan discussed his relationship with Carter in the film Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President. Dylan noted that he feels lucky to know Carter.
“He was a kindred spirit to me of a rare kind,” Dylan said. “The kind of man you don’t meet every day and you’re lucky to if you ever do.”
Carter said that he considered Dylan one of his best friends.
“Bob Dylan has been one of my best friends, along with Willie Nelson, of course,” Carter said.
Nelson believed that Carter and Dylan bonded because of how different they were.
“Probably he and Bob had a lot of good ideas to exchange, because they come from entirely different places,” he said. “But Jimmy and I basically come from the same spot.”
Jimmy Carter said some people didn’t like that he was friends with musicians
Carter said that he faced some criticism for his friendships with the musicians. He didn’t care.
“There were some people who didn’t like my being deeply involved with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan and disreputable rock ‘n’ rollers,” he said, per EW. “I didn’t care about that because I was doing what I really believed and the response from the followers of those musicians was much more influential than a few people who thought that being associated with rock ‘n’ roll and radical people was inappropriate in a president.”
