Bob Dylan has issued a rare statement after being honoured with a doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.
Dylan joins an illustrious list of musicians to have been bestowed with the prestigious degree, including David Bowie, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr, Rosanne Cash, Todd Rundgren, Glenn Frey, Roberta Flack, and James Taylor.
In a statement, the legendary singer-songwriter said of achieving the honour from the prestigious music school, sharing (via Rolling Stone), “Thank you, Berklee College of Music, for bestowing on me this prestigious honor. What a pleasant surprise.”
Dylan continued, “Who knows what path my career might have taken if I’d been fortunate enough to learn from some of the great musicians who taught at Berklee. It’s something to think about.”
Meanwhile, the Berklee College of Music said that Dylan’s “extraordinary influence on modern music” and “lifelong commitment to creative exploration” are the reasons for the school bestowing the honour upon him.
Berklee President Jim Lucchese described it as “an incredible moment for this institution”, before adding, “Bob Dylan’s music has shaped how the world hears itself. He’s an artist who has never stopped evolving, who keeps chasing truth through sound and language.”
Luccese continued, “That’s the spirit we try to cultivate here every day. Honoring him feels like a reaffirmation of the creative impulse that built this place.”
Additionally, American Roots Music Program artistic director Matt Glaser complimented Dylan for spending a “lifetime learning, absorbing, and transforming every American song tradition”. As well as noting how Dylan has a “deep immersion in African American blues”, he also called him “a great teacher and learner”.
Dylan has previously received an honorary degree from St Andrews in Scotland in 2004, and Princeton in 1970.
Later this week, Dylan will begin the latest UK and Ireland leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which kicks off at the Brighton Centre on November 7th. He will visit Swansea, Coventry, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast, Killarney, and Dublin.
