Jordan Ellis
Bob Dylan's visit to see his idol, Woody Guthrie, in hospital is a well-known story. In 1961, Dylan travelled to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New Jersey to see Guthrie, who was battling Huntington's disease. Guthrie's health had been in decline since the 1940s, and he was hospitalised in 1956. Dylan's visit inspired the song Song to Woody, and the two musicians conversed and performed for each other. The story has been depicted in the film A Complete Unknown, although some details have been fictionalised.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of meeting | 29 January 1961 |
| Location | Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, Morris Plains, New Jersey |
| Reason for hospitalisation | Huntington's disease |
| Dylan's motive for visiting | To meet his idol |
| Dylan's actions during the visit | Performed "Song for Woody" |
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What You'll Learn
Bob Dylan visited Woody Guthrie in hospital in 1961
Bob Dylan visited his idol, folk singer Woody Guthrie, in hospital in 1961. Guthrie was hospitalised at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey, battling Huntington's disease. Dylan had become obsessed with Guthrie's story and music after reading his 1943 autobiography, 'Bound for Glory', which prompted him to drop out of college and move to New York.
Just five days after arriving in New York, Dylan made his way to the hospital. The two musicians conversed, and Dylan performed Guthrie's songs for him, as well as his own original composition, 'Song for Woody'. Guthrie approved of the song, and it went on to become one of only two original compositions to appear on Dylan's 1962 debut album. The encounter inspired Dylan's song "Song to Woody".
Guthrie gave Dylan a business card that read, "I ain't dead yet". Although the film 'A Complete Unknown' depicts Guthrie as quite incapacitated by the disease, in reality, his speech had not yet deteriorated completely. Dylan continued to visit Guthrie for the remainder of his life, maintaining their musical connection and showing his devotion to his idol.
Dylan honoured Guthrie in other ways, too. During his first major concert in New York City's Town Hall in 1963, Dylan performed a long poem titled 'Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie'. In 1968, just months after Guthrie's death, Dylan and his band played a cover of Guthrie's 'Ain't Got No Home' at a Carnegie Hall tribute performance in New York.
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Guthrie was hospitalised with Huntington's disease
Woody Guthrie was hospitalised with Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate over time. This can lead to changes in mood and memory and, in later stages, can cause difficulties with movement and speech. Huntington's disease is also hereditary, and several of Guthrie's children inherited it.
Guthrie began to show signs of Huntington's in the late 1940s, and his health deteriorated throughout the 1950s. By 1956, he was hospitalised at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey.
The film A Complete Unknown depicts Bob Dylan visiting Guthrie in the hospital, and this did indeed happen in real life. In 1961, Dylan visited Guthrie at Greystone Park, just five days after arriving in New York. The two musicians talked, and Dylan performed Guthrie's songs as well as his own original, "Song for Woody". Guthrie approved of the song, and it became one of only two original compositions on Dylan's 1962 debut album.
Dylan continued to visit Guthrie for the remainder of his life, maintaining their musical connection and showing his devotion to his idol. In 1963, Dylan stated that meeting Guthrie was "the high point of [his] life".
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Dylan travelled to New York to meet his musical idol
Bob Dylan travelled to New York to meet his musical idol, Woody Guthrie, in 1961. Dylan had become obsessed with Guthrie's story and music after reading his 1943 autobiography, "Bound for Glory", which prompted him to drop out of college and make the journey. Just five days after arriving in New York, Dylan located Guthrie at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey. Guthrie had been hospitalised due to Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate over time, affecting mood, memory, movement, and speech.
Dylan's visit to Guthrie in the hospital is depicted in the film "A Complete Unknown", although the harmonica scene in the film was invented for cinematic effect. In reality, the two musicians conversed, and Dylan performed Guthrie's songs for him, as well as his own original composition, "Song for Woody". Guthrie approved of the song, and it became one of only two original compositions on Dylan's 1962 debut album.
The meeting between Dylan and Guthrie was a significant moment in their musical connection and the beginning of a lasting friendship. Dylan continued to visit Guthrie and maintained their relationship until Guthrie's death in 1968. Dylan even performed a long poem titled "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" at his first major concert in New York City's Town Hall in 1963.
The Bob Dylan Centre and the Woody Guthrie Centre are now located under the same roof in Tulsa, Oklahoma, housing permanent exhibits and creative archives of the two songwriters, honouring their legacy and influence in the world of music.
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Dylan performed a long poem about Guthrie at his first major concert in 1963
Bob Dylan met Woody Guthrie in 1961, shortly after arriving in New York. Guthrie, who was suffering from Huntington's disease, was staying in Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey. The two musicians conversed, and Dylan performed some of Guthrie's songs for him, as well as his own original, "Song for Woody".
Dylan had been influenced by Guthrie's partly fictionalised autobiography, 'Bound for Glory', and was obsessed with his story and music. This led him to drop out of college and move to New York.
On April 12, 1963, Dylan performed his first major concert at New York Town Hall. Here, he performed a long poem titled "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie". The poem mentions Brooklyn State Hospital, where Guthrie was hospitalised in 1963 when Dylan wrote and performed this piece. The hospital is also referenced in the poem:
> You can either go to the church of your choice
> Or you can go to Brooklyn State Hospital
> You’ll find God in the church of your choice
> You’ll find Woody Guthrie in Brooklyn State Hospital
The poem ends with Dylan rhetorically asking the audience where they may find hope for the future, concluding that:
> You can either go to the church of your choice
> Or you can go to Brooklyn State Hospital
> You’ll find God in the church of your choice
> You’ll find Woody Guthrie in Brooklyn State Hospital
> And though it’s only my opinion I may be right or wrong
> You’ll find them both
> In the Grand Canyon
> At sundown
Dylan never performed this remarkable work again.
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Dylan continued to visit Guthrie in hospital
Bob Dylan first visited Woody Guthrie in Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey, in 1961. Guthrie was battling Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate over time, leading to various changes in mood and memory and, eventually, difficulty with movement and speech. Dylan had become obsessed with Guthrie's story and music after reading his 1943 autobiography, "Bound for Glory", which inspired him to drop out of college and move to New York.
The two musicians' meeting is depicted in the film "A Complete Unknown", although the film takes some liberties with the truth. In reality, Guthrie's speech had not yet completely deteriorated, and the two conversed, with Dylan performing Guthrie's songs as well as his own original compositions. The film also portrays Dylan sneaking into Guthrie's hospital room in the dead of night, which did not happen in reality. Instead, Dylan showed up at the Guthrie home and later met his idol in New Jersey at a private home where Guthrie often spent weekends during his illness.
Dylan and Guthrie's friendship continued until Guthrie's death in 1968. Just months after, Dylan and his band played a cover version of Guthrie's "Ain't Got No Home" at Carnegie Hall in New York, using some of Guthrie's lyrics and his own to pay tribute to his late friend.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Bob Dylan visited Woody Guthrie in the hospital.
Woody Guthrie was hospitalised at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, New Jersey.
Woody Guthrie was in the hospital due to Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate over time, affecting mood, memory, movement, and speech.
Bob Dylan first visited Woody Guthrie in the hospital in 1961, five days after arriving in New York.
During his visit, Bob Dylan performed Guthrie's songs for him, as well as his own original song, "Song for Woody." Guthrie approved of Dylan's song, and they formed a friendship that continued until Guthrie's death.
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