I had just signed a contract with Leeds Music, giving it the right to publish my songs.
Not that there was many great deal to hammer out, I hadn't written much yet.
Lou had advanced me $100 against future royalties to sign the paper, and that was fine with me.
John had taken me over to see Lou.
John had only heard two of my original compositions, but he had a premonition that there would be more.
John was John Hammond, the great talent scout and discoverer of monumental artists,
imposing figures in the history of recorded music, artists who had created music that resonated through American life.
He was legendary.
He had followed his own heart's love, which was music, which he endorsed and defended with his life.
No one could block his way and he didn't have any time to waste.
It's one of my favorite sentences in the book.
No one could block his way and he didn't have any time to waste.
I could hardly believe myself awake when sitting in his office, him signing me to Columbia Records.
It was so unbelievable.
It would have sounded like a made-up thing.
Folk music was considered junky, second-rate, and only released on small labels.
But John was an extraordinary man.
He had vision and foresight, had seen and heard me.
That was an excerpt from the book that I'm going to talk to you about today,
which is Chronicles Volume 1 and is written by Bob Dylan.