The artist Bob Dylan says is the ‘definition of cool’ – and how they influenced his live shows

An artist was dubbed the “definition of cool” by Bob Dylan, who says the musician in question influenced his live performances.

In an interview given in December 1985, the Masters of War and Mr. Tambourine Man songwriter shared who he believed was the biggest influence on his career. Even modern performances from Dylan on the Rough and Rowdy Ways and Outlaw Music Festival tours are pulling from the influential musician who would often leave the stage and let his backing band play on. Dylan tried this “at a couple of shows” in the mid-1980s and would continue to let his band take the spotlight in his most recent shows, too. But the audience reaction was mixed, Dylan says, and he began pulling from other pop heroes.

Dylan dubbed jazz musician Miles Davis the “definition of cool.” He went on to praise Davis’ style of playing and attitude towards the audience when playing small clubs and shows across the United States. Dylan added: “Miles Davis is my definition of cool.

“I loved to see him in the small clubs playing his solo, turn his back on the crowd, put down his horn and walk off the stage, let the band keep playing, and then come back and play a few notes at the end. I did that at a couple of shows. The audience thought I was sick or something.”

Dylan went on to share the at-the-time contemporary records he had purchased and what happened to the first “big purchase” he made. He said: “The last record I bought was Lucille Bogan. She was a blues singer who I had heard of, but not her records.

“I don’t buy too many contemporary records. I didn’t go down to the record store and buy the record personally. I know someone who works in a record store in town and I called and asked him to set it aside. No, I didn’t actually pick it up, somebody else did.

“The first expensive thing I bought with my first big paycheck was a ’65 baby-blue Mustang convertible. But a guy who worked for me rolled it down a hill in Woodstock and it smashed into a truck. I got 25 bucks for it. The name on my driver’s license is Bob Dylan. It was legally changed when I went to work for Folk City a few thousand years ago. They had to get my name straight for the union.”

Dylan also shared his disinterest in sport, but noted there was one world event which held his attention during a show in England. He added: “I never watch sports on TV, although I did see John McEnroe beat Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon when I was over in England last year. There was a TV set backstage and I had gotten there early and I paid attention to the whole thing.

“Usually I don’t stay with something that long. I used to play hockey when I was growing up. Everyone sort of learns how to skate and play hockey at an early age (in Minnesota). I usually played forward, sometimes centre.”