Bob Dylan Shows Support for Jann Wenner’s Return to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Last night, during his concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre, legendary musician Bob Dylan took a moment to acknowledge Jann Wenner, who was recently ousted from the board of directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Dylan’s playful banter with the audience included a statement expressing his disagreement with Wenner’s removal and his desire to see him reinstated.
Dylan’s Playful Remarks
According to audio captured from the show and shared on Twitter, Dylan greeted the crowd by saying, “All right, like to say hello to Jann Wenner who’s in the house. Jann Wenner, surely everybody’s heard of him. Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and we don’t think that’s right; we’re trying to get him back in.”
While Dylan is known for his playful and sometimes sarcastic remarks during concerts, Pitchfork reached out to his representative for clarification on the context of his comments. However, no further information or comment was provided.
Support from Attendees
One attendee of the New York show shared on Twitter that Dylan delivered his remarks about Wenner ”with a big ole grin” on his face. This suggests that Dylan’s comments were made in a lighthearted manner, further emphasizing his support for Wenner.
Jann Wenner’s Controversial Exit
Jann Wenner, one of the co-founders of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the 1980s, stepped down as the chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in 2020. However, his recent removal from the foundation’s board of directors in September 2023 sparked controversy.
In an interview with The New York Times about his new book, “The Masters: Conversations With Dylan, Lennon, Jagger, Townshend, Garcia, Bono, and Springsteen,” Wenner made comments that were widely criticized as sexist and racist. He stated that his choice to exclusively interview white men for the book was “intuitive” because women were not “articulate enough on this intellectual level.” He also suggested that Black artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Curtis Mayfield did not reach the same level of artistic mastery.
Bob Dylan’s Induction and Ongoing Tour
Bob Dylan himself was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, solidifying his status as a music icon. He continues to tour in support of his latest album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” released in 2020.
Photo: Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
