Big Joe gets the ultimate Bob Dylan experience in Hibbing, MN

I enjoy music and have a tremendous respect for those who entertain us. You can tell the great entertainers from the not so great, those who have the talent through song to create some type of emotion within you.

One of those artists for me was Bob Dylan.

If you ever took the time to read his lyrics while listening to his composition and delivery of the actual song, it can leave an enduring emotion with you. So of course you become curious as to what makes this artist be so poetic and talented, what did he do in his upbringing that made him who his today?

I learned a lot about Bob Dylan some 35 years ago. It was about 2:00am on a September evening of Labor day weekend some 35 plus years ago when after a day of golfing and an adult beverage or two at the great Mesaba Country Club in Hibbing, Minnesota when I ventured off to pay a visit to Bob Dylan’s house.

For a few years I used to go up to Hibbing Minnesota with a couple of my college friends to play in an annual golf tournament at the Mesaba Country Club.

My friend Bones and I lived in Chicago at the time and we used to head up to Hibbing to hang out and play golf with our friend and former college mate at The University of Minnesota, Kevin McHale.
Kevin of course was named one of the top 50 all time great players in The NBA and played for the Boston Celtics.

Kevin grew up in Hibbing and always spent his summers back in Hibbing with his and his wife Lynn’s family.

We always had a blast and would go up there and play a little golf, have a few cocktails and share our college and friendly stories with Kevin’s friends.

Bones, Kevin and I would stay at Kevin’s wife Lynn’s parent’s house, Dick and Sally, because their house was so close to the course. They were great, always treated us like family.

Well every day on the way to the course we passed Bob Dylan’s house. It was a small well kept house that was very unassuming. I was taken back knowing that Bob Dylan grew up in that house.

So after a day and night of golf, dinner and entertainment we were on the way home when I begged
Kevin to pull over in front of Bob Dylan’s house. He said he thought it was unoccupied and was recently sold.

So we got out climbed onto the front stoop and then cranked up a cassette of Bob Dylan music. I looked around and into the small house and I could see the very simple interior and what looked like small but clean empty rooms.

I thought how Bob Dylan while a genius in composing such powerful and meaningful songs he’s a simple man that likes simple things.

I’m very grateful that the house was unoccupied that night as we sat on the front steps, cold beer in hand and Dylan on the music machine. I’m also glad the neighbors didn’t complain because on that very night I felt pretty close to the aura of Bob Dylan.

Thanks Kevin for those memories.

Bob Dylan celebrates his 81rst birthday on May 24th, 2022. The best tribute to his music can be experienced at The Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ on May 26th, 2022 at 7:30pm as Pat Guadagno and his band Tired Horses play Bob Dylan and Rolling Thunder Revue. It’s a show I love and support. Get your tickets.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.