Bob Dylan's "William Zanzinger" Dies

William Zantzinger Dies
William Zantzinger, the subject of Bob Dylan’s 1963 protest song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” has died at age 69 according to a local paper in Maryland. In 1963, a 24-year-old Zantzinger was at a Baltimore hotel when he struck Hattie Carroll — a 51-year-old black barmaid — in the head and shoulders with a toy cane. Details of the attack vary, but most claim he was enraged she wasn’t serving him quickly enough. A distraught Carroll, who suffered from high blood pressure and an enlarged heart, returned to the kitchen where she complained to a co-worker about Zantzinger — and quickly collapsed and died. An autopsy stated she died of a brain hemorrhage and there was no mark on her head from the cane. Zantzinger was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter due to the “tremendous emotional upsurge” caused by his attack. He paid a $25,000 fine and served a six-month prison sentence.

Bob Dylan, at the height of his protest period, read about the incident and turned it into one of early masterpieces (click above for footage of the singer performing the tune on the Steve Allen Show). The facts of the song have been disputed over the years, largely due to the fact that it implies Carroll was beaten to death or “slain by a cane.” After getting out of jail, Zantzinger got involved in real estate. In 1986 the government took possession of some of his low-income houses due to unpaid taxes. Zantzinger continued to charge rent on property he no longer owned — even suing people who fell behind in payments. The con caught up to him, and by 1991 he was arrested, fined $62,000 and served 2,400 hours of community service.

The Dylan song followed him around his whole life, though he steadfastly refused to talk about it with reporters. In 2001 Bob Dylan biographical Howard Sounes actually got a quote out of him. “[Dylan] is a no-account son a bitch,” Zantzinger said. “He’s just like a scum bag of the earth. I should have sued him and put him in jail. [The song is] a total lie.”

Even if Dylan took a little poetic license, the song will stand the test of time as one of the greatest "folk songs" ever.
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll is one of my favorite Dylan songs, and one of the greatest songs ever written.
Here's a more recent performance of The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" by the "old" Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan On Obama: "Things Are Going to Change Now"

During a concert in MN on election night, Nov. 4, Bob Dylan commented on the election of Barack Obama before performing "Blowin' in the Wind":

"Me, I was born in 1941. That was the year they bombed Pearl Harbor. I've been living in a world of darkness every since. But it Looks like things are going to change now."

Reports from the concern are that Bob was quite happy after Obama was declared President Elect.

Here's an audio clip with some pics of Bob and Barack Obama:

Bob Dylan Endorses Barack Obama!

Bob Dylan Endorses Barack Obama!

"Barack Obama is Redefining Politics"

Bob Dylan has claimed that Democratic US presidential nominee Barack Obama is "redefining politics".

The singer/songwriter said that he was hopeful that the political system in the US would change as a result of him winning the race to be the Democratic nominee for the election in November.

Dylan told The Times: "America is in a state of upheaval. Poverty is demoralising. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor.

"But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up – Barack Obama. He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out.

"Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to."

Yes Bob, The Times They Are A Changin'

Bob Dylan Wins Pulitzer!

My favorite artist wins another award: Bob Dylan wins a Pulitzer Prize!
The citation for the 66-year-old Dylan noted his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

I've lost count on the awards Bob Dylan has won. He's a living legend, far above anything else in modern music.
I may be the only gay, atheist socialist, Bob Dylan fan in North America!

For more about Bob Dylan visit:
Bob Dylan.com
Expecting Rain