Bob Dylan’s Mentor Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Tells Little-Known Tales About the Icon
Dylan’s ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ tour comes to Santa Cruz on June 23, 2022
by Adam Joseph | June 22, 2022
About nine years ago, folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (who turns 91 on Aug. 1 and continues to perform live) and Bob Dylan crossed paths after Dylan performed a show in Oakland. Before that, Elliott couldn’t remember the last time he had spoken to him.
“When [Dylan] was heading for the bus after the show, I said, ‘Good set, Bob,’” Elliott recalls. “Bob says, ‘Hi Jack.’ I said, ‘I love you, Bob.’ He said, ‘I love you, Jack.’ That was fantastic—we had never declared our love verbally.”