Dylan No Longer Illin', Will Play For Pope

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When Bob Dylan sang "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," he never realized just how close to it he'd come. On Sept. 27, the '60s folk-rock icon, who is currently touring the States with Ani DiFranco and BR-549, will perform at a Catholic Eucharist Congress in Bologna, Italy.

Although Dylan will play to a crowd of young people at the religious conference, the biggest name that will listen to the ole folkie jam tunes like "Blowin' In the Wind" and "Tangled Up In Blue" will be none other than Pope John Paul II himself.

The pontiff is set to spend close to 90 minutes at the conference, which he will close with a speech to the crowd. "This will not simply be a concert, but an occasion for the pope to meet young people," said Monsignor Ernesto Vecchi, head of the organizational committee.

Dylan's performance will precede the pope's speech and he shares the bill with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Italian pop singer Lucio Dalla.

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

More Song Stories entries »

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