“Like people quote scripture”: Tom Petty on how much George Harrison respected Bob Dylan
The year is 1964. The Beatles have landed in America, they’re busy showing their comedic chops to snap-happy reporters and have a fun gig coming up on The Ed Sullivan Show. For many at the time, it was the latest fad from the UK coming to the States to do some shows; however, what actually happened changed the course of musical history forever.
“There was no real future for a British band before The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964,” said Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, “That was the turning point, after which there was an avalanche. It totally transformed the possibilities, and as usual The Beatles were the frontrunners. In music, there is The Beatles and then there is everybody else.”
E Street guitarist Steve Van Zandt was present for the British Invasion, and he said the amount of people who picked up guitars and started bands, seemingly overnight, was unlike anything he had seen before. “It transformed America,” he said, “On February 8th, there were no bands in America; on February 9th we had Ed Sullivan and on February 10th, everybody had a band in their garage. It was literally overnight.”
The British invasion eventually came to an end, though, as all trends come and go, and it was only a matter of time before the country became obsessed with a different musical voice. Van Zandt remembers this moment as well, “The floodgates opened until the summer of ’65,” he recalled, “When the Americans took the charts back with the folk rock of The Byrds and Bob Dylan.”
Yes, the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan took over America at exponential rates, and while the two often found each other in chart battles, there is no escaping the fact that Dylan and The Beatles got along. The two were inspired by one another, as The Beatles, like everyone, was in awe of Dylan’s lyrical ability, while Dylan admired their skills in producing catchy melodies that appealed to the masses. Dylan even gave the band their first joint, which sparked a friendship that would last years.
While Dylan got along with each band member, he established a strong relationship with George Harrison, one that saw them become great friends and even collaborators in The Travelling Wilburys. They had similar mindsets regarding making music and a profound respect for one another, which meant egos didn’t get in the way when the band eventually split.
Shortly after George Harrison died, Tom Petty spoke about his relationship with Bob Dylan and how much they respected one another. He said that when Harrison spoke about Bob Dylan’s music, he would quote his lyrics “like people quote scripture.”
“When the Wilburys started, George was so reverent of Bob,” recalled Petty. “At the end of the first day, he said, ‘We know that you’re Bob Dylan and everything, but we’re going to just treat you and talk to you like we would anybody else.’ And Bob went, ‘Well great. Believe it or not, I’m in awe of you guys, and it’s the same for me’.”
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