The “beautiful” singer Bob Dylan called “the dawn” of his songwriting

Bob Dylan identified Buddy Holly as a formative influence, saying that tracing the beginnings of his songwriting meant starting with Holly. The connection helps explain how Dylan came to blend musical styles and pair vivid, imaginative lyrics with melodies.

In his 2017 Nobel Prize lecture, Dylan recalled feeling related to Holly from the first time he heard him, describing him as an older brother. Holly combined country and western, rock ’n’ roll and rhythm and blues, and wrote songs Dylan admired for their melodies and verses. Dylan later drew on that mix as he shaped his own folk-inspired rock.