Bob Dylan’s 1965 Newport Electric Guitar Allegedly Discovered in NJ Attic
A New Jersey woman claims to have rediscovered Bob Dylan‘s missing lyrics and 1964 Fender Stratocaster in her attic. Dawn Peterson says Dylan left the guitar on her father’s plane after he flew him to the legendary Newport Folk Festival on July 5, 1965. She identifies the guitar as the same one Dylan used at the concert.
At the Newport concert, folk fans and concertgoers booed Dylan for betraying his acoustic roots. Both the concert and the guitar are historically significant because the incident changed Dylan’s reputation from folk-artist to rock star. According to some experts, the guitar could be worth $500,000.
Ms. Peterson will appear on an episode of PBS’ “History Detectives.” The show’s hosts, Elyse Luray and Wes Cowan, said experts examined the guitar and verified its authenticity. The experts also verified some handwritten lyrics found within the guitar case. Some of these lyrics appear on Dylan’s 1966 album “Blonde on Blonde.”
However, Bob Dylan’s attorney disputes Ms. Peterson’s claims. He says that Ms. Peterson’s father could not have flown Dylan to the concert because Dylan recalls driving, not flying, to the event. The attorney further claims some thieves stole Dylan’s guitars around this time.
