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==Career==
==Career==
Neuwirth first met [[Bob Dylan]] in 1961,<ref name="NYT obit"/> at the inaugural [[Indian Neck Folk Festival]] held in [[Branford, Connecticut]].<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|title=Bob Neuwirth obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/20/bob-neuwirth-obituary|first=Richard|last=Williams|author-link=Richard Williams (journalist)|date=May 20, 2022|access-date=May 22, 2022|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph obit">{{cite news|title=Bob Neuwirth, musician and painter who worked with Bob Dylan and co-wrote Janis Joplin's classic song 'Mercedes Benz' – obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/05/22/bob-neuwirth-musician-painter-worked-bob-dylan-co-wrote-janis/|date=May 22, 2022|accessdate=May 22, 2022|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}</ref> He soon became Dylan's friend and associate,<ref name="NYT obit"/><ref name="AllMusic bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-neuwirth-mn0000762816/biography|title=Bob Neuwirth – Biography|first=Mark|last=Deming|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=May 22, 2022}}</ref> as well as his [[road manager]].<ref name="Telegraph obit"/> Neuwirth consequently accompanied Dylan on his [[Bob Dylan England Tour 1965|England tour in 1965]] and helped assemble the backing band for the [[Rolling Thunder Revue]] tour ten years later.<ref name="NYT obit"/><ref name="Telegraph obit"/> He also appeared alongside Dylan in [[D.A. Pennebaker]]'s documentary ''[[Dont Look Back]]'' (1967) and Dylan's own self-referential romantic fantasy/tour film ''[[Renaldo and Clara]]'' (1978).<ref name="NYT obit"/> The lower half of him appears behind Dylan in Daniel Kramer's front cover photo for the album ''[[Highway 61 Revisited]]''.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>
Neuwirth first met [[Bob Dylan]] in 1961,<ref name="NYT obit"/> at the inaugural [[Indian Neck Folk Festival]] held in [[Branford, Connecticut]].<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|title=Bob Neuwirth obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/20/bob-neuwirth-obituary|first=Richard|last=Williams|author-link=Richard Williams (journalist)|date=May 20, 2022|access-date=May 22, 2022|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph obit">{{cite news|title=Bob Neuwirth, musician and painter who worked with Bob Dylan and co-wrote Janis Joplin's classic song 'Mercedes Benz' – obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/05/22/bob-neuwirth-musician-painter-worked-bob-dylan-co-wrote-janis/|date=May 22, 2022|accessdate=May 22, 2022|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}</ref> He soon became Dylan's friend and associate,<ref name="NYT obit"/><ref name="AllMusic bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-neuwirth-mn0000762816/biography|title=Bob Neuwirth – Biography|first=Mark|last=Deming|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=May 22, 2022}}</ref> as well as his [[road manager]].<ref name="Telegraph obit"/> Neuwirth consequently accompanied Dylan on his [[Bob Dylan England Tour 1965|England tour in 1965]] and helped assemble the backing band for the [[Rolling Thunder Revue]] tour ten years later.<ref name="NYT obit"/><ref name="Telegraph obit"/> He also appeared alongside Dylan in [[D. A. Pennebaker]]'s documentary ''[[Dont Look Back]]'' (1967) and Dylan's own self-referential romantic fantasy/tour film ''[[Renaldo and Clara]]'' (1978).<ref name="NYT obit"/> The lower half of him appears behind Dylan in Daniel Kramer's front cover photo for the album ''[[Highway 61 Revisited]]''.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>


With [[Janis Joplin]] and poet [[Michael McClure]], Neuwirth co-wrote the song "[[Mercedes Benz (song)|Mercedes Benz]]". He also introduced [[Kris Kristofferson]] to [[Janis Joplin]], who would have a major (posthumous) hit single with Kristofferson's song "[[Me and Bobby McGee]]" (which Neuwirth first played for Joplin).<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name="AllMusic bio"/> [[Colin Irwin (journalist)|Colin Irwin]] wrote:<blockquote>Painter, road manager, sidekick, confidante, henchman, poet, underground cult hero, womanizer, party organizer, self-appointed king of cool, and baiter-in-chief of [[Joan Baez|Baez]], [[Donovan]], and any other unfortunate who wound up in the line of fire of his sledgehammer jibes, Neuwirth went on to become a film-maker and a credible singer-songwriter in his own right, co-writing the wonderful 'Mercedes Benz' with his friend Janis Joplin.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Colin |last1=Irwin |title=Legendary sessions: Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited |page=54 |publisher=Billboard Books |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-8230-8398-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogYwAQAAIAAJ&q=sledgehammer+jibes |access-date=23 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>
With [[Janis Joplin]] and poet [[Michael McClure]], Neuwirth co-wrote the song "[[Mercedes Benz (song)|Mercedes Benz]]". He also introduced [[Kris Kristofferson]] to [[Janis Joplin]], who would have a major (posthumous) hit single with Kristofferson's song "[[Me and Bobby McGee]]" (which Neuwirth first played for Joplin).<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name="AllMusic bio"/> [[Colin Irwin (journalist)|Colin Irwin]] wrote:<blockquote>Painter, road manager, sidekick, confidante, henchman, poet, underground cult hero, womanizer, party organizer, self-appointed king of cool, and baiter-in-chief of [[Joan Baez|Baez]], [[Donovan]], and any other unfortunate who wound up in the line of fire of his sledgehammer jibes, Neuwirth went on to become a film-maker and a credible singer-songwriter in his own right, co-writing the wonderful 'Mercedes Benz' with his friend Janis Joplin.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Colin |last1=Irwin |title=Legendary sessions: Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited |page=54 |publisher=Billboard Books |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-8230-8398-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogYwAQAAIAAJ&q=sledgehammer+jibes |access-date=23 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>

Revision as of 17:10, 23 May 2022

Bob Neuwirth
Birth nameRobert John Neuwirth
Born(1939-06-20)June 20, 1939
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 2022(2022-05-18) (aged 82)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, banjo
Years active1960s–2022
LabelsAsylum
Gold Castle
Watermelon
Dreamsville
Websitewww.bobneuwirth.com

Robert John Neuwirth (June 20, 1939 – May 18, 2022) was an American folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. He was noted for being the road manager and associate of Bob Dylan, as well as the co-writer of Janis Joplin's hit song "Mercedes Benz".

Early life

Neuwirth was born in Akron, Ohio, on June 20, 1939.[1][2] His father, Robert, was employed as an engineer; his mother, Clara Irene (Fischer), worked as a design engineer.[1] Neuwirth initially studied at Ohio University,[2] before relocating to Boston in 1959 when he was awarded an arts scholarship to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.[1][2] After a sojourn in Paris, he went back to Boston and was employed at an art supply store. He also took up the banjo and guitar during this time, which paved the way to the folk scene of the early 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[2]

Career

Neuwirth first met Bob Dylan in 1961,[1] at the inaugural Indian Neck Folk Festival held in Branford, Connecticut.[3][4] He soon became Dylan's friend and associate,[1][5] as well as his road manager.[4] Neuwirth consequently accompanied Dylan on his England tour in 1965 and helped assemble the backing band for the Rolling Thunder Revue tour ten years later.[1][4] He also appeared alongside Dylan in D. A. Pennebaker's documentary Dont Look Back (1967) and Dylan's own self-referential romantic fantasy/tour film Renaldo and Clara (1978).[1] The lower half of him appears behind Dylan in Daniel Kramer's front cover photo for the album Highway 61 Revisited.[3]

With Janis Joplin and poet Michael McClure, Neuwirth co-wrote the song "Mercedes Benz". He also introduced Kris Kristofferson to Janis Joplin, who would have a major (posthumous) hit single with Kristofferson's song "Me and Bobby McGee" (which Neuwirth first played for Joplin).[3][5] Colin Irwin wrote:

Painter, road manager, sidekick, confidante, henchman, poet, underground cult hero, womanizer, party organizer, self-appointed king of cool, and baiter-in-chief of Baez, Donovan, and any other unfortunate who wound up in the line of fire of his sledgehammer jibes, Neuwirth went on to become a film-maker and a credible singer-songwriter in his own right, co-writing the wonderful 'Mercedes Benz' with his friend Janis Joplin.[6]

After relocating to Los Angeles during the 1970s, Neuwirth released his debut album Bob Neuwirth (1974) with Asylum Records.[2] Although it included guest artists such as Kris Kristofferson, Booker T. Jones, Rita Coolidge, Chris Hillman, Cass Elliot, Dusty Springfield, Don Everly, Richie Furay, and Iain Matthews,[7] it was not commercially successful,[5] in part because he declined to publicize it extensively.[4] The album eventually became a cult favorite and a proposal to reissue it was in place at the time of Neuwirth's death.[2] Fourteen years later, he released his second album, Back to the Front,[5] which was received more positively by critics.[4]

Personal life

Neuwirth was in a domestic partnership with Paula Batson until his death.[1][2] He resided in Santa Monica, California during his later years. His artwork was displayed at Track 16 Gallery in a 2011 exhibition titled "Overs & Unders: Paintings by Bob Neuwirth, 1964–2009".[1]

Neuwirth died on the evening of May 18, 2022, in Santa Monica. He was 82, and had heart failure prior to his death.[1][2]

Discography

Solo

With John Cale

Other contributions

Bibliography

  • Baby, Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years, by Eric von Schmidt and Jim Rooney ISBN 0-385-14456-3

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Genzlinger, Neil (May 19, 2022). "Bob Neuwirth, Colorful Figure in Dylan's Circle, Dies at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Browne, David (May 19, 2022). "Bob Neuwirth, Folk Singer-Songwriter Who Had Profound Impact on Bob Dylan, Dead at 82". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Williams, Richard (May 20, 2022). "Bob Neuwirth obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Bob Neuwirth, musician and painter who worked with Bob Dylan and co-wrote Janis Joplin's classic song 'Mercedes Benz' – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Deming, Mark. "Bob Neuwirth – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Irwin, Colin (2008). Legendary sessions: Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited. Billboard Books. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-8230-8398-5. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  7. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Bob Neuwirth – Bob Neuwirth: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Bob Neuwirth – Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Bob Neuwirth – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
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