Wigan musician's online tribute concert to Bob Dylan

Jon Brindley will perform songs by iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan on YouTube this evening (Thursday).

Jon has been performing live on the internet throughout lockdown but says this week’s is a particularly special concert.

Jon, who now lives in Chorley, said: “Bob Dylan has been a major influence on me. His music changed my life, really. I wouldn’t make a statement like this lightly.

“I remember I was given a tape of his music when I was on a French exchange from The Deanery. I hadn’t heard him before and it really flipped a switch for me.

“It said so much to me. His music made me think I could do it, and he has influenced me as a songwriter without a shadow of a doubt.

“I remember one time I was in school at the back of the class and I had forgotten where I was. I just started singing a Dylan song and everyone looked back at me.

“We were also asked at school to do something we were good at so I brought my guitar in and I did Mr Tambourine Man. That was a big thing for me. There was a lad from our class and he came up to me after I’d played at someone’s party and said he remembered me playing the song and how knocked out everyone had been.”

Jon is hoping to play for between 90 minutes and two hours on Thursday but admits that having looked through Dylan’s vast back catalogue online he has enough material to do at least one more online tribute evening.

Jon will be playing guitar, piano and accordion to accompany the songs and is hoping his wife Mary might also make an appearance on camera during the live stream.

He says he has also enjoyed going through Dylan’s works and picking a number of tracks he has never played before for the event.

Jon has been doing his Saturday Songs on YouTube throughout lockdown and says being able to play to people during the period of Covid-19 restrictions has been hugely important to him.

He said: “It has certainly kept me going. If I didn’t have some way of performing I would go bonkers.”

Jon Brindley will perform the music of Bob Dylan tonight from 9pm.

To find the livestream, search for jonbrindley on YouTube.

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