Never-before-told stories about Bob Dylan, related in detail by his lifelong friend and confidant.
An intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of Dylan's life and adventures, from childhood through the present day.
A "backstage pass" to the groundbreaking Rolling Thunder Revue, produced by the book's author and currently the subject of a documentary by Martin Scorsese.
Dozens of never-before-seen photos and priceless items of memorabilia from the author's personal collection.
Filled with surprising new anecdotes about Marlon Brando, Joni Mitchell, Harry Dean Stanton, Cher, Stephen Stills, Joan Baez, Robbie Robertson, Sam Shepard, Allen Ginsberg, Martin Scorsese, Tom Waits, and more.
'It was at summer camp in northern Wisconsin in 1953 that I first met Bobby Zimmerman from Hibbing. He was twelve years old and he had a guitar. He would go around telling everybody that he was going to be a rock-and-roll star. I was eleven and I believed him.'' So begins this honest, funny, and deeply affectionate memoir of a friendship that has spanned five decades of wild adventures, soul searching conversation, musical milestones, and enduring comradery. As Bobby Zimmerman became Bob Dylan and Louie Kemp built a successful international business, their lives diverged but their friendship held fast. No matter how much time passed between one adventure and the next, the two ''boys from the North Country'' picked up where they left off and shared experiences that will surprise and delight Dylan fans and anybody who loves a rollicking-good rock-and-roll memoir. From little Bobby's very first public appearance (on a roof at Herzl Camp) through his formative years in Minnesota and New York and his rise to global superstardom, Louie Kemp was by his side-a trusted ally and confidant as Bob figured out how to share his gifts without compromising who he was. Louie produced Bob's groundbreaking Rolling Thunder Revue-described in riveting detail here-and traveled with him in the rarefied world of the rock star, but he also shared quiet moments and intimate experiences. Louie's own words best describe the relationship at the heart of Dylan & Me: ''We have always had open minds, taken risks, helped the underdog. We have laughed at the same jokes and confided our deepest thoughts and fears. We have never needed anything from each other but have always been there for each other.'' What better definition of friendship could anybody want? AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Louis Kemp was born in Duluth Minnesota. Shortly before graduating college, he left school to take over his father's Lake Superior fish business, expanding it into Alaska and making it one of the most successful seafood operations in the country. His 350-foot mothership, the M/V Bering Trader, was the largest-capacity seafood processor in Alaskan waters in its day. An ancillary enterprise, the Louis Kemp Seafood Company, helped create the thriving market for imitation King Crab in the United States. Louie produced Bob Dylan's legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tours and traveled with him all over the world as a trusted ally and friend. As a respected and devout member of the Jewish community, Louie is the ''father'' of Aish Ha Torah's Discovery Program, attended by more than 500,000 people worldwide, and the founder of Chabad of Pacific Palisades, California. Most meaningful to him of all, he is the proud father of six great children and five grandchildren...and counting. AUTHOR HOME: Los Angeles, California