Bob Dylan

McCluhan quotes Bob Dylan in his text The Medium is the Message from the song The Ballad of a Thin Man "Because something is happening but you don't know do you Mr. Jones?"  Ever since he started performing, Bob Dylan has always been about authenticity.  Besides his first performance in which he tried to imitate Little Richard, he has striven to represent an authentic American experience.  As a folk performer in the early 60's, he was heavily inspired by Woody Guthrie and his attempt to capture the spirit of America.  Dylan moved from the Twin Cities to Greenwich Village.  It was here that he became the performer that he is today, shaping folk music into social and protest songs.  In 1965, he changed the face of folk music and nearly got booed of the stage of the Newport Folk Festival by playing an electric guitar rather than an acoustic guitar.  From this he injected the idea of the mythical machine into a genre of music known for its attention to authenticity.  Not only did he change the face of folk music, but inspired many artists to perform his songs.  In fact, he has yet to stop performing, a clear commitment to his craft and the message behind it.