“A Highway of Diamonds": Bob Dylan in July of 1963

In July of 1963, Bob Dylan traveled to Greenwood, Mississippi, final resting place of Robert Johnson, to perform at a Voter Registration Rally, traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to perform for Columbia executives, and traveled to Minnesota to perform for friends, he recorded a television performance that would air the following month, but above all he performed at the Newport Folk Festival. He performed at Newport and, as Robert Shelton wrote, “he left a star.” Take a “Highway of Diamonds” back 60 years to the pivotal developments of Bob Dylan's professional life in July of 1963. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we bring you news from the world of Bob Dylan, both in July of 1963 and in 2023. In "Who Did It Better?" we ask you to vote and tell us who did "Only a Pawn in the Game" better: Bob Dylan from the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 or Morrissey for his 2019 album California Son. Listen to the episode, then go to our Twitter page @RainTrains to vote!