Bob Dylan
Keyboardist Barry Goldberg
… Dead at 83
Published
Barry Goldberg, a renowned keyboardist who performed with Bob Dylan, has died … the musician’s rep has confirmed.
The blues-rock performer died surrounded by his loved ones — including wife Gail and son Aram — in hospice care … 10 years after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
Goldberg was a notable part of the ’60s American music scene as a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band … famously supporting Dylan on the keyboard when the folk legend debuted his new electric sound at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
The performance — which was controversial at the time — was recreated in the 2024 biopic about Dylan’s life, “A Complete Unknown,” and saw actor Justin Levine portray Goldberg.
Dylan was famously booed for swapping his acoustic guitar for an electric one … and for performing with an electric band, which included Goldberg. Despite the criticism, Dylan and his band performed “Like A Rolling Stone” for the first time live … and is now considered one of the greatest songs of all time.
Goldberg was also known for being a record producer, having worked on albums for Percy Sledge, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, and The Textones. He also produced Dylan’s take on “People Get Ready,” which was first written by Curtis Mayfield for his group The Impressions.
He was 83.
RIP
