Bob Dylan first met the Beatles in New York City in August 1964, at the height of the band’s fame. The meeting was arranged by New York journalist Al Aronowitz, who later remarked on the significance of this introduction: “Hasn’t the whole world benefited? … The Beatles’ magic was in their sound. Bob’s magic was in his words. After they met, the Beatles’ words got grittier, and Bob invented folk-rock.” Author Gary Tillery has written of the connection established between Dylan and George Harrison: “Dylan was particularly keen on meeting [John] Lennon, the writer-artist-intellectual of the group, but the deepest and longest-lasting bond begun that night was with George Harrison. Their two reclusive personalities meshed …”
