Cultural Depictions of Dylan Thomas - Bob Dylan's Name

Bob Dylan's Name

It has been suggested that Bob Dylan, who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman, adopted the name "Dylan" from Dylan Thomas. He had often denied this. In his 2004 biography, Chronicles Vol.1, however, Dylan admits that Dylan Thomas was relevant to his choice of alias, but only because he liked the spelling better, changing the surnom de plume of "Dillon" to "Dylan".

Bob Dylan is also billed as 'Robert Milkwood Thomas' (referring to Thomas' Under Milk Wood) on Steve Goodman's 1972 album "Somebody Else's Troubles" where he plays piano and harmonises on the title track.