BEST STORY EVER: How Ian Tyson Turned On Bob Dylan (Who Turned On The Beatles)

Legendary Canadian folk singer Ian Tyson stopped by to tell a little story about Greenwich Village in the '60s.

"We were all there on MacDougal Street, and nobody had any money, but we had a lot of fun. It was a good time. And there was a little weed floating around Greenwich Village at the time, and that was considered kind of exotic."

The next part of the story? Well, Tyson's memory is a little fuzzy on the details, so in this telling he relies on a memoir by Suze Rotolo, Bob Dylan's girlfriend at the time and a close friend of Sylvia Fricker, who would soon become Sylvia Tyson, Ian's wife and musical collaborator (they divorced in 1975).

"She says that I turned Bob Dylan onto pot. Now I don't remember that," he said. "Of course, I don't remember last week!... But if it is [true], Bob Dylan turned on the Beatles. And I turned on Bob Dylan. That makes me the king."

Catch Tyson at these upcoming performances:

January 17--18 Spruce Grove, AB @ Horizon Stage
January 31--February 1 Elko, NV ! Cowboy Poetry Gathering
February 6 St. Albert, AB @ Arden Theatre
February 8 Turner Valley, AB @ Flare and Derrick Community Hall
March 8 Calgary, AB @ Deerfoot Inn & Casino

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight airs weeknights at 7 and 11:30 pm on CBC Television

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Credits:

The Beatles - CP Images
Dylan and Harrison - CP Images
Bob Dylan performance photos - Library of Congress

[bjd]

Ian Tyson.. on behalf of music lover's everywhere.. THANK. YOU.

[DagaanGalakticos]

I saw Ian Tyson play at a music festival in Vail put on my Michael Murphey who wrote the song Wildfire. I was working for Murphey's ex-wife driving a van and carrying boxes for a sales tent she ran. After Tyson's performance, I went up to buy a cassette (!) and get Tyson's autograph. I'd never asked a star for an autograph as it seems kind of a groupie thing to do. But Ian Tyson really is a godfather in the folk music world - having been there at the start and being part of the time when Gordon LIghtfoot, Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary etc were all playing and my life was definitely impacted by their music. While he was signing whatever it was he signed, I didn't want to just stand there like a manniquin so I said; when I broke up with my girlfriend recently the worst part of it was when she stole all my Ian and Sylvia records. He said - don't worry about it - my wife did the same thing to me! And he meant Sylvia!

[jezebeljones]

Oh, Mr. Tyson, my Canadian songwriting hero. Have a wonderful afterlife, ridin 'up there on that never-ending range among the stars...

[gerardhiggins]

A great story from a great Canadian icon.

[antonymscalia]

Great story, well told, a true legend, heralded in Canada and pretty much unsung in the United States.

Even more surprising than giving weed for the first time to Bob Dylan is that Mr. Tyson wrote "Four Strong Winds" in only twenty fucking minutes!!

[terraplane]

I LOVED Great Speckled Bird, and as a result Amos had a huge impact on me!!! Thanks, Ian and Sylvia!

[annwinterer]

I got high with Ian and Sylvia at Tom Campbell’s house in Topanga canyon back in 67… I got to hear them sing that day… just the four of us😀

[AngryKittens]

The era of Cowboy Hippies. :) <3 Ian Tyson

[electrolytics]

Wow this is the best story ever. This is the best story ever in the whole, wide world. Amazing.

[martineldritch]

I only tried it once, many years ago but I never exhaled.

[PsychedelicTragedy]

Finally something positive about the most amazing Plant ever!

[MrGandharva]

I'm 65 years old, Italian ancestry, our family is from Newark, NJ. My father smoked pot in the early 1940's.

[brianfergus]

If you remembered it, you weren't actually there! Great story.

[markstevens]

Title could be taken more than one way. I admit I took it pejoratively. Great story though, and if indeed true, we owe Ian a lot.

[jimtimmins]

I would smoke with Ian any time. I ll bring the weed and the guitars. Just say when and where, Ian.

[richardcrocker]

He and Sylvia sounded good together and Suze, well, I liked her book and she sounded like an honest humble person with integrity in that book.

[kimrunic]

‘That makes me the king’ - haha yessir, it does.

[michaelledford]

These best story people should really try n get any of the original Mothers of Invention to share their best stories from the road, I know a few & those cats got into some seriously wild stuff .

[lext]

1:20 "That makes me the king." LOL

[aps]

Hey Strombo, check out Colter Wall's cover of Ian Tyson's Summer Wages 😘