Bob Dylan Surprises Fans At 2023 Farm Aid Festival

Bob Dylan made an unexpected appearance at Willie Nelson's sold-out Farm Aid festival, stunning thousands of fans with a late-night performance on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, as reported by Thom Duffy for Billboard Magazine.

Dylan was part of the powerhouse lineup of country and rock musicians who performed at the inaugural Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois, on September 22, 1985. I Photo: Francisco Antunes Flickr

Joined by members of The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, dressed in black, took to the stage without any introduction and delivered a brief yet powerful set that included "Maggie's Farm," "Positively 4th Street," and "Ballad of a Thin Man."

Dylan, playing the guitar, performed in the festival lineup between sets by Farm Aid co-founders Neil Young and Willie Nelson, who closed the show around midnight.

It was reminiscent of Dylan's historic appearance at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, where he raised the idea of organizing a similar benefit to support America's family farmers.

This concept ultimately led to the creation of Farm Aid.

Dylan was part of the remarkable lineup of country and rock musicians who performed at the inaugural Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois, on September 22, 1985.

The lineup included Farm Aid co-founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp, as well as artists like Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Bonnie Raitt, and many more.

This annual event, Farm Aid, remains music's longest-running concert for a cause and has raised over $64 million to support family farmers and promote a sustainable food system.

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