at 21:12 on August 14, 2009, EDT.
By Wayne Parry, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Stew Milne, File

Rock legend Bob Dylan was treated like a complete unknown by police in a New Jersey shore community when a resident called to report someone wandering around the neighbourhood.

Dylan was in Long Branch, about a two-hour drive south of New York City, on July 23 as part of a tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp that was to play at a baseball stadium in nearby Lakewood.

A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who Dylan is and asked him for identification, Long Branch business administrator Howard Woolley said Friday.

"I don't think she was familiar with his entire body of work," Woolley said.

The incident began at 5 p.m. when a resident said a man was wandering around a low-income, predominantly minority neighbourhood several blocks from the oceanfront looking at houses.

The police officer drove up to Dylan, who was wearing a blue jacket, and asked him his name. According to Woolley, the following exchange ensued:

"What is your name, sir?" the officer asked.

"Bob Dylan," Dylan said.

"OK, what are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I'm on tour," the singer replied.

A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said.

The officers asked Dylan for identification. The singer of such classics as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind" said that he didn't have any ID with him, that he was just walking around looking at houses to pass some time before that night's show.

The officers asked Dylan, 68, to accompany them back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, where the performers were staying. Once there, tour staff vouched for Dylan.

The officers thanked him for his cooperation.

"He couldn't have been any nicer to them," Woolley added.

How did it feel? A Dylan publicist did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.


©The Canadian Press, 2009

luv4u said:

I don't think she was familiar with the Constitution, which is a lot more disturbing than not knowing who Dylan is.

This story is really outrageous.

We're probably the last generation to find this surprising or news-worthy in any way. I wouldn't necessarily expect people in their early 20's to know him.

Lakewood? Lawd, I stomped through there fresh out of high school.

Maybe Obama will have a beer with him.

xlr8r said:

I'm not sure why it mattered in the story that it was a low income, predominantly minority neighborhood.

johnart said:

MY GOD... A HIPPY IN A CRACK HOOD???
I'm sowwy, Maybe they were concerned with his safety

KingBAD said:

We're not talkin Jessica Simpson goin door to door sellin Mom Jeans in the middle of Cracktown. Surely you've seen Dylan's face.

My point is wouldn't you call the cops if he were wonderin around ANY neighborhood??
[Edited 8/15/09 7:56am]

THIS lurkin' round your neighborhood:


COME ON NOW!

johnart said:

OH, HELL YEAHSSSSS. You got to bust him...
Whut exactly is he on these days????

KingBAD said:

I dunno but from the looks of it he scalped that jesse mccartney kid and hidden the body someplace.

johnart said:

what the fuck

johnart said:

looks like a customer

i thought famous folks had good connects for ?