Is Bob Dylan “unworthy” of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian award? The head of the institution which decides on the recipients appears to think so, reports The Independent.
The American singer-songwriter’s name was on a list sent to the grand chancellery of the Legion of Honour for approval by Culture Minister Aurélie Filipetti, who intended to mark this year’s 50th anniversary of his classic album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, containing hits such as “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”, with the award.
However, according to the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné, Dylan, whose real name is Robert Zimmerman, was blackballed by the institution’s grand chancellor, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, because of his anti-war activism during the Vietnam War and his cannabis use, not to mention his apparent success in turning on The Beatles on to the drug.
Read more of this report from The Independent.