Bob Dylan bandmate Barry Goldberg dies aged 83 after blues musician backed star to go electric
ICONIC keyboardist Barry Goldberg has passed away at the age of 83.
The rock and blues musician died in hospice care after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma 10 years ago.
His representative Bob Merlis confirmed the news adding his wife Gail and son Aram were by his side.
Goldberg famously played with Bob Dylan during his Newport Folk Festival performance in 1965.
Goldberg told The Forward of the infamous set in 2022: “The magic was definitely there that night, for all of us, as soon as the lights went on and we saw Dylan coming out, all in black, with that Stratocaster strapped on.
“That was a statement in itself, but it was also so much more.
“You felt how important his presence was, and how important what he was doing was; you knew it had meaning.”
The set was the first time Dylan played with an electric guitar alongside a live band.
His association with Dylan led the self-titled ‘Barry Goldberg’ album which was released in 1974.
It was the only album Dylan ever produced for another artist.
He would later return the favour producing Dylan’s ‘People Get Ready’ in 1990.
Goldberg was born in Chicago on Christmas Day 1941.
He was the grandson of US Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg.
Goldberg was also a founding member of the band Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles and Harvey Brooks.
The group provided the soundtrack for the Peter Fonda film The Trip as well as releasing the album A Long Time Comin’ in 1968.
His credits include playing with, writing for or producing such artists as Joe Cocker, Gladys Knight, Rod Stewart and Steve Miller.
In later years he was part of the blues-rock group The Rides with Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
They achieved two No. 1 blues albums in the mid-2010s – Can’t Get Enough and Pierced Arrow.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in his name to the Bear League.