Bob Dylan has shared a public apology following Simon & Schuster, the publishing company that delivered Modern Song Philosophy, confirmation that the musician’s signature, advertised as hand-written, was admittedly a machine-produced penned replica.
Over the weekend, Dylan responded to claims via social media: “I’ve been made aware that there’s some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited-edition of Philosophy Of Modern Song. I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem.”
He continued, “However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years. To enable these signing sessions, it takes five people working together. We couldn’t find a safe and practical way to finish what I had to do while the virus was raging. So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the vertigo didn’t help. With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds.”
The legendary musician concluded his statement, “Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”
On Nov. 20, Simon & Schuster addressed the controversy on Twitter, “To those who purchased Modern Song Philosophy Limited edition. We want to apologize. As it turns out, the limited edition books do not contain Bob’s original signature but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this immediately by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund.”
The initial sale of Dylan’s hand-signed copies of Modern Song Philosophy The book was purchased at $600. The signed editions 2022 books were sold for $600.
View Dylan’s official statement below, and scroll down to see the publisher’s response.
— Simon & Schuster (@simonschuster) November 20, 2022