Bob Dylan has admitted to using an autopen to sign his new book, despite it being promoted as “hand-signed.”
Dylan fans splashed $599 on the limited-edition book, “Bound for You”, which was published by Dylan. Modern Song Philosophy and published by Simon & Schuster, started to become suspicious after realizing the signatures in the books weren’t just similar, but identical.
It soon became apparent that the 81-year-old music legend had used an autopen, a contraption that can replicate a person’s signature, saving them many hours of work in the process while also preventing potential hand cramps.
Dylan recently confessed to using an autopen. He also posted an apology on Facebook. It included an interesting explanation for why he used a machine to sign the books instead of using his hand.
“I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem,” Dylan said. “However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years.”
Hits such as Blowin’ in the Wind And Like a Rolling Stone continued: “It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions, and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed 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 autopen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds. I regret using a machine and want to make it right. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.”
Simon & Schuster said in a tweet it was sorry for what had happened, but added: “As it turns out, the limited-edition books do contain Bob’s original signature, but in a penned replica form. We are addressing this information by providing each purchaser with an immediate refund.”
The autopen isn’t a new device. It was invented in the U.S. over 200 years ago. Celebrities, politicians, and others have made use of it. It is known that American presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Thomas Jefferson used it during their time in office. In 2011, Barack Obama was the first person to pass legislation with an autopen-generated signature.
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