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BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day

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Description

For three generations, people have been trying to figure out how Bob Zimmerman became Bob Dylan. What occurred during his stay with the McKenzies is the unknown, missing piece. The good news: Peter McKenzie remembers everything. His memoir is an intimate record: observations, interactions, conversations, descriptions of early writing attempts, never-seen-before images of handwritten song drafts, accounts of guitar and harmonica lessons. And it doesn’t end in 1961 --- Dylan visited the McKenzies many times over the decades for their advice and encouragement. He was, for all practical purposes, a member of the family: an adopted son and an older, protective brother. “It’s Eve and Mac McKenzie. And they took me in an’ they were beautiful… I lived with them…and they fed me…and I stayed out all hours an’ came back in and went to sleep on the couch. An’ Peter was there. I was his idol…now he’s 18, 19. He’s in college. He’s a very smart kid…they know me well. Talk to them.” -BOB DYLAN 1965 In mid-May 1961, when Peter McKenzie was a 15-year-old high school sophomore, a disheveled 19-year-old showed up at his family’s apartment in New York City. He was supposed to spend just one night. By the time he left in mid-September, Bob Dylan had become an earnest adult. One reason: the discussions about world history, politics and religion he had with Peter’s parents, Eve and Mac McKenzie. “I want to be as big as Harry Belafonte,” Bob told Eve McKenzie one morning in June 1961, while seated at the family kitchen table. He had just begun eating breakfast. Eve made it for him each morning, or early afternoon, depending how late he was out the night before. That was his dream then. We all know how that turned out. “Bob Dylan: On A Couch & Fifty Cents a Day” is Peter McKenzie’s retelling of the year when Dylan, hungry for knowledge and experience, was fed at every level by the McKenzie family. It’s an all access pass to an eyewitness account of a magical time and a must read for anyone interested in Bob Dylan. EDITORIAL REVIEWS AND COMMENTS: “At a time when Dylan biographers are, almost literally, fighting over newspaper column inches advertising the latest 80th birthday edition of their respective tomes, it’s refreshing to find a new account from someone who was actually there in the early ‘60s and actually knew Bob Dylan. In Peter McKenzie‘s book we get a sense of the time Bob Dylan developed from being a song catcher to becoming a songwriter, with Peter and his family right there….This is essential reading for any Dylan fan.” -Isis Magazine “‘BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day,’ is as important as ‘CHRONICLES Vol. 1,’ and full of wonders.” - Sean Wilentz, author of the best-selling book ‘Bob Dylan In America,’ and esteemed historian. “1961 marked the most vulnerable and impressionable year of my adolescence. It’s also the year I encountered Bob Dylan. I’ve cherished a dozen of his later albums, and I am in awe of his genius as a writer and performer, but it’s true: the first cut is the deepest. Peter’s book is, for me, the best kind of time travel, to a year when I was young and full of dreams and encountering a hero just a few years ahead of me.” -Jesse Kornbluth, writer and also publisher of the literary site“”In my freshman dorm room, I sat enthralled as my friend, Pete McKenzie, pounded out all the many verses to “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” The boots with which he stamped the time were, he said, with reverence, Bob Dylan‘s own, left behind at the McKenzie family apartment.” -Stephen Brown, The London Times Literary Supplement ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Peter K. McKenzie graduated from Harvard in 1967. He is an accomplished musician, artist and writer based in New York City. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published


Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 28, 2021


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 278 pages


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 30


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.63 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5,724 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies #26,047 in Memoirs (Books)


#5,724 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Insider's Recollections of One of the Most Critical Points in Bob Dylan's Life
Format: Paperback
This is a unique and extraordinary book by a member of the family which took the young Bob Dylan in to their New York City apartment at one of the most critical times of his life. Joan Baez said Bob Dylan "burst on the scene already a legend", but the reality of his transition from Minnesota schoolboy to New York City-based cultural phenomenon was more complicated. This book tells in straight-forward way the story of how a virtually unknown, penniless but talented singer-songwriter, recently arrived in New York, was given shelter from the storm by "kind, honest hard-working people" (Dylan's words), who provided him with the support and love he need to establish roots, to trust his gifts, and to flourish. This is also a story of a loving and very special family. Mac McKenzie was the intelligent and respected father and labor leader who had lived actually lived during the Great Depression the vagabond life which Dylan pretended to have lived when he arrived in New York. His wife Eve -wise, nurturing, and non-judgmental - quickly saw through Dylan's self-mythologizing yet accepted him unconditionally anyway. She recognized his extraordinary gifts, believed in him, and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. Dylan later called Eve and Mac "beautiful" - a one word description without equivocation, posturing or guile. That beauty shines through in these pages. Eve and Mac's observant and insightful son Peter, the author of this book, took it in as Dylan stayed in their apartment for months, and as Dylan became like the older brother he never had. Peter too became quickly aware of Dylan's intelligence and talent, and the stories of Dylan patiently teaching Peter about harmonica playing and attracting dates are charming. I've read many books on Bob Dylan, but can't think of one where the vignettes and insights have stuck with me more over time. I smiled often reading these lovely stories of fascinating lives intersecting at such a critical time. I wholeheartedly recommend this genuine and lovely book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2022 by Joseph P. Donnelly
    • The Real Deal!
Format: Paperback
This is an absolute MUST to read, as many others have said! It’s the real deal! Aside from the many interesting anecdotes covering the period of Dylan’s rise to fame, Peter McKenzie also writes a bit about some interaction with Dylan decades later, which reveals how ungrateful Dylan became. When Peter told Dylan in 1991 about his mother’s ill health and needing to raise money to cover her healthcare costs (note: Peter only mentioned this to Dylan to get his approval to sell lyrics on paper which Dylan had given to his mother 30 years prior….he was not asking Dylan for money directly), Dylan’s response was more business-like than friend, only saying that he will have someone call Peter. My goodness, strangers give money on GoFundMe accounts to help out people in need. After all that the McKenzies did for Dylan, that’s the best that Dylan could do in return? Shame on him. In 1991 Dylan was worth mega millions! Another example of Dylan’s ungratefulness: Kevin Krown was the guy who drove Dylan across the country to New York and became a close friend of his. Kevin did a lot to promote Dylan. He got him gigs, he called NYT critic Robert Shelton multiple times daily asking him to come hear Dylan. Decades later, when Eve McKenzie (Peter’s mom) mentioned Kevin to Dylan in a phone conversation, Dylan said “Who’s Kevin Krown? I don’t know anyone by that name. Eve, must I thank everyone who helped me along the way?” Wow. Dylan the opportunist. Uses people and then discards them. Great lyricist. Not a great person. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2025 by Maggie
    • Want to know how it really went? Bless Peter McKenzie and read this underrated masterpiece!
Format: Kindle
Everyone writes about Bob Dylan. There are tons of books about short, casual encounters, how he magically bumped into a place, stepping down heaven, on a cloud of sulphur and so on. Everyone talks about that evening they had with Dylan back in the ‘70s. There’s a lot of books and a market for that. Peter McKenzie could have easily contacted an agent and then publish a memoir of the Bob Dylan everyone wants to discover, the unwashed phenomenon, that skinny, shy Bob who literally planned into New York coming from the Iron Range and make lots of money out of it. But he didn’t choose that path. He wrote a memoir in a very direct, stripped down, straightforward and very well written way. What comes out from these pages is an act of love. Love for a young man who easily was the brother he wished he had all his life, gratitude for his family, his parents and all the neighbors who welcomed this young, restless kid as a member of the family. And Bob Dylan knew, and still knows. When interviewed by Robert Shelton, he clearly mentioned that family as “the ones to ask”. No one did, as now as back then everybody wants a slice of Bob and never share it with anyone. Not Peter McKenzie. God knows if he ever wanted to write about it but was somehow held back by a sense of reverence, or if he decided to do that after all those years. But, in the end, it doesn’t really matter. What the reader gets is probably the most genuine portrait of Bob Dylan’s very early years in Greenwich Village, along with the late Suze Rotolo’s “A Freewheelin’ Time.” We finally learn what happened to his legendary acoustic Gibson guitar, how this man really loved the McKenzies, knowing they would treat him like a member of the family, not like Bob Dylan the living legend. We discover a compassionate man caring for Peter’s parents and more. What is astonishing is that I can easily compare this book to a private account from a dear friend who spent some time at Dylan’s Malibu home in the early 1980s. Despite the two stories are 20 years apart and on the opposite sides of the States, the same man emerges. One who is really, really different from the image we have of him. And for this reason we should be grateful to Peter McKenzie for his will to share his memories. Actually, more than grateful because, if something like hat ever happened to me, I would have kept it for myself. Well done, Mr. McKenzie. Very very well done! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2023 by Nicola Menicacci
    • Here's a book to read about the beginnings of Bob Dyaln
Format: Kindle
I thought enjoyed Peter Mackenzies book. His writing style had me turning the pages. I couldn't put the book down. If you're looking for the truth, this is a must read for the fans of Bob Dylan. I found this book to be completely interesting, and profoundly funny. Peter is a gifted storyteller. I have it in my collection, and plan on reading it again. Loved talking about this with The Bob Dylan Book Club: It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Reading. We had a blast having you on there Peter. 😁 ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023 by Kindle Customer
    • Read this book to learn about the inside story of how Bob Dylan's career was jump-started in NYC
Format: Paperback
When Bob Dylan, aged 21, arrived in NYC in 1961, armed with little more than towering ambition and awesome talent, his success was in no way assured. Many have taken this journey but very few have enjoyed the unprecedented life long success and recognition that he has. In Dylan’s case it was made more difficult by the fact that his style of folk music was honed by listening and digesting field recordings of traditional singers and was intentionally rough and unpolished in imitation of those recordings that most folk singers of the time were using as source materials. Dylan’s great gift was that after absorbing this tradition he was able to use it as the basis for the highly original songs for which he has become justifiably famous. Dylan’s journey was immeasurably abetted by the McKenzie family (Mac, Eve and Peter), who took him in well before he was famous, gave him a place to live, nurtured him and put him in contact with many of the people who were shaping the nascent folk scene that was developing in NYC in the sixties. This book is a first-person chronicle of Dylan’s interaction with the MacKenzies, written by their son, Peter, who was 15 when he met Dylan and became his first acolyte. Their interaction lasted many years and, as is detailed in the book, most of the first steps in Dylan’s career were orchestrated by the McKenzies and their circle of friends. This is not to say that Dylan could not have found another way to fame but it is the one that they afforded him and of which he took advantage. This is a unique, factual and essential addition to the literature about Bob Dylan that should be read by anyone interested in understanding the early part of his career. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2026 by Alice Spatz
    • First hand time tunnel
Format: Kindle
There are many biographies of the great Bob Dylan as well as studies of his music, lyrics, and influence. While many of these works are well worth a reader's time, few offer the perspective of Peter McKenzie 's Bob Dylan On a Couch&Fifty Cents a Day. The author's parents allowed Dylan to stay in their Manhattan apartment during his early years in NYC. This permitted Dylan to be, as the author says, "the big brother I did have" . Peter McKenzie describes some of the seminal moments of the future Nobel laureate 's formative years as a performer, including the early club gigs, the initial recording contract, the gate-crashing review by Robert Shelton, and the jam sessions in the McKenzie apartment that served as part guitar lessons for the author and part debut for Dylan's compositions. The tone of the writing is non- presumptuous, honest, and warm. It is prose that could only be done by one who lived it. Readers will find much to like about the author's parents and their values, insights, advice, and kindness. The cast of characters is great enough to make one a bit envious at not having had such luminaries at one's childhood kitchen table: Rambling Jack Elliot, Dave Van Ronk, Kevin Krown, Suze Rutolo, Arlo Guthrie. Permit Peter McKenzie to take you for a walk to Washington Square Park and to Gerte's Folk City. Few could be a better guide through that tunnel of time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2022 by FJA
    • Do not pass this one by
Format: Kindle
I loved this book. Although the author jumps between time periods and sometimes makes you wonder what period of time he is discussing, the material is noteworthy and revealing. What is discussed in detail is a period of time that often raises a multitude of rumor and conjecture. Peter MCKenzie was there and offers the reader a trip through time when Bob Dylan first arrived in NY and was wonderfully accepted into the home of Peter's mother and father. Peter offers his observations of what was taught to Dylan by his mother and especially his father. Life lessons that were accepted and retained by the Nobel laureate. There are numerous documents and rarecopies of original material that Peter's mom kept stored in a drawer. If you are a fan of Bob Dylan, this is must reading. Having a collection of books covering Dylan's life, this one is truly unique. You owe it to yourself to get it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2025 by Artie Martello
    • A self-effacing, easy to read account of unprecedented intimacy
Format: Kindle
This is THE book if you want an accurate, up-close perspective on the Robert Zimmerman that arrived in New York City, and follows the story through his abrupt about-face post-fame with some of the most interesting, up-close details I've seen in my exploration of Bob Dylan scholarship. Bonnie Beecher could NEVER. Seeing Pete connect with Bob first in their youth, almost as brothers, and then sporadically as time and money changed Dylan, is a never-before-seen accomplishment written with remarkable friendliness, accuracy, and detail by Mackenzie. This should've been among the sources for "A Complete Unknown..." Truly an incredible accomplishment! Read it if you're a Dylan fan! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2025 by Jules Pelarski

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