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BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day

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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 (July 28, 2021)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 278 pages


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 30


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.63 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #279,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2,563 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies #8,365 in Memoirs (Books)


#2,563 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies:


#8,365 in Memoirs (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sunday, Jul 27

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Heartwarming and insightful
Such a fun read for any Dylan fan, and a great look into the artist’s early years and the people who helped him along the way.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2024 by aMalice
    • Delightful and informative
A well-written straightforward book about the relationship between the McKenzies and Bob Dylan. Great stories and an easy read. I wish more biographies were like this.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024 by Charles R. Wiese
    • Insider's Recollections of One of the Most Critical Points in Bob Dylan's Life
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
    • Here's a book to read about the beginnings of Bob Dyaln
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
    • Interesting & Important Info About Dylan’s Musical. Personal & Professional Journey
This was easy to read and filled in a lot of information about Dylan’s early years in NY City. I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024 by Felicia Guinn
    • Want to know how it really went? Bless Peter McKenzie and read this underrated masterpiece!
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
    • A must-read for anyone interested in Bob Dylan and his impact on twentieth century popular music.
Review Image by Alixanne McGowan Alixanne McGowan
This is hands down the best book I’ve ever read about Bob Dylan’s early years in NYC when he was somehow transformed from a homeless Woody Guthrie disciple to one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. Mr. McKenzie gives us his unique perspectives on the enigmatic Dylan, who treated Peter like a younger brother. We also meet Peter’s parents Mack and Eve McKenzie who, for my money, are the real stars of this account. Bob Dylan was lucky to have met them. They truly gave Dylan “shelter from the storm” during a very formative time of his life. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024 by Alixanne McGowan Alixanne McGowan
    • A Time I Never Knew About
This reminiscence lights up the pages! For anyone who remembers the folk era at all, it is fascinating! A portrait about the young Dylan as a hopeful singer, just hanging out with the author and friendly parents, not a godly person at all. One should not skip this!
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024 by willbill1

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