Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Louie Kemp Recounts Dylan Friendship
Coverage from Moment Magazine, Rabbimordechaibenavraham, and others
Articles
5
Latest Article
03/31
Active Days
1828
Executive Summary
Louie Kemp reflects on decades with Bob Dylan, their shared Jewish roots, spiritual paths, and his role in nudging Dylan back to Jewish study
- Louie Kemp and Bob Dylan met as children at Herzl Camp in Wisconsin
- Kemp managed Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue and shared a Los Angeles house with him
- In the early 1980s, Dylan studied Christianity while Kemp became observant Orthodox Jewish
- Kemp arranged for Rabbi Manis Friedman and other rabbis to meet Dylan in Los Angeles
- Kemp says Dylan later studied Torah, Talmud, and Jewish customs and holidays
- Kemp wrote Dylan and Me with Kinky Friedman after a friend urged him to record the stories
- Kemp announced aliyah to Israel and said he wants to be with his people
Quick Facts
- What: Kemp recounts their friendship and shared religious journeys
- Where: Minnesota, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, and Israel
- Why: To show how Jewish roots shaped their lives and bond
- Who: Louie Kemp and Bob Dylan, longtime friends
- When: From childhood through the 1970s, 1980s, and now
Coverage Timeline: 1828 Days
Featured Article
In a Moment magazine interview, Louie Kemp recounts in detail Bob Dylan's early-1980s religious exploration and return to intensive Jewish study in Los Angeles.
Additional Articles
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In a Jerusalem Post culture feature, Louie Kemp discusses Bob Dylan, shared faith journeys, tour experiences, and the memoir Dylan & Me while visiting Jerusalem.
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Louie Kemp and Bob Dylan are linked across decades, from Herzl Camp and the 1970s Rolling Thunder Revue to weekly Shabbat meals in Jerusalem.
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Louis Kemp makes Aliyah to Israel this month with support from Jewish agencies and organizations.
Louie Kemp discusses Dylan & Me: 50 Years of Adventures in a 2021 BookLife interview on booklife.com.