Bob Dylan’s 1960s keyboardist Barry Goldberg has died aged 83.
Best known for backing the rock icon at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, representatives for the musician confirmed to People he passed away on Wednesday (22.01.25) in hospice care surrounded by family, following a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Born on 25 December 1941 in Chicago, Barry was the grandson of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg.
During high school, he and guitarist Mike Bloomfield frequented Chicago’s south-side clubs, where they were mentored by blues icons such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush.
Barry later co-founded the Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, and Harvey Brooks and performed with numerous artists, including Steve Miller, Leonard Cohen, and Rod Stewart.
Among his notable credits, Barry played the organ on Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels’ 1966 hit ‘Devil With a Blue Dress On and Good Golly Miss Molly’ and co-wrote songs including ‘It’s Not the Spotlight’ for Rod Stewart – as well as ‘I’ve Got To Use My Imagination’ for Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Reflecting on performing with Bob Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, he wrote for Forward: “The magic was definitely there that night, for all of us, as soon as the lights went on and we saw Dylan coming out, all in black, with that Stratocaster strapped on.”
He described the moment Dylan famously introduced electric guitar to the folk world at the festival by saying: “For years, Bob had done his folk thing, and now all of a sudden it signified the end of the folk era as they knew it.
“Bob’s performance was closing that particular chapter, but he was also opening up a new one by creating folk-rock.
“I knew that some kind of force, some kind of fate, some kind of thing had come along and touched me, and I wasn’t going to f*** with it.”
Barry is survived by his wife of 53 years, Gail, and son Aram.
