Bob Dylan has addressed the controversy (Picture: EPA)
Bob Dylan has apologised after using a machine to duplicate his autograph on copies of his new book.
The 81-year-old folk music legend was caught up in a furore after limited edition copies of his tome The Philosophy of Modern Song costing $600 each were advertised as ‘hand-signed’, but were later discovered to have been signed using an ‘autopen’ which replicated his scrawl.
Bosses at publishing company Simon and Schuster have acknowledged the blunder and offered refunds, and now Dylan himself has explained how the situation came about and described it as an ‘error in judgement’.
In a lengthy Facebook post, he said: ‘I’ve been made aware that there’s some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited-edition of Philosophy Of Modern Song.
‘I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem. However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years.
‘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.
The folk music legend has blamed the situation on ‘vertigo’ (Picture: Richard Isaac/REX/Shutterstock)
‘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 auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done “all the time” in the art and literary worlds.
‘Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that.’
He signed the letter with his ‘deepest regrets’.
Before the Blowin’ In The Wind star addressed the controversy himself, Simon and Schuster had already apologised for the turn of events having initially refused refunds and insisted the signatures were legitimate and proven to be so by a ‘letter of authenticity’.
They then said in a statement: ‘To those who purchased the Philosophy of Modern Song limited edition, we want to apologise. 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.’
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The folk singer has addressed the controversy.
