His real name is Robert Zimmerman. He probably took his name from the poet Dylan Thomas, but he has never confirmed this. He did confirm in his autobiography Chronicles, Volume I that he went with "Bob" instead of "Bobby" because he didn't want to be confused with Bobby Darin, Bobby Rydell or Bobby Vee.
Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota. At an early age he moved to Hibbing, where he grew up. This part of the state was known for its abundant iron mines. It is known by its inhabitants as "The North Country," hence the song "Girl From The North Country."
Dylan briefly attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in the early '60s. During this time, he hung out frequently in an area known as Dinkytown. Dinkytown had a burgeoning folk scene at the time and this is where he first performed as a solo artist (he had a number of rock 'n' roll bands in high school) and first used the name Bob Dylan.
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