Bob Dylan bandmate Barry Goldberg dies aged 83 after blues musician backed star to go electric

Barry Goldberg, the legendary keyboardist, died at the age of 83.

Ten years after receiving a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, the rock and blues artist passed away in hospice care.

The story was confirmed by his representative Bob Merlis, who also mentioned that his son Aram and wife Gail were with him.

During Bob Dylan’s 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance, Goldberg played with him.

“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,” Goldberg said to The Forward about the notorious set in 2022.

“That was a statement, but it was much more than that.

“You felt how important his presence was, and how important what he was doing was; you knew it had meaning.”

Dylan played an electric guitar with a live band for the first time during the performance.

Released in 1974, the self-titled ‘Barry Goldberg’ album was the result of his collaboration with Dylan.

Dylan only ever produced this one record for a different artist.

Dylan’s ‘People Get Ready’ was produced by him in 1990 as a return favor.

Goldberg was born on Christmas Day 1941 in Chicago.

He was the grandson of Justice Arthur Goldberg of the United States Supreme Court.

Along with Harvey Brooks, Buddy Miles, and Mike Bloomfield, Goldberg was a founding member of Electric Flag.

In 1968, the trio released the album A Long Time Comin’ and contributed to the music of the Peter Fonda movie The Trip.

Among the artists he has played with, written for, or produced are Steve Miller, Gladys Knight, Joe Cocker, and Rod Stewart.

He later joined Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepherd in the blues-rock ensemble The Rides.

In the mid-2010s, they had two No. 1 blues albums: Pierced Arrow and Can’t Get Enough.

The family requests that donations be made to the Bear League in his honor in place of flowers.