Bob Dylan has issued an apology to his fans who paid $600 for hand-signed autographed copies of his latest book but instead received books with signatures done by an autopen.
Fans Received Copies of Bob Dylan’s Book Done by an Autopen
The Philosophy of Modern Song, released by Simon Schuster, issued 900 copies that were autographed by the singer. But when customers finally got their hands on the books, they realized that Dylan hadn’t actually signed the books. It was done using an autopen and the value of the pricy books dropped.
Customers rightfully asked for a refund and were initially denied. They eventually were able to get their refund and now Dylan has commented on the controversy.
Bob Dylan Releases a Statement on Twitter about the Controversy
In a Facebook post, Dylan wrote “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.”
He continued: “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. 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.”
Conclusion
The book was published earlier this month and has been surrounded in controversy because of this. Dylan’s statement doesn’t make this acceptable but it is ultimately up to his fans on how they feel about his apology and explanation.