Expecting Rain

I went to Jazz Fest in New Orleans a couple weeks ago and there is a zydeco musician named Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes. I have no doubt that Chronicles is mostly fictional, but Barnes could have at least served as the inspiration for the name and possibly helped shape his character.

That's a fun question...... my impression from the book was that Sun Pie was an older man then.... like over 30 years ago.... which would make him really old now..... so how old was the musician you saw? If younger you should have asked if he dad owned a roadside store...

But actually, if I ever got the chance for one real, gonna get answered question, it would be: Was Sun Pie real? To me he is right up there in Dylan's list of 'characters' But without the answer from Mr. D., I would guess he was real.... I think there are many interesting people like that out there.... and people just don't notice 'em because they are in too big a hurry all the time..... I have thought all along that many, if not most, of his characters are based on people he has seen along the way....

"I remembered what Sun Pie told me about Elvis; that he was an 'amazon woman and an enemy of democracy.' At the time I thought he was crazy, but now I'm not so sure."

- I love all of Chronicles, but that's the single best line in it.

..... I don't happen to remember that.... gotta a page number?????

No.

But it's when Dylan returns to New Orleans and is working in the studio and gets into a discussion about Elvis with Lanois.

When Chronicles came out, a few weeks later Dylan played the university I was studying at and I was music columnist and fashion columnist at the newspaper and on the day he played his show I talked them into publishing a review of Chronicles. I focused heavily on Sun Pie (and also Ray Gooch) as characters. I don't have the review now (I plan to go to the archives when I visit next) but I do remember a phrase about Sun Pie where I said something like "he could turn a tea cup into a conspiracy."

Page 220..... that cruise thru the pages reminded me that it is time for a re-read of the whole thing instead of just a bit here and a bit there.... thanks for the reminder....

Maybe so, but I for one have the jade in the bottom drawer....

I didn't get to see much, and from far away. I would guess he was in his late fifties, so a little younger than Dylan, but its hard to say for sure. Even if Sun Pie is entirely fictional, he's more real than a lot of people.

I'm too lazy to look it up--what Beatles tune does Bob here on the radio in Sun Pie's place?

I think it's either "PS I Love You" or "Do You Want To Know a Secret," but it was definitely something from the 'PLEASE PLEASE ME' LP. What an album!

"Do you want to know a secret?"

Do you want to know a secret and he could turn a teacut into conspiracy. What a great writer Dylan is. Every time I reread a part of Chronicles, there are always specific details like this, that I didn't notice or grasp the previous time.

The same thing happens with Dylan songs I've been listening to for 50 years.

Same here.
I think that all these links, connections and different apperception levels in one lyric, between lyrics throughout his career and between his art and the outside world reflect his true genius.
Less poetically said; Bob is a walking Google but with much more sex appeal

Best part of that book.

Was just wondering if Sun Pie was still around.
“Some if their names are written in flames and some of ‘em just left town.”

Maybe we will get an update in Vol. 2

Naming my next alpaca: Sun Pie.

May be Sun Pie is writing Vol. 2

while on tour, I made the run through and when I asked a
couple local folks about the "King Tut Museum," I received
vague stares.

BD is a genius.

if you haven't already...
THE AUDIOBOOK.
It's A-MAZING.