Bob Dylan addresses the Book Signature Controversy

Bob Dylan has apologized for fans who bought copies of his book they believed to have been signed by him. Modern Song Philosophy, but were later revealed to contain reproductions of the songwriter’s signature. He took to social media on Friday (November 25) to address the issue, claiming that he used an autopen for the signatures after a “bad case of vertigo” made him unable to sign some of the $599 books.

“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 Modern Song Philosophy,” he wrote on Facebook. “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. To enable these signing sessions, it takes five people working together. We couldn’t find a safe and practical way to finish what I had 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 autopen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds. It was a mistake in judgement to use a machine and I intend to correct it immediately. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that. With my deepest regrets, Bob Dylan”

Dylan’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, has also addressed the incident. They issued a statement that confirmed that Dylan did not sign some books. They also apologized for any confusion and offered a full reimbursement to anyone who bought a signed copy. The issue first came to light shortly after physical copies of the books shipped out, with buyers identifying what they believed to be 17 variations of Dylan’s signature, as Variety reports.

“To those who purchased the ‘Philosophy of Modern Song’ limited edition, we want to apologize,” the publisher wrote on Twitter. “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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