Bob Dylan Never Imagined Winning Nobel Prize

(Radio.com) This past weekend, the Nobel Prize ceremony took place in Sweden, and as expected, Bob Dylan was not there to accept his award for Literature. However, Patti Smith performed his "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" in his absence (she messed up the lyrics and had to start over, noting that she was very nervous).

Dylan provided a speech, which was read by the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, Azita Raji. Read it below (courtesy of The Nobel Foundation 2016). "Good evening, everyone. I extend my warmest greetings to the members of the Swedish Academy and to all of the other distinguished guests in attendance tonight.

"I'm sorry I can't be with you in person, but please know that I am most definitely with you in spirit and honored to be receiving such a prestigious prize. Being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature is something I never could have imagined or seen coming. From an early age, I've been familiar with and reading and absorbing the works of those who were deemed worthy of such a distinction: Kipling, Shaw, Thomas Mann, Pearl Buck, Albert Camus, Hemingway. These giants of literature whose works are taught in the schoolroom, housed in libraries around the world and spoken of in reverent tones have always made a deep impression. That I now join the names on such a list is truly beyond words.

"I don't know if these men and women ever thought of the Nobel honor for themselves, but I suppose that anyone writing a book, or a poem, or a play anywhere in the world might harbor that secret dream deep down inside. It's probably buried so deep that they don't even know it's there." Read the rest and see Patti Smith's performance here.

Bob Dylan Music, DVDs, Books and more Bob Dylan T-shirts and Posters More Bob Dylan News Share this article Related Stories Bob Dylan's Massive The 1974 Live Recordings Collection Now Available Bryan Ferry Reimagines Bob Dylan Classic To Announce Epic Retrospective Release Massive Bob Dylan 'The 1974 Live Recordings' Collection Coming Rory Block Delivers Bob Dylan Tribute Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Lead Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival Tour Lineup