Bob Dylan Keyboardist Who Backed Icon When He ‘Went Electric’ Dead Aged 83 After Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosis
Musician Barry Goldberg has died.
Jan. 23 2025, Published 4:16 p.m. ET
Barry Goldberg, a world-renowned keyboardist who played with Bob Dylan at one of his most famous performances, has died.
The 83-year-old passed away in hospice care, RadarOnline.com can reveal, after a 10-year battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The man who once backed up Bob Dylan was 83 at the time of his death.
Goldberg was a rock staple, and has performing, writing and producing credits with legendary artists like Steve Miller, Rod Stewart, The Ramones, and The Flying Burrito Brothers.
He played the organ on the Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels’ hit Devil With A Blue Dress On and cowrote the songs It’s Not The Spotlight for Bobby Blue Bland and Rod Stewart. He also contributed to the Gladys Knight & The Pips hit I’ve Got To Use My Imagination.
The musician was also a founding member of the 1960s group the Electric Flag.
Many of his colleagues came together just a few months ago to sponsor a GoFundMe to help him battle his disease.
Barry Goldberg played with Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival.
Goldberg's most famous performance came when he appeared with Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. During that show, Dylan courted controversy when he unveiled a new electric sound. It was also where he first performed his classic Like A Rolling Stone.
The performance was recently the basis of the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothee Chalamet.
Actor Justine Levine played Goldberg in the Oscar-nominated film.
Goldberg reflected on the controversial Newport festival for an article in the Jewish publication the Forward in 2022.
He stated: "The 1965 Newport Folk Festival started out like a wonderful dream for me — and then it became a nightmare, and then it became a wonderful dream again.
"Bob Dylan, on the spur of the moment, had decided to form a gang, and decided that Michael (Bloomfield) and I had what it took to be part of it. And as soon as he invited me to play with him, it was like Newport went back into 'wonderful dream' mode for me."
Dylan's electric turn garnered a mixed reaction. But Goldberg remembered: "I walked offstage that night feeling like a hero, and I didn’t want anything to break that spell."
Garth Hudson was the last surviving member of The Band before his death.
Goldberg is the second musician with ties to Dylan to die this week. On Tuesday, Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, passed away peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in Woodstock, New York at age 87.
Representatives from the group shared the news online.
A statement read: "Today, we sadly say goodbye to Garth 'Honey Boy' Hudson, the last living original member of The Band.
A musical genius and cornerstone of the group’s timeless sound, Garth once said, 'I found some true enjoyment in helping people get to the bottom of their feelings.'"
"Through his music, he did just that – helping us all feel more deeply and connect to something greater. Rest easy, Garth," the statement concluded.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Hudson was 87.
Hudson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band in 1994, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2008.
He played keyboards and saxophone for the bestselling 1960s folk-rockers, and was the eldest member of the influential group that once backed Dylan.
Originally known as The Hawks, the group would rename itself The Band in part because Dylan's friends and executives simply referred to his back-up musicians as "the band."
The group recorded seven studio albums between 1968 and 1977, with their self-titled 1969 album and 1970’s Stage Fright both cracking the Top 10 in the U.S.
