STOCKHOLM (CelebrityAccess) Izzy Young, 90, who organized the first major public concert for Bob Dylan in 1961, died at his home in Stockholm of natural causes Feb. 4, according to daughter Philomene Grandin.
Young was a big name in folk music, with Dylan a regular visitor to his New York music shop, the Folkore Center, at the time of the concert. Dylan called the shop “the citadel of Americana folk music.” Dylan relates in his memoirs “Chronicles” that Young would allow him to sit in the backroom of the store, listening to folk music records and reading books. Dylan met Dave Van Ronk in the store.
Young, at the time, wrote a column for the folk music journal “Sing Out.”
In November 1961, Young organized the first public concert for Dylan at the Carnegie Hall Chapter Hall. He moved to Sweden in 1973 and reopened his store there.
Dylan eventually wrote a song about the store called “Talkin’ Folklore Center,” which became the title of a documentary on Izzy:
Performers at the store include Peter Paul and Mary, John Sebastian from the Lovin’ Spoonful (Young managed one of Sebastian’s early bands), Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris and Tim Buckley. A live album by Buckley recorded at the Folklore Center in 1967 was released a few years ago. Patti Smith used to read poetry there and also became friends with Young.
Grandin told the Associated Press that her father dedicated more than 60 years to supporting folk musicians.
