Sky Arts marks Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday with two special shows

As music legend Bob Dylan turns 80 today, Sky Arts will mark the milestone with two special programmes.

Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan, which airs next tonight at 9pm, features the celebrated Pretenders lead vocalist covering 10 of Dylan’s greatest tracks in her signature style. 

Bob Dylan: The Other Side of the Mirror, which broadcasts on Tuesday at 9pm, documents the music icon’s historic Newport Folk Festival performances from 1963 to 1965 in this critically-acclaimed film from director Murray Lerner.

The documentary observes Dylan’s metamorphosis from folk prodigy to rock’s fiercely confrontational poet, as he electrified and inspired an entire nation through his three successive appearances at the festival. 

Dylan – who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman – is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and a leading figure of counterculture. 

His songs, Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin’ became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements during the 1960s and he has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.