Famous American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan also known as the one of the greatest songwriters of all time has apologised for using an ‘autopen’ for autographing special copies of his new book. Dylan has issued a rare public statement for his "error in judgement". The singer has been using the machine since 2019 to duplicate his signature on books and artworks.

In a statement, the singer said, "I've hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there's never been a problem. However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo, and it continued into the pandemic years."

"So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything, and vertigo didn't help. With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done "all the time" in the art and literary worlds. Using a machine was an error in judgement and I want to rectify it immediately. I'm working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that," he further added.

Dylan mentioned that since 2019 he started using an autopen after developing vertigo. The issue was highlighted when a fan compared photos of Dylan's signature after purchasing $600, limited-edition copies of Dylan's book "The Philosophy of Modern Song".

Bob Dylan Turns 77: The 'Tambourine Man's' Many Avatars

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Forever Young

There are countless reasons to celebrate Bob Dylan. Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, the American singer-songwriter, artist and writer became the first musician to win the coveted Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.

However, his win was not devoid of controversy, first with many questioning his selection, and then the singer-songwriter skipping the Nobel ceremony in Stockholm in December. However, in his speech, read out by the US Ambassador to Sweden Azita Raji at the event, he wrote, "If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I'd have about the same odds as standing on the moon."

He later collected his award at a private ceremony in Stockholm.

(Image: Facebook/BobDylan)

Don't Think Twice

Dylan wrote the world's first anti-love song, ‘It Ain't Me, Babe’, made nasty lyrics acceptable with ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, and also invented country-rock.

If he started with that, he kept the momentum up with his last album, ‘Together Through Life’, that made it to the top of the charts, making him the oldest performer to debut at No 1. This was the 5th time the star topped the U.S. pop music chart.

And if that wasn’t enough to establish him as the hardest working man in the industry, his Never Ending Tour that began in 1988 is still going on!

(Image: Facebook/BobDylan)

Like A Rolling Stone

No awards and recognitions are enough for this troubadour. From the Oscars to Grammys, Golden Globes to Pultizer, he's won them all.

And the enigma that he is, when Todd Haynes decided to make a movie on Dylan, 'I'm Not There', he had to cast 6 actors to play the legend, one of them being Cate Blanchett.

Gotta Serve Somebody

If creating music, winning the Nobel, and painting weren't enough, Dylan recently also launched his own signature line of whiskey called 'Heaven's Door'.

The legendary musician teamed up with bourbon makers Angel's Envy to create a trio of small batch whiskeys: a straight rye, a double barrel whiskey and a Tennessee bourbon.

So you know what you're celebrating his birthday with!

Initially, the publisher, Simon & Schuster denied paying the refund to the buyers and assured them that it was Dylan's signature and was legitimate and validated by a "letter of authenticity".

However, the publisher revealed the truth after facing continued pressure from the buyers and said that the book has a "penned replica" of Dylan's signature. Later, the publisher had to offer a refund to the buyers who purchased one of the 900 "hand-signed" editions.

With these issues, a massive controversy erupted, which raised the question of artworks made by Dylan. The print of these artworks can range up to a whooping price of $15,000 (£12,400).

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'It Ain't Me Babe' singer Bob Dylan issues apology for using 'Autopen' to sign art and books

Bob Dylan has issued an apology for using autopen to sign books and artworks.