Thanks to Frank Trainor who sent me this link to a YouTube clip of Bob Dylan in November of 1986 presenting a Juno Award to Gordon Lightfoot. Frank happened to be right there at the time, as he had been nominated for an award himself, and recalls the details and the atmosphere in a post at his own blog: It Was Twenty Years Ago Today.

If you browse YouTube, you’ll find that Bob Dylan’s appearances at award shows are a sub-genre all on their own, without which the whole venture might possibly be in danger of collapse. What is it about seeing Dylan accept or even hand out awards that is so oddly compelling, at least to me? I think it’s something to do with seeing someone who is so incredibly uncomfortable that his head might explode at any moment, or his skin fall off. There’s the relatively famous 1991 Grammy appearance, where Dylan receives a Lifetime Achievement award and in return delivers that stunning statement regarding how God always believes in your ability to mend your ways, no matter how defiled you become. This clip includes the whole scorching Master Of War performance followed by the acceptance speech.

And I just found this one, from the 1984 Grammies, where Dylan and Stevie Wonder do some kind of comedy routine before naming the “Best Song” winner. It’s really hard to see where the comedy routine leaves off and Dylan’s own genuine flummoxed-ness begins. It is notable that Stevie delivers his lines relatively smoothly — without the benefit of a teleprompter, one must assume.

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