The Eighties

1982 Dylan was inducted into the 'Songwriters Hall of Fame' in March 1982.

1985 In July, Dylan contributed vocals for the all-star single, 'We Are The World', in aid of African famine relief. On 13th July he appeared, backed by Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, at the Live Aid concert at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. His third book, 'Lyrics: 1962-1985', was published and 'Biograph', a fivedisc retrospective collection, was also released.

1986-1987 During these years, Dylan toured backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In 1987 he toured with backing from the Grateful Dead, which led to the album 'Dylan & the Dead' (1989). Dylan also starred in the movie 'Hearts of Fire' (1987) directed by Richard Marquand.

1988 In January, Dylan was inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame', with an induction speech by Bruce Springsteen. In spring, Dylan joined Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and George Harrison to form the light-hearted group The Traveling Wilburys. They released two well-received albums in 1988 and 1990. Late spring also saw the start of what came to be called the 'Never Ending Tour' with a small and evolving band.