Bob Dylan makes rare statement to apologise over signature controversy

It has recently been revealed that books advertised as ‘hand-signed’ instead contained a digital autograph

Bob Dylan has made a rare public statement to apologise for selling books that were advertised as being “hand-signed”, when they actually contained digital autographs.

It was recently revealed that the signatures in copies of the singer’s book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, were actually created using an autopen – a machine used to store digital replicas of signatures.

Copies, priced at $599 (£420) each, were sold to fans, with the publisher including certificates of authenticity with each order.

Doubts were raised after buyers began to compare the exact likeness of the signatures on their copies.

When originally questioned, the book’s publisher Simon & Schuster had refused requested refunds, saying that the books were in fact hand-signed.

However, on 20 November, the publisher admitted that the copies did include digital replica versions of signatures and apologised for the error.

Simon & Schuster has since offered refunds to all customers who bought the copies.

Dylan has now echoed this statement in a post on his Facebook page, calling the sales an “error in judgement” and blaming a case of vertigo as the reason for the digital signings.

"I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem," he wrote on Friday (25 November).

"However, in 2019 I had a bad case of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years,” he explained.

“It takes a crew of five working in close quarters with me to help enable these signing sessions, and we could not find a safe and workable way to complete what I needed to do while the virus was raging.”

"So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything and the 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 world,” he continued.

“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.”