Bob Dylan apologises for using a machine to autograph ‘hand-signed’ books - The Guardian

Bob Dylan has issued a uncommon nationalist connection to apologise for his “error successful judgment”, amid contention implicit his usage of a instrumentality to autograph peculiar copies of his caller publication that had been advertised arsenic “hand-signed”.

The book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, features the legendary singer-songwriter’s commentary connected tracks by different artists and was released successful aboriginal November, with a constricted tally of 900 “hand-signed” editions sold for US$599 each. All copies came with a missive of authenticity from steadfast Simon & Schuster.

As buyers began receiving their copies, galore shared photographs of their books online – and rapidly realised they featured identical signatures.

In a statement, the 81-year-old instrumentalist said each of his signatures “over the years” had been hand-signed.

“However, successful 2019 I had a atrocious lawsuit of vertigo and it continued into the pandemic years,” helium wrote. “It takes a unit of 5 moving successful adjacent quarters with maine to assistance alteration these signing sessions, and we could not find a harmless and workable mode to implicit what I needed to bash portion the microorganism was raging.

“So, during the pandemic, it was intolerable to motion thing and the vertigo didn’t help. With contractual deadlines looming, the thought of utilizing an auto-pen was suggested to me, on with the assurance that this benignant of happening is done ‘all the time’ successful the creation and literate worlds.

“Using a instrumentality was an mistake successful judgement and I privation to rectify it immediately. I’m moving with Simon & Schuster and my assemblage partners to bash conscionable that.”

Simon & Schuster apologised for the contention past week, and offered refunds to immoderate purchasers who were not happy.

“As it turns out, the constricted variation books bash incorporate Bob’s archetypal signature, but successful a penned replica form,” they wrote connected Twitter.

The validity of Dylan’s signatures connected his creation prints – galore of which are presently retailing for much than £12,000 (US$14,500, A$21,600) – has besides been called into question. Castle Fine Art, a UK creation retailer that sells prints of Dylan’s paintings, said they had been “entirely unaware of the usage of autopen” and recovered that lone 2 lines of prints – some released this twelvemonth – had been signed with an autopen alternatively of by hand.

“We tin corroborate that each different editions preceding these releases were individually hand-signed by Bob Dylan himself,” they wrote successful a statement, offering refunds to buyers – connected the information they instrumentality their archetypal certificates of authenticity “for 1 reflecting the autopen signature”.

The usage of autopen has been prolific successful governmental circles. In 2011, Barack Obama became the first US president to walk authorities with an autopen signature.

Its usage by celebrities, though, has drawn greater controversy. Earlier this year, fans accused Dolly Parton of signing her latest publication with an autopen. Sinead O’Connor besides admitted past twelvemonth to utilizing a signature stamp to inscribe her memoir.