On May 12, 1963, Bob Dylan passed up a chance at early fame. He refused to switch songs for his scheduled performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Dylan planned to play “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues,” skewering the ultra-conservative John Birch Society. Dylan said: “If I can’t play my song, I’d rather not appear.” Six months later, he was famous anyway. Millions saw him perform at the March on Washington, and his song, “Blowin’ In the Wind” came out.
