Bob Dylan Presented Medal Of Freedom By President Obama

The Music Network has reported that Bob Dylan has been presented with the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honour the US has to offer and was awarded to a total of 13 recipients (including Dylan) during yesterday’s ceremony at the White House.

In regards to Dylan winning the award and his historic musical legacy, President Obama said the 73-year-old songwriter has left an invaluable indent on both the political and musical scenes.

“No one sets out to win it… What sets these men and women apart is the incredible impact they have had on so many people. They have moved us with their words, they have inspired us with their actions”, President Obama said.

“There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music. All these years later, he’s still chasing that sound, still searching for a little bit of truth. And I have to say that I am a really big fan”, he said.

As stated by The Music Network, the other 12 recipients are:

Madeleine Albright: for her work increasing the reach of NATO and for leading a campaign against terror and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.

John Glenn: former US Marine Corps pilot, astronaut.

Gordon Hirabayashi: who “openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II”.

John Doar: for his investigation into the Watergate scandal.

William Foege: for his campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s.

Dolores Huerta: a women’s advocate who fought for farm workers reform.

Jan Karski: who was a courier for the Polish underground during WWII.

Juliette Gordon Low: who founded the Girl Scouts in 1912.

Israeli president Shimon Peres: for strengthening a bond between Israel and the United States.

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: for his work in civil rights.

Pat Summitt: a women’s basketball coach who works as spokesperson against Alzheimer’s disease.

Listen: Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPE7LFKsqt4&feature=fvwrel

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