As expected, Bob Dylan was presented with France's highest public award, the Legion d'Honneur — aka the Legion of Honor — at the Ministry of Culture in Paris on Wednesday. BBC News reports that the folk-rock legend said very little at the ceremony, commenting that he was "proud and grateful" before exiting the event.
French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti, the politician who nominated Dylan for the honor, presented the award to the 72-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. In honoring Dyaln, Filippetti talked about the significance of his cultural contributions while name-checking a bevy of his well-known songs. She also noted that some of Dylan's his writing had been inspired by such renowned French poets as Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine.
The use of cameras was prohibited during the festivities. A BBC reporter observed that the singer/songwriter looked visibly uncomfortable throughout the proceedings.
Dylan is in the middle of a three-night stand at Paris' Gran Rex theater, which wraps up on Thursday night. The shows are part of a European tour that winds down with a November 26-28 engagement at London's Royal Albert Hall.
