The song Richard Gere couldn’t live without: “It’s my all-time favourite record”

Posted On February 18, 2025February 18, 2025

Though his major movie roles are few and far between these days, there was a time when Richard Gere ruled the roost. His golden period came over two decades from the early 1980s to the beginning of the 2000s. He established himself as a leading man with the likes of American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman, before settling into more mature roles with things like Pretty Woman and Chicago.

Alleged run-ins with Hollywood’s Chinese financial backers sent his career into downfall, but even without the backing of major studios, Gere has managed to carve out a career making smaller, arguably more interesting projects. In 2007, he appeared as part of an ensemble cast in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There. The movie told the life story of Bob Dylan, but through six very different characters. Gere plays a version of Billy the Kid, a representation of Dylan’s years in exile. Other actors who explore the troubadour’s many facets include Cate Blanchett, Ben Whishaw, and Heath Ledger in the final film released during his lifetime.

Gere must have been thrilled to get the opportunity to play Dylan – or at least a version of him – as he’s a big fan of the Nobel Prize winner. “He’s our Picasso,” the star told the New York Times. This was as part of a piece on some of his favourite things; he named Nancy Pelosi as his favourite politician, Francis Bacon as his favourite painter, and Blonde on Blonde as his favourite album. In particular, he had a lot of love for one song off that album. 

“It’s unthinkable to me to be in the universe without ‘Visions of Johanna,’” he said. “There’s two versions that are killers. One is a live acoustic recording at Carnegie Hall, which is very sweet and breaks your heart. Then there’s one on that record that Robbie Robertson plays on. It’s tougher. It’s very challenging. There’s some anger in it. But it’s my all-time favourite record.”

‘Visions of Johanna’ is the third track on Dylan’s mighty double album Blonde on Blonde. Gere isn’t alone in his admiration, as it’s widely regarded as one of the best-written songs in the legend’s arsenal, which is really saying something. The song was supposedly written during a major blackout in New York City, when Dylan would have been exposed to the bitter cold of a Big Apple winter. This would explain its working title – ‘Freeze Out’. 

There has been much speculation about who the titular character is. Dylan has never specified who ‘Johnanna’ is or if she’s even real, but the prevailing theory is that she is Joan Baez, with whom the singer had previously shared a whirlwind relationship. Baez would later reference these allegations on her own track ‘Winds of the Old Days’. Another prominent character in the song, Louise, is thought to be Sara Lownds, his first wife.

Based on his choice of music and the work he has dedicated his later years to, its clear that Gere has a very clear grasp on what sort of art he likes. He might have missed his opportunity to play Dylan for real – thanks Timothée Chalamet – but he’ll always have a connection to him via the one song he couldn’t imagine not existing.

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