Bob Dylan to Host XM Radio Show

[LoungeMachine]

Panero's XM Nabs Bob Dylan As New DJ

How many roads must a countercultural-songwriting-legend walk down, before you can call him a renaissance-man?

We've all seen Bob Dylan simultaneously play the guitar and harmonica without missing a beat. But now the nasal troubadour will be trying his hand at another type of multitasking performance, involving the complex array of mixers and microphones in a radio studio.

Famed for his generation-stirring lyrics, Dylan will be hosting a weekly radio music show on XM Satellite Radio (nasdaq: XMSR - news - people ) beginning in March 2006. It's a veritable coup for chief executive Hugh Panero at XM--which will duly prompt some teeth grinding from Mel Karmazin, president and chief executive of arch rival Sirius Satellite Radio (nasdaq: SIRI - news - people ).

The two companies have been sparring for subscribers, as well big-name alliances and covetable sports content deals. While XM has partnerships with General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ), Honda Motor (nyse: HMC - news - people ), Toyota Motor (nyse: TM - news - people ), Sirius holds deals with the National Football League and NASCAR, as well as claim to shock-jock maestro Howard Stern, who has been touting his move to the company on January 9.

Compared to the famously bawdy Stern, Dylan's approach to DJ-ing may be more seasoned than salty. The 64-year-old's show will include a mix of music that his own iconic hand selects, along with commentary and interviews with guests.

"Songs and music have always inspired me," Dylan said in an XM statement. "A lot of my own songs have been played on the radio, but this is the first time I've ever been on the other side of the mic. It'll be as exciting for me as it is for XM."

It'll also be a trump on Sirius, which is still vying to increase its 2 million customers base to compete with XM's mammoth 5 million. More...

[Alex Mogilny]

Hey uh this is uh Bob Dylan coming at you uh from uh. Hey uh where are we? Oh yeah uh XM radio uh.

I want to uh play you uh song by uh. Who the uh hell is uh Wilco. Oh yeah uh they play uh good music the uh engineer tells me.

[Kermit The Frog]

Will XM provide an interpreter ?

[Mr. Vengeance]

Anyone who saw the recent No Direction Home documentary knows that Dylan is pretty coherant when he's talking.

[Unchainme]

Never have been a huge dlyan fan, I think he is one of those guys who is grate at writing, But when another band comes along and covers his songs, They usuallly kick ass. (EX: GN'R, Jimi Hendrix.). I have a lot of respect for him though.