Imagine that your father is legend Bob Dylan, and like him, you feel pulled toward music. What do you do? If you are songwriter Jakob Dylan (1969–), you call the family connection “peripheral stuff,” then return to the craft itself and try to write the best songs you can.

Born on this day in New York, Jakob was seven when his parents divorced. As an adult he has guarded his privacy and chooses to speak through his songs. “People think I’m reserved, but I don’t like to think out loud,” he said. The remark fits the steady, inward tone that runs through his writing.

Journalists often mention his cobalt eyes, tracing an echo of his father. Jakob meets that attention with a quiet smile. “I think people may want to start noting that it’s not the eyes, it’s just that my hair’s really dark,” he said. “I wish they’d talk about my ears more, to tell you the truth.”

He first reached a wide audience as the frontman for The Wallflowers. Their 1996 album Bringing Down the Horse went quadruple platinum and carried the hit One Headlight, a song that felt both intimate and expansive. The band honored the heart of rock-n-roll in the spirit of the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty, yet the voice at the center remained distinctly his.

“You’ve got to have faith in what you’re doing,” Dylan said. “I do like a song that can look good on a page without even being sung. I edit and edit and edit.” The rhythm of revision gives his lyrics a grounded, steady weight.

In 2008 he released his first solo album, Seeing Things, a collection of acoustic songs that feel close to the bone. Without volume or studio layers, the writing steps forward and shows the care he brings to every line. He continues to release music and perform on his own, offering songs shaped by honesty and quiet reflection.