Louie Kemp, the Duluth-born businessman, is known for two things: his entrepreneurial acumen and his lifelong friendship with Bob Dylan. Taking over his father’s Lake Superior fish business, Kemp transformed it into a thriving empire. But it is the enduring relationship he shares with Bob Dylan—spanning decades and encompassing both personal and professional realms—that has captured the public's imagination.
In 2019, PBS North producers Karen Sunderman and Steve Ash sat down with Kemp for an interview at the Duluth Armory—the same venue where he and Dylan had watched Buddy Holly perform in the winter of 1959—to discuss Kemp’s memoir, Dylan and Me: 50 Years of Adventures.
That conversation remained unreleased—until now. Kemp has allowed The North to share this rare interview, which offers a glimpse into the life of the man who has been called everything from “The Voice of a Generation” (which Dylan personally dislikes) to simply “Zimmy,” a play on his given last name, Zimmerman.
In addition to business achievements, Kemp has made a profound impact on his Jewish community. He founded Chabad of Pacific Palisades, California, and created a Jewish educational initiative now reaching more than 500,000 people worldwide. Kemp’s story is one of transformation—of business and friendship—and it serves as a reminder that behind every great cultural moment lies an intricate web of relationships, ambition, and devotion.