During the gigs Regan had noticed the same elderly woman in the crowd. Regan would later say “She had a really interesting face but she looked really out of place. She was about forty years older than anyone else in the crowd.” Excerpt from faroutmagazine To read the full click here
In truth, she probably was, as when Regan mentioned to Bill, the promoter quickly informed him that in fact, it was Dylan’s mother in the crowd. Bill then went on to press the matter and said Regan shouldn’t take pictures of her if he valued his career with Bob. Regan relayed “I’d taken about four dozen! He told me not to release them because I’d never be let within 500 yards of Bob ever again.”
Sticking to his word Ken sent out the pictures to Bob with a note saying that he had not sent the images on to Time Magazine but that he thought Dylan should still have them. He received no response from Bob.
Until, in the summer of 1975, Ken received a 3 am phone call with an opportunity that would shape much of his life. On the phone initially was Barry Imhoff, Bill Graham’s partner who is keen to know where Regan will be over the next few months. Imhoff babbles on a bit, there’s talk of a tour but not as we know it, there’s more talk and then Lou Kemp jumps on the line.
Kemp, a childhood friend of Dylan’s again speaks of the same (slightly different) tour and that his company Kemp Fisheries would be co-promoting the tour for Bob Dylan. Regan, a somewhat surly man from The Bronx demands Barry get back on the phone “Barry, if this is a fucking joke, I’m gonna hunt you down and take you apart completely.”
Another voice comes on the line. An instantly recognisable one. Bob Dylan is on the other end of the phone acting a perfect gentleman.
He apologises to Ken for waking him so early, he then thanks Ken for not only sending him the photos of his mother but for not sending them to Time magazine. He has clearly gained the great man’s trust and with that trust comes a proposition to come on board and cover the tour. 
A tour of two halves Regan covered The Rolling Thunder Revue from October 30th 1975 to December 8th. Below are some of the standout images from Ken Regan’s time with Bob Dylan in 1975.
Mama Frasca’s Dream Away Lodge, in Becket, Massachusetts. The owner, the larger-than-life Mama, is a huge Joan Baez fan, and takes the dungaree-clad Joan upstairs and gives her a present—her wedding dress. It fits like a glove. They shoot scenes for Renaldo & Clara with Joan in the dress, and eat home cooked food
