Bob Dylan Wife
Bob Dylan’s wife was Sara Lownds, born Shirley Marlin Noznisky, an American former model and actress born on October 28, 1939, in Wilmington, Delaware. Dylan later had a second wife, Carolyn Dennis, an American backup singer and Broadway performer whom he married in 1986. Bob Dylan is the legendary singer-songwriter behind classics like “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature winner. Unlike most celebrities, Dylan kept both marriages almost entirely out of the public eye — his second wife’s identity wasn’t even confirmed until 2001. This article covers who Sara Lownds and Carolyn Dennis are, how their relationships with Dylan began, their marriages, and their children.
Because the keyword “bob dylan wife” is most closely tied to Sara Lownds — his first wife and the woman behind some of his most famous love songs — the rest of this guide focuses mainly on her, with a full section on Carolyn Dennis as well.
Who Is Sara Lownds?
Sara Lownds was born Shirley Marlin Noznisky on October 28, 1939, in Wilmington, Delaware, to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland. She grew up in Delaware and moved to New York City at age 20 in 1959, looking for a fresh start after a difficult childhood. In New York, she briefly worked at the Playboy Club while modeling with the Ford agency.
That same year, she married magazine photographer Hans Lownds, his third wife. He encouraged her to go by “Sara” instead of Shirley, and the name stuck for the rest of her public life. The couple lived in a Manhattan townhouse, and Sara appeared in Harper’s Bazaar as a rising model. They had a daughter, Maria, in 1961, but the marriage fell apart soon after. Sara then found her way into the Greenwich Village folk scene, where she crossed paths with a young Bob Dylan around 1964.
Sara Lownds’s Career & Professional Life
Before meeting Dylan, Sara worked as a model, appearing in national fashion magazines, and held a job as a production secretary on a Time-Life documentary project alongside filmmakers Richard Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker — the same connection that reportedly introduced her to Dylan. After marrying Dylan, she largely stepped back from public work, though she took an acting role as “Clara” in Dylan’s 1978 film Renaldo and Clara. Sara has kept a low, private profile for decades and has not pursued a public career since her divorce from Dylan. No verified net worth figure for Sara Lownds is publicly available, as she has not been involved in business or entertainment ventures that would make her finances a matter of public record.
How Did Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds Meet?
Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds met in 1964 in New York, while Dylan was still known primarily as a rising folk singer and was previously linked romantically to singer Joan Baez. Sara’s marriage to Hans Lownds was falling apart at the time, and she had drifted into the same Greenwich Village circles Dylan moved in. Friends introduced them, and the two grew close quickly.
Unlike many celebrity romances, Dylan and Sara’s relationship developed quietly, away from media attention — a pattern that would define Dylan’s private life for the rest of his career. There was no public engagement announcement or paparazzi courtship; the relationship simply progressed until marriage, consistent with Dylan’s lifelong effort to shield his personal life from the press.
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Marriage & Wedding Details
Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds married secretly on November 22, 1965, in a small ceremony held under an oak tree on a judge’s lawn in Mineola, Long Island, New York. The wedding was so discreet that news of it didn’t reach the public for months afterward — fitting for a couple who valued privacy above all else. After marrying, they settled in Woodstock, New York, and later moved between New York and California. The marriage lasted just under 12 years, ending in divorce in June 1977.
Children & Family Life
Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds had four children together: Jesse Byron Dylan (born 1966), Anna Lea Dylan (born 1967), Samuel Isaac Dylan (born 1968), and Jakob Luke Dylan (born 1969), the latter known for fronting the band The Wallflowers. Dylan also adopted Sara’s daughter from her first marriage, Maria. The family lived a private, low-profile life even at the height of Dylan’s fame, largely shielding the children from the media spotlight — a pattern Dylan has maintained with all of his children throughout his career.
Sara Lownds on Social Media
Sara Lownds does not maintain any known public social media accounts. She has stayed almost entirely out of the public eye since her 1977 divorce from Dylan and has not given media interviews or made public appearances in connection with her marriage. This is consistent with her decades-long preference for privacy.
Bob Dylan’s Second Wife: Carolyn Dennis
Nearly a decade after divorcing Sara, Dylan married again — this time in complete secrecy. Carolyn Dennis was a backup singer who joined Dylan’s touring band in the late 1970s during his “gospel” period, contributing to albums like Slow Train Coming and Saved. Her mother, Madlyn Quebec, had sung with Ray Charles’s backing group, The Raelettes, giving Dennis a strong musical pedigree of her own. Beyond her work with Dylan, Dennis also performed on Broadway, including in The Color Purple.
Dylan and Dennis had a daughter, Desiree Gabrielle Dennis-Dylan, born January 31, 1986. The couple married quietly on June 4, 1986, months after Desiree’s birth. The marriage lasted six years, ending in divorce in October 1992 — but it remained a complete secret for 15 years, only becoming public in 2001 with the release of Howard Sounes’s unauthorized biography, Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan, which uncovered the marriage certificate. Like Sara Lownds, Carolyn Dennis has no known public social media presence and has kept her life with Dylan almost entirely private.
Quick Facts Table
| Detail | Sara Lownds | Carolyn Dennis |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Shirley Marlin Noznisky | Carolyn Dennis |
| Date of Birth | October 28, 1939 | Not publicly confirmed |
| Nationality | American | American |
| Profession | Model, actress | Backup singer, Broadway performer |
| Married to | Bob Dylan | Bob Dylan |
| Marriage Year | 1965 | 1986 |
| Divorce Year | 1977 | 1992 |
| Children with Dylan | 4 (plus 1 adopted) | 1 |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Bob Dylan’s wife’s name? A: Bob Dylan’s first wife was Sara Lownds, whom he married in 1965. He later secretly married a second wife, Carolyn Dennis, in 1986; both marriages have since ended in divorce.
Q: How old is Sara Lownds? A: Sara Lownds was born on October 28, 1939, in Wilmington, Delaware, making her 86 years old as of 2026.
Q: What does Sara Lownds do for a living? A: Sara Lownds worked as a model and briefly as an actress before and during her marriage to Bob Dylan. She has not held a public career since their 1977 divorce.
Q: When did Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds get married? A: Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds married on November 22, 1965, in a private ceremony in Mineola, New York, and divorced in 1977.
Q: How many kids do Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds have? A: Bob Dylan and Sara Lownds had four children together — Jesse, Anna, Samuel, and Jakob — and Dylan also adopted Sara’s daughter, Maria, from her first marriage.
Conclusion
Bob Dylan’s wife, Sara Lownds, remains one of the most influential — yet most private — figures in his life, inspiring some of his most celebrated songs during their 12-year marriage. His lesser-known second wife, Carolyn Dennis, added another hidden chapter to his personal history, one kept secret from the public for 15 years. Both marriages reflect the same theme: Bob Dylan, one of music’s most iconic figures, has spent his life fiercely guarding the people closest to him from public view.