Bob Lind
His haunting 1966 folk-rock hit 'Elusive Butterfly' captured a generation's restless spirit, making him a one-song wonder with a lasting cult following.
Born 1942 (age 84)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: November 25·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Lind is the quintessential figure of 1960s folk-rock's fleeting magic, a man whose name is forever tethered to a single, perfect song. 'Elusive Butterfly of Love,' with its shimmering twelve-string guitar and poetic, searching lyrics, soared to the top of charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1966, defining a moment. For Lind, the sudden fame was a double-edged sword; the pressure to replicate that success proved immense, and the industry's machinery quickly moved on. Rather than fade away, however, he quietly reinvented himself. He turned to playwriting and penned novels, finding a more sustainable creative voice away from the pop spotlight. Decades later, a tribute album featuring artists like The Bangles and Dinosaur Jr. reintroduced his songwriting to a new audience, cementing his status not as a forgotten act, but as a craftsman whose best work possesses a timeless, delicate beauty.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 84 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His single 'Elusive Butterfly' reached No. 5 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart in 1966.
- His songs have been covered by a wide range of artists including Cher, Glen Campbell, and Richie Havens.
- Authored multiple novels and plays, including the well-received play 'When the Sun Shone Brighter.'
- Was the subject of a 2016 tribute album, 'Beautiful Dreams: The Songs of Bob Lind,' featuring notable indie rock artists.
Did You Know?
He worked as a newspaper reporter in Florida before his music career took off.
Director David Lynch is a known admirer of his music.
He took a decades-long hiatus from performing music before returning to touring in the 2000s.
His song 'Elusive Butterfly' was inspired by a line from a John Ciardi poem.
“I chased the elusive butterfly and it led me here.”
