By 1956, Garfunkel and Simon's high school talent show performance made them famous in the neighborhood, and the two took on the personas of Tom Graph and Jerry Landis.
Gallery of Paul Simon
Garfunkel (right), who often hunched over to level out their height difference, was blessed with good looks. Simon's dependence on Garfunkel on stage 'put kerosene in Paul's veins.'
Gallery of Paul Simon
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, of the Simon & Garfunkel singing team.
Gallery of Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Gallery of Paul Simon
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel became friends, walking together to school, smoking cigarettes, singing doo-wop songs by the school's flagpole at lunchtime, and flirting with girls.
Gallery of Paul Simon
65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367, United States
Simon headed to Queens College (pictured, Simon second from left in the front row, top) where he studied English.
Career
Gallery of Paul Simon
1965
American folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel (Art Garfunkel [L] and Paul Simon) performing on a studio sound stage during a rehearsal. Garfunkel slaps his leg while Simon plays the guitar. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1966
Pop duo Simon and Garfunkel, comprising (L-R) singer, Art Garfunkel and singer-songwriter, Paul Simon, performing on ITV's 'Ready, Steady, Go!', July 8, 1966. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1966
American clown, actor, and television host Red Skelton (left) talks to folk-pop musicians Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon (right), of the duo Simon and Garfunkel, on the CBS variety program 'The Red Skelton Hour,' August 22, 1966. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
London, United Kingdom
Simon and Garfunkel perform on a television show filmed in London, England in 1967. (Photo by David Redfern)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
25 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10010, United States
Singer/songwriter Paul Simon (right) and singer Art Garfunkel of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel in a Columbia Records publicity still circa 1967 1966 in New York, New York. (Photo by Columbia Records/Michael Ochs Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
1 Brookings Dr, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon and American singer Art Garfunkel, together as folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, appear for a performance on the campus of Washington University, March 24, 1967, in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
New York City, New York, United States
American Folk and Pop singer Art Garfunkel (fore, left) talks with an unidentified woman as, in between them, his musical partner Paul Simon, in a hooded parka, and others watch, New York, 1967. An unidentified person films the conversation. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
New York, NY, United States
View of American Folk and Pop singers Art Garfunkel (left) and Paul Simon, who perform as the duo Simon and Garfunkel, walk beside Central Park, New York, 1967. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1967
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon and American singer Art Garfunkel, together as folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, appear for a performance on the campus of Washington University, March 24, 1967, in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1970
London, United Kingdom
American singer and musician Paul Simon leaves the artist's entrance with music promoter Tito Burns after performing on stage with Art Garfunkel as Simon & Garfunkel at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 5th May 1970. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1972
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
American singers and musicians Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performing at 'Together with McGovern,' a fundraising concert for the presidential candidate George McGovern, Madison Square Garden, New York City. Both sing while Simon plays guitar. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1974
Tokyo, Japan
Paul Simon at a press conference, with a plaque for Most Outstanding Contribution for CBS/SONY, April 1st, 1974, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1975
222 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, and Roberta Flack pose together backstage at the Grammy Awards, Uris Theater, New York City. Garfunkel and Simon both hold Grammy trophies. (Photo by Tim Boxer/Hulton Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1977
2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566, United States
Popular American musician Paul Simon plays guitar on stage during the 1977 'New Spirit' Inaugural Concert at the Kennedy Center, Washington DC, January 19, 1977. The event, a variety show featuring a number of performers and speakers, celebrated Jimmy Carter's inauguration and was broadcast on the CBS television network. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1977
London, United Kingdom
Simon and Garfunkel during rehearsals for a television program, London, 1977. (Photo by Tom Sheehan/Sony Music Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1978
London, United Kingdom
Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon (Photo by Tom Wargacki)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1980
London, United Kingdom
American pop singer and songwriter Paul Simon performing in London, during a series of solo concerts with a backing band and chorus. During the previous four years, he was involved in a film, 'One Trick Pony', which he wrote and starred in.
Gallery of Paul Simon
1981
New York, NY, United States
Paul Simon performing with Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park in New York City on September 9, 1981. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1982
London, United Kingdom
Simon and Garfunkel being interviewed by the Press, London, circa 1982. (Photo by Terry Lott/Sony Music Archive)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1982
London, Wembley HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
American musicians Art Garfunkel (L) and Paul Simon of the folk duo Simon and Garfunkel perform during a reunion concert at Wembley Stadium, London. (Photo by Express)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1983
Per Henrik Lings Allé 2, 2100 København, Denmark
American folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel arriving for a concert performance at Idraetsparken Copenhagen, Denmark, 1983. (Photo by Jan Persson)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1983
New York City, NY, United States
Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon circa 1983 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Platzer)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1983
350 Central Park West, New York, NY 10025, United States
Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher Wedding - August 16, 1983, at Paul Simon's Central Park West Apartment in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by The LIFE Picture Collection)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1986
London, United Kingdom
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel pictured being interviewed in London in September 1986. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1986
New York City, NY, United States
Albert Mazibuko, Paul Simon and Joseph Shabalala at a news conference announcing the release of Simon's 'Graceland' album in New York City on August 25, 1986. Mazibuko and Shabalala are members of the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who back Simon on the recording. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1987
London, United Kingdom
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel posed with four musicians, all holding gold discs of Paul Simon's album Graceland, on which they contributed, London, 1987. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Gallery of Paul Simon
1988
2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, United States
Actor Jack Nicholson Singer Paul Simon with Actor Warren Beatty and Comedian David Brenner (Center background) next to unknown female in a red dress at Tyson vs Holmes Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey January 22, 1988. (Photo by Jeffrey Asher)
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1990
Musical guest Paul Simon performs on November 17, 1990 (Photo by Raymond Bonar)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2001
1205 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116, United States
Paul Simon performs on stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 04, 2001. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2009
811 7th Avenue, W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Singer/songwriters Paul Simon and Willie Nelson attend the 2009 Children's Health Fund benefit at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on May 27, 2009, in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2010
1335 6th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
Singer/songwriter Paul Simon performs at the 2010 Children's Health Fund Benefit Gala at The Hilton New York on June 2, 2010, in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2010
1751 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70119, United States
Singers Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel perform at the 41st Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell Fair Grounds Race Course on April 24, 2010, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by C Flanigan/FilmMagic)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2011
Pilton, Shepton Mallet BA4 4EE, United Kingdom
Paul Simon performs live on the pyramid stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2011, in Glastonbury, England. The festival, which started in 1970 when several hundred hippies paid 1 GBP to attend, has grown into Europe's largest music festival attracting more than 175,000 people over five days. (Photo by Ian Gavan)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2016
3601 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19148, United States
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon performs onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2016
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
Paul Simon performs at Royal Albert Hall on November 7, 2016, in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2017
1701 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, United States
Edie Brickell, Ray Benson and Paul Simon perform in concert during the "Texas Strong: Hurricane Harvey Can't Mess With Texas" benefit at The Frank Erwin Center on September 22, 2017, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller)
Gallery of Paul Simon
2018
Stamford, Connecticut, United States
Singer and songwriter Paul Simon plays "The Sound of Silence" alongside a student protester during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018, in Stamford, Connecticut. More than 800 March for Our Lives events, organized by survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting on February 14 that left 17 dead, are taking place around the world to call for legislative action to address school safety and gun violence. (Photo by John Moore)
Gallery of Paul Simon
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Paul Simon, famous for his earlier partnership with Art Garfunkel as Simon & Garfunkel.
Gallery of Paul Simon
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon. Famous for their composition 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters.' (Photo by Hulton Archive)
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Portrait of singer/songwriter Paul Simon. (Photo by Ted Thai)
Gallery of Paul Simon
Actress Carrie Fisher (C) w. boyfriend, singer/songwriter Paul Simon (L), and father, singer Eddie Fisher (R). (Photo by David Mcgough/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection)
Gallery of Paul Simon
Singer/songwriter Paul Simon and wife, actress Carrie Fisher. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection)
Gallery of Paul Simon
Posed portrait of Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon, (Photo by RB)
Gallery of Paul Simon
Posed portrait of Paul Simon with toys (Photo by RB/Redferns)
Achievements
1987
Paul Simon's on the Rolling Stone Cover.
Membership
Children's Health Fund
1987
Awards
Brit Awards
1987
London, United Kingdom
Paul Simon collects the award for the best international solo artist while simultaneously winning a bet that there was no way he’d wear those glasses on stage.
Grammy Awards
1987
Paul Simon, Grammy Awards 01 May 1987.
MusiCares Person of the Year by the Grammy Awards
2001
Paul Simon Named the 2001 MusiCares Person of the Year by the Grammy Awards.
Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award
2003
811 7th Avenue, W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon during The 45th Annual Grammy Awards - Nominee Reception and Special Awards Ceremony at Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers.
American folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel (Art Garfunkel [L] and Paul Simon) performing on a studio sound stage during a rehearsal. Garfunkel slaps his leg while Simon plays the guitar. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
Pop duo Simon and Garfunkel, comprising (L-R) singer, Art Garfunkel and singer-songwriter, Paul Simon, performing on ITV's 'Ready, Steady, Go!', July 8, 1966. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
American clown, actor, and television host Red Skelton (left) talks to folk-pop musicians Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon (right), of the duo Simon and Garfunkel, on the CBS variety program 'The Red Skelton Hour,' August 22, 1966. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive)
Singer/songwriter Paul Simon (right) and singer Art Garfunkel of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel in a Columbia Records publicity still circa 1967 1966 in New York, New York. (Photo by Columbia Records/Michael Ochs Archive)
1 Brookings Dr, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon and American singer Art Garfunkel, together as folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, appear for a performance on the campus of Washington University, March 24, 1967, in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg)
American Folk and Pop singer Art Garfunkel (fore, left) talks with an unidentified woman as, in between them, his musical partner Paul Simon, in a hooded parka, and others watch, New York, 1967. An unidentified person films the conversation. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis)
View of American Folk and Pop singers Art Garfunkel (left) and Paul Simon, who perform as the duo Simon and Garfunkel, walk beside Central Park, New York, 1967. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis)
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon and American singer Art Garfunkel, together as folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, appear for a performance on the campus of Washington University, March 24, 1967, in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Hochberg)
American singer and musician Paul Simon leaves the artist's entrance with music promoter Tito Burns after performing on stage with Art Garfunkel as Simon & Garfunkel at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 5th May 1970. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive)
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001, United States
American singers and musicians Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performing at 'Together with McGovern,' a fundraising concert for the presidential candidate George McGovern, Madison Square Garden, New York City. Both sing while Simon plays guitar. (Photo by Hulton Archive)
Paul Simon at a press conference, with a plaque for Most Outstanding Contribution for CBS/SONY, April 1st, 1974, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music)
Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, and Roberta Flack pose together backstage at the Grammy Awards, Uris Theater, New York City. Garfunkel and Simon both hold Grammy trophies. (Photo by Tim Boxer/Hulton Archive)
Popular American musician Paul Simon plays guitar on stage during the 1977 'New Spirit' Inaugural Concert at the Kennedy Center, Washington DC, January 19, 1977. The event, a variety show featuring a number of performers and speakers, celebrated Jimmy Carter's inauguration and was broadcast on the CBS television network. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive)
American pop singer and songwriter Paul Simon performing in London, during a series of solo concerts with a backing band and chorus. During the previous four years, he was involved in a film, 'One Trick Pony', which he wrote and starred in.
American musicians Art Garfunkel (L) and Paul Simon of the folk duo Simon and Garfunkel perform during a reunion concert at Wembley Stadium, London. (Photo by Express)
350 Central Park West, New York, NY 10025, United States
Paul Simon and Carrie Fisher Wedding - August 16, 1983, at Paul Simon's Central Park West Apartment in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by The LIFE Picture Collection)
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel pictured being interviewed in London in September 1986. (Photo by Michael Putland)
Albert Mazibuko, Paul Simon and Joseph Shabalala at a news conference announcing the release of Simon's 'Graceland' album in New York City on August 25, 1986. Mazibuko and Shabalala are members of the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who back Simon on the recording. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)
Paul Simon collects the award for the best international solo artist while simultaneously winning a bet that there was no way he’d wear those glasses on stage.
American singer-songwriter Paul Simon of folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel posed with four musicians, all holding gold discs of Paul Simon's album Graceland, on which they contributed, London, 1987. (Photo by Michael Putland)
2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, United States
Actor Jack Nicholson Singer Paul Simon with Actor Warren Beatty and Comedian David Brenner (Center background) next to unknown female in a red dress at Tyson vs Holmes Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey January 22, 1988. (Photo by Jeffrey Asher)
1205 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116, United States
Paul Simon performs on stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 04, 2001. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
811 7th Avenue, W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Singer/songwriters Paul Simon and Willie Nelson attend the 2009 Children's Health Fund benefit at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers on May 27, 2009, in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
Singer/songwriter Paul Simon performs at the 2010 Children's Health Fund Benefit Gala at The Hilton New York on June 2, 2010, in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
1751 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70119, United States
Singers Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel perform at the 41st Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell Fair Grounds Race Course on April 24, 2010, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by C Flanigan/FilmMagic)
Paul Simon performs live on the pyramid stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2011, in Glastonbury, England. The festival, which started in 1970 when several hundred hippies paid 1 GBP to attend, has grown into Europe's largest music festival attracting more than 175,000 people over five days. (Photo by Ian Gavan)
3601 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19148, United States
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon performs onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla)
1701 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, United States
Edie Brickell, Ray Benson and Paul Simon perform in concert during the "Texas Strong: Hurricane Harvey Can't Mess With Texas" benefit at The Frank Erwin Center on September 22, 2017, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller)
Singer and songwriter Paul Simon plays "The Sound of Silence" alongside a student protester during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018, in Stamford, Connecticut. More than 800 March for Our Lives events, organized by survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting on February 14 that left 17 dead, are taking place around the world to call for legislative action to address school safety and gun violence. (Photo by John Moore)
By 1956, Garfunkel and Simon's high school talent show performance made them famous in the neighborhood, and the two took on the personas of Tom Graph and Jerry Landis.
Garfunkel (right), who often hunched over to level out their height difference, was blessed with good looks. Simon's dependence on Garfunkel on stage 'put kerosene in Paul's veins.'
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel became friends, walking together to school, smoking cigarettes, singing doo-wop songs by the school's flagpole at lunchtime, and flirting with girls.
Actress Carrie Fisher (C) w. boyfriend, singer/songwriter Paul Simon (L), and father, singer Eddie Fisher (R). (Photo by David Mcgough/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection)
(A landmark compilation of popular music, this collection ...)
A landmark compilation of popular music, this collection contains Paul Simon’s lyrics from his first album in 1964 to the present, now with 2016’s Stranger to Stranger.
(Woody Allen is in prime form in this celebrated comedy an...)
Woody Allen is in prime form in this celebrated comedy and 1977 Best Picture Oscar-winner in which he portrays a highly neurotic comedy writer who falls head-over-heels in love with a naive small-town girl (Diane Keaton) who aspires to be a singer.
(Horace & Pete run a small family bar in the heart of Broo...)
Horace & Pete run a small family bar in the heart of Brooklyn, with the help of their Uncle Pete. The bar has always been run by, & passed down to, a Horace & a Pete, cousins or brothers. The story unfolds over ten episodes, and takes place in the bar, & in the apartment above the bar. Ultimately it is a story of a family and the struggles & laughs that go into running a bar for generations.
Paul Simon is an iconic figure in American rock music. He is one of the most successful and respected songwriters of the rock era. He is known for his work as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, and for his long-running success as a solo artist.
Background
Paul Simon was born on October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey, United States. His father, Louis Simon was a college professor, double bass player, and dance bandleader who performed under the name "Lee Sims." His mother, Belle Simon, was an elementary school teacher. In 1945, his family moved to the Kew Gardens Hills section of Flushing, Queens, in New York City.
Paul grew up with a passion for baseball and music, particularly jazz and folk, and as he entered his teens, he developed a taste for the doo-wop and R&B sounds that were a staple of Alan Freed's radio broadcasts, as well as first-generation rockabillies such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. When Simon was 11 years old, he met Art Garfunkel, and the two became fast friends who discovered they shared an interest in music.
Education
At Forest Hills High School, Simon and Garfunkel formed a duo called "Tom and Jerry," choosing pseudonyms to avoid sounding too Jewish. They would occasionally perform at school dances, but spent their free time in New York City at the famous Brill Building, pitching Simon as a songwriter and the duo as demo singers, for which they’d get paid $15 a song. In 1957, they pooled together the money to cut a single, "Hey Schoolgirl," and had their first hit at the age of 15.
After graduating from Forest Hills High School, Simon majored in English at Queens College and graduated in 1963. Simon earned a degree in English literature, and briefly attended Brooklyn Law School for one semester after graduation in 1963, but his real passion was rock and roll.
To make extra money, Simon continued doing demos and offering his services to producers, which is where he learned how to work in the studio, and how to handle the business side of the music industry, both of which would become invaluable.
Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote, recorded, and released more than 30 songs, occasionally uniting with Garfunkel as Tom & Jerry for some singles. Most of the songs Simon recorded during that time were performed alone or with musicians other than Garfunkel. They were released on several minor record labels, such as Amy, Big, Hunt, King, Tribute, and Madison. He used several pseudonyms for these recordings, including Jerry Landis, Paul Kane, and True Taylor.
Simon came to London to pursue a solo career, but only stayed a few days because he wanted to go to Paris. While in the UK, Simon co-wrote several songs with Bruce Woodley of the Australian pop group the Seekers, including "I Wish You Could Be Here," "Cloudy," and "Red Rubber Ball." Simon also contributed to the Seekers catalog with "Someday One Day," which was released in March 1966, charting around the same time as Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound."
After Simon and Garfunkel split in 1970, Simon began writing and recording solo material again. His album Paul Simon was released in January 1972, preceded by his first experiment with world music, the Jamaican-inspired "Mother and Child Reunion", at the time one of the few songs by a non-Jamaican musician to use prominent elements of reggae. Simon's next project was the pop-folk album, There Goes Rhymin' Simon, released in May 1973. It contained some of his most popular recordings.
In 1980 he released One-Trick Pony, his debut album with Warner Bros. Records and his first in almost five years. In the late 1990s, Simon wrote and produced a Broadway musical called The Capeman, which lost $11 million during its 1998 run.
In 1999 Simon teamed with Bob Dylan for a summer tour in the United States. The concert series, which ended Simon's eight-year absence from the road, marked the first time the two performers formally worked together. Later that year Simon continued on a solo tour, and in 2000 released "You’re the One," an understated and introspective album that was a departure from the expansive sound of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints.
On February 5, 2018, Simon announced his retirement from performing in a letter to fans, citing time away from family and the death of longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini as key factors. At the same time, it was announced that he embarked on his farewell concert tour on May 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena.
Simon, who comes from a Jewish background, does not describe himself as religious but told that spiritual things are "part of my thoughts on a fairly regular basis. I think of it more as a spiritual feeling. It's something I recognize in myself and that I enjoy, and I don't quite understand it."
Simon has engaged in conversations about spiritual issues with several prominent people of faith, including the Dalai Lama.
Politics
Though Paul's not overly vocal about his views, he isn’t completely out of the game either. He's a lifelong Democrat, supporting such Democrats through history as Michael Dukakis and Hillary Clinton and, over the years, giving over $49,000 to Democrats and Democrat support organizations.
Views
Simon co-founded the Children's Health Fund with pediatrician Dr. Irwin Redlener and launched a mobile medical clinic to bring healthcare to homeless children in New York City. Today, Children’s Health Fund has a fleet of 50 medical, dental and mental health clinics on wheels. Working in partnership with local hospitals or community health centers, the Children’s Health Fund has provided health care to hundreds of thousands of poor and indigent children in urban and rural locations across America. With its mobile clinics, the Children’s Health Fund has also responded to the need for urgent medical care for communities devastated by Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Sandy. A voice for the country’s most vulnerable children, Children’s Health Fund has been a powerful advocate for expanding the safety net for children in poverty and is currently collaborating with government and schools to ensure that all children are healthy and ready to learn so at-risk kids have a chance for success at school and in life.
Simon has also raised millions of dollars for charitable causes such as amfAR, The Nature Conservancy, The Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa, Autism Speaks and The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation. He also sits on the honorary board of Little Kids Rock, which supports free musical education in public schools.
Quotations:
"Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die."
"I really wonder what would happen to my creative impulses, which seem to come on a regular basis; every three, four years they manifest themselves. And by habit, they manifest themselves as songs. But this is really the decision of a 13-year-old. Me, who said, at 13, 'No, I want to write songs.' So I'm doing it 60 years later. This 13-year-old is still telling me what to do."
"Hello, darkness my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again."
"All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."
"I've got nothing to do today but smile."
"My life so common it disappears and sometimes even music cannot substitute for tears."
"You want to be a writer, don't know how or when? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen."
"I don't consider myself to be a major talent, so the only solace I can take is to hope I'm growing."
"Having a track record to live up to and the history of successes had become a hindrance. It becomes harder to break out of what people expect you to do."
"I would be willing to do almost anything to make Art happy. I care about our friendship. The only thing I won't do is change the essence of my work."
"The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenements halls and whispered in the sounds of silence."
"Without Arthur's voice, I never would have enjoyed that success."
"We had many more points of agreement than we had points of difference, but we did differ, and the bigger we got, the more insistent we got that each one of us should have his way."
"If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's what I'm looking for because if you get pompous, you lose everything."
"I don't feel any pressure from fans. But I'm always in some kind of state of emotional turmoil. I would not describe myself as happy-go-lucky. That's not to say that I'm not happy."
Membership
Children's Health Fund
,
United States
1987 - present
Personality
Simon loved the "effortless" sound of Chuck Berry's words and he admits that he borrowed heavily from Berry's lyrical stylings as he was working to develop his own voice as a singer/songwriter.
Crafting material into living breathing songs is where Simon really thrives. He says that he loves working with sounds and rhythms in search of the "abstract" moments that if they hit the mark, create "thoughts and feelings."
Paul got sucked into the business at age 15 and after only a few years, he was making demos of lots of songs for other people, including Burt Bacharach. Sometimes, Simon would handle all aspects of the demo, recording all of the instruments himself in addition to singing the necessary vocals.
Physical Characteristics:
Paul is left-handed, but plays guitar right-handed.
Interests
Song writing
Politicians
Michael Dukakis, Hillary Clinton
Artists
Eric Fischl, Steve Martin, Loren Michaels, Mike Nichols
Sport & Clubs
Baseball
Music & Bands
Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry
Connections
Simon has been married three times, first to Peggy Harper in 1969. They had a son Harper Simon in 1972 and divorced in 1975. His second marriage, from 1983 to 1984, was to actress and author Carrie Fisher to whom he proposed after a New York Yankees game. He is now married to singer Edie Brickell whom he married on May 30, 1992. They have three children: Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel.
1969 - "Mrs. Robinson" - Record of the Year
1969 - "Mrs. Robinson" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
1969 - The Graduate - Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Record of the Year
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Song of the Year
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Best Contemporary Song
1971 - Bridge over Troubled Water - Album of the Year
1971 - Bridge over Troubled Water - Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1976 - Still Crazy After All These Years - Album of the Year
1976 - Still Crazy After All These Years - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
1987 - Graceland - Album of the Year
1988 - "Graceland" - Record of the Year
1969 - "Mrs. Robinson" - Record of the Year
1969 - "Mrs. Robinson" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
1969 - The Graduate - Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Record of the Year
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Song of the Year
1971 - "Bridge over Troubled Water" - Best Contemporary Song
1971 - Bridge over Troubled Water - Album of the Year
1971 - Bridge over Troubled Water - Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
1976 - Still Crazy After All These Years - Album of the Year
1976 - Still Crazy After All These Years - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance