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Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Thing to Do" (No. 17), " Haven't Got Time for the Pain" (No. 14), " You Belong to Me" (No. 6), " Coming Around Again" (No. 18), and her four
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
-certified singles " You're So Vain" (No. 1), " Mockingbird" (No. 5, a duet with
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
), " Nobody Does It Better" (No. 2) from the 1977
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film '' The Spy Who Loved Me'', and " Jesse" (No. 11). She has authored two memoirs and five children's books. In 1963, Simon began performing with her sister Lucy Simon as
the Simon Sisters The Simon Sisters was a folk music sister duo consisting of Carly Simon and Lucy Simon. They released three albums between 1964–1969 before Lucy left to get married. Lucy had a minor solo career and released two albums in the 1970s before find ...
. The duo released three albums, beginning with '' Meet the Simon Sisters'', which featured the song " Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod". Based on the poem by
Eugene Field Eugene Field Sr. (September 2, 1850 – November 4, 1895) was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. He was known as the "poet of childhood". Early life and education Field was born in St. Louis, Missouri ...
and put to music by Lucy, the song became a minor hit and reached No. 73 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. After Lucy left the group, Carly found great success as a solo artist with her 1971 self-titled debut album, which won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and spawned her first Top 10 single "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
" (No. 10), which earned her a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
. Simon's second album, '' Anticipation'', followed later that year and became an even greater success; it spawned the successful singles "Anticipation" and "
Legend in Your Own Time "Legend in Your Own Time" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon, from her 1971 album ''Anticipation''. It was issued as the second single from the album, following "Anticipation". It did not achieve the same level of popular success as ...
", earned her another Grammy nomination, and became her first album to be certified Gold by the RIAA. Simon achieved international fame with her third album, '' No Secrets'' (1972), which sat at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 for five weeks and was certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
. The album spawned the worldwide hit "You're So Vain", which sat at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks, and earned Simon three Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The second single "The Right Thing to Do", as well as its B-side "
We Have No Secrets "The Right Thing to Do" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon that first appeared on her 1972 album '' No Secrets''. The song was recorded at Trident Studios in London's Soho. It was released as the second single to the album, following ...
", were also successful. Her fourth album, '' Hotcakes'' (1974), soon followed and became an instant success; it reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200, went Gold within two weeks of release, and spawned the hit singles "Mockingbird" and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain". In 1975, Simon's fifth album, ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'', and the compilation, ''
The Best of Carly Simon ''The Best of Carly Simon'' is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's first greatest hits album, released by Elektra Records, on November 24, 1975. Covering the first five years of her career, the compilation includes eight top 20 hit singles from her f ...
'', both appeared; the former hit the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and spawned the hit single "
Attitude Dancing "Attitude Dancing" is a song written by Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman, performed by Simon and produced by Richard Perry. The song served as lead single from Simon's fifth studio album, ''Playing Possum'' (1975). The single became a Top 40 hit, pe ...
" (No. 21), and the latter eventually went 3× Platinum, becoming Simon's best-selling release. In 1977, Simon recorded "Nobody Does It Better" as the theme song to the Bond film ''The Spy Who Loved Me'', and it became a worldwide hit. The song garnered her another Grammy nomination, and was the No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit of 1977. Retrospectively, it has been ranked one of the greatest Bond themes. Simon began recording more songs for films in the 1980s, including "Coming Around Again" for the film ''
Heartburn Heartburn, also known as pyrosis, cardialgia or acid indigestion, is a burning sensation in the central chest or upper central abdomen. Heartburn is usually due to regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux) into the esophagus. It is the ...
'' (1986). The song became a major Adult Contemporary hit, and the '' Coming Around Again'' album appeared the following year, to further critical acclaim and commercial success. The album earned Simon another Grammy nomination, went Platinum, and spawned three more Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit singles: " Give Me All Night", " The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of", and " All I Want Is You". With her 1988 hit " Let the River Run", from the film '' Working Girl'', Simon became the first artist to win a Grammy Award, an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
for a song composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist. One of the most popular of the confessional singer/songwriters who emerged in the early 1970s, Simon has 24 ''Billboard'' Hot 100-charting singles and 28 ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary charting singles. Among her various accolades, she has won two Grammy Awards (from 14 nominations), and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "You're So Vain" in 2004.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
called her "one of the quintessential singer-songwriters of the '70s". She has a
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
vocal range, and cited Odetta as a significant influence. Simon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994. She was honored with the Boston Music Awards Lifetime Achievement in 1995, and received a Berklee College of Music Honorary Doctor of Music Degree in 1998. In 2005, Simon was nominated for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but she has yet to claim her star. In 2012, she was honored with the Founders Award from the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
. On November 5, 2022, Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


Early life

Simon was born on June 25, 1943 in New York City. Her father,
Richard L. Simon Richard Leo Simon (March 6, 1899 – July 29, 1960) was an American book publisher. He was a Columbia University graduate, co-founder of the publishing house Simon & Schuster, and father of singer-songwriter Carly Simon. Early life Richard Leo ...
, was the co-founder of
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
and a classical pianist who often played Chopin and
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
at home. Her mother, Andrea ( Heinemann), a
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
activist and singer. Her father was from a German-Jewish family, while her mother was Catholic. Her maternal grandfather, Friedrich Heinemann, was of German descent; her maternal grandmother, Ofelia Oliete, known as "Chibie", was a Catholic originally from
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
, and was of
Pardo ''Pardos'' (feminine ''pardas'') is a term used in the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the triracial descendants of Southern Europeans, Amerindians and West Africans. In some places they were defined as ne ...
heritage, a freed-slave descendant. Ofelia was raised primarily in England by nuns until the age of 16. A 2017 episode of PBS show '' Finding Your Roots'' tested Simon's DNA, which included 10% African and 2% Native American, likely via her maternal grandmother. Simon was raised in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, and had two elder sisters, Joanna and Lucy, and a younger brother, Peter, all of whom died of cancer, predeceasing her. They were raised as nominal
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
s, according to a book of photography Peter published in the late 1990s. Simon has stated that when she was seven years old, a family friend in his teens sexually assaulted her. She stated, "It was heinous", adding, "It changed my view about sex for a long time." Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old. A psychiatrist tried unsuccessfully to cure her stuttering. Instead, Simon turned to singing and songwriting. "I felt so strangulated talking that I did the natural thing, which is to write songs, because I could sing without stammering, as all stammerers can." She has also spoken about growing up with dyslexia as well as her belief that the condition has positively influenced her songwriting, saying that her hit song '' Anticipation'' "came down from the universe into my head and then out my mouth, so it bypassed the mind." Simon attended Riverdale Country School and spent at least four semesters at
Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sarah Lawrence scholarship, particularly ...
. She also attended Juilliard School of Music.


Career


1963-1969: The Simon Sisters

Simon's career began with a music group with her sister Lucy Simon as
the Simon Sisters The Simon Sisters was a folk music sister duo consisting of Carly Simon and Lucy Simon. They released three albums between 1964–1969 before Lucy left to get married. Lucy had a minor solo career and released two albums in the 1970s before find ...
, with Lucy singing soprano and Carly
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
. Signed to Kapp Records, they made their television debut performing on '' Hootenanny'' on April 27, 1963. They released two albums for the label; the first being '' Meet the Simon Sisters'' (1964), which produced a minor hit for the duo with the single " Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod", a children's poem by
Eugene Field Eugene Field Sr. (September 2, 1850 – November 4, 1895) was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. He was known as the "poet of childhood". Early life and education Field was born in St. Louis, Missouri ...
that Lucy had put to music. Their second album, '' Cuddlebug'' (1966), soon followed. These albums were made available on CD in 2006 as '' Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod: The Kapp Recordings'', a remastered limited edition single-disc compilation. The duo made one more album together, 1969's ''
The Simon Sisters Sing the Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children ''The Simon Sisters Sing The Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children'' is the third and final studio album by the Simon Sisters, released by Columbia Records, in 1969. The album features musical settings of classic children's poetry. ...
'' (which was released on CD in 2008 under the title ''Carly & Lucy Simon Sing Songs for Children''). Later, Simon collaborated with eclectic New York rockers Elephant's Memory for about six months.


1970-1971: Going solo and mainstream success

Simon was signed by Jac Holzman to Elektra Records in 1970. She released her self-titled debut album on February 9, 1971, and it peaked at No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album contained her breakthrough hit "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
", which peaked at No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop singles (Hot 100) chart, and earned Simon a nomination for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards, where she also won Best New Artist. In his review of the album for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', Timothy Crouse stated "Carly's voice perfectly matches her material" and her "...superbly controlled voice is complemented by deft arrangements." Her second album, '' Anticipation'', came in November of that same year. Like its predecessor, the album peaked at No. 30, and earned Simon a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards. Writing in ''Rolling Stone'', Stephen Davis gave a glowing review of the album, calling the title track "a spirited examination of the tensions involved in a burgeoning romantic situation in which ''nobody has any idea'' of what's going on or what's going to happen." He also singled out the tracks "Our First Day Together"; calling it "a quiet song, lovely and quite enigmatic, with a trace of the minor chord influence of Joni Mitchell," and "I've Got To Have You"; calling it "an absolute clincher". The album's lead single, also titled " Anticipation", became a significant hit, reaching No. 3 at Easy Listening radio and No. 13 on ''Billboard's'' Pop singles chart. It subsequently became notable in popular culture for its use in a variety of commercials to market the ketchup of the H. J. Heinz Company. The single was written in 15 minutes while Simon waited for Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date. The pair had become romantically involved shortly after Simon had opened for Stevens at L.A.'s Troubadour around the time her debut album was released. The next single release, "
Legend in Your Own Time "Legend in Your Own Time" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon, from her 1971 album ''Anticipation''. It was issued as the second single from the album, following "Anticipation". It did not achieve the same level of popular success as ...
", made a more modest impact on the Pop singles chart, peaking at No. 50. It was very successful on the Easy Listening chart, nearly cracking the top 10 at No. 11. The closing song, "I've Got to Have You" (written by Kris Kristofferson), was released as a single in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and reached the Top 10 of the Australian charts in 1972. Also in 1971, Simon appeared as an auditioning singer in
Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech and American film director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the United States in 1968. Forman ...
film '' Taking Off'', performing "Long Term Physical Effects", which was also included on the soundtrack album for the film.


1972-1974: ''No Secrets'', "You're So Vain", and ''Hotcakes''

Simon scored the biggest success of her career in 1972–73 with " You're So Vain". The single hit No. 1 on the U.S. Pop and
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
charts, and sold over a million copies in the United States alone. It was one of the decade's biggest hits and propelled Simon's breakthrough album: '' No Secrets'', to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks. The album achieved
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
status that year, and by its 25th anniversary in 1997, it had been certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
. "You're So Vain" received nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the
16th Annual Grammy Awards The 16th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1973. Award winners * Record of the Year **Joel Dorn (producer) & Roberta Flack f ...
, where ''No Secrets'' also earned a nomination for Best Engineered Recording. Additionally, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004 and was listed at No. 72 in 2008 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100's list of the top 100 songs from the chart's first 50 years, August 1958 through July 2008. On August 23, 2014, the UK Official Charts Company gave it the accolade of 'ultimate song of the 1970s'. In 2021, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it No. 495 on their list of the
500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine '' Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 i ...
. The subject of the "You're So Vain" song itself became one of the biggest mysteries in popular music, with the famous lyric "You're so vain/I bet you think this song is about you". For more than 40 years, Simon has not publicly revealed the name of the subject. She hinted that it could be a composite of several people, with most press speculation considering
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
, who sings backup vocals on the recording, and Warren Beatty. Simon hinted the identity to a variety of talk shows and publications over the years, and, on August 5, 2003, auctioned off the information to the winner of a charity function for US$50,000, with the condition that the winner, television executive Dick Ebersol, not reveal it. Finally, in November 2015, Simon, promoting her about-to-be-published memoir, said, "I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren" and added that while "Warren thinks the whole thing is about him", he is the subject only of that verse, with the remainder of the song referring to two other, still unnamed men. The follow-up single, " The Right Thing to Do" (a love song directed to Simon's then husband
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
), was another sizable hit later in 1973, reaching No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 17 on the Pop chart. The single's B-side, "
We Have No Secrets "The Right Thing to Do" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon that first appeared on her 1972 album '' No Secrets''. The song was recorded at Trident Studios in London's Soho. It was released as the second single to the album, following ...
", also became noteworthy: ''Rolling Stone'' critic Stephen Holden regarded the track as exemplifying the theme of ''No Secrets'', which he saw as the "difficulty of being happy," by "painfully" expressing "the realization that emotion and rationalization are often irreconcilable." That same year, Simon performed on
Lee Clayton Lee Clayton (born Billy Schatz; October 29, 1942June 12, 2023) was an American songwriter and musician. He notably wrote Waylon Jennings' 1972 outlaw country song "Ladies Love Outlaws". Biography Clayton grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and ...
's album ''Lee Clayton'' and co-sang on the song "New York Suite 409" and on brother-in-law Livingston Taylor's album '' Over the Rainbow'' and sang with both Livingston and his famous brother James Taylor on the songs "Loving Be My New Horizon" and " Pretty Woman". In 1974, Simon followed the hugely successful ''No Secrets'' album with '' Hotcakes'', which became an instant hit. It reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200, remained on the chart for nearly eight months, and went Gold. ''Hotcakes'' included two top ten singles: " Mockingbird", a duet with James Taylor that peaked at No. 5 on ''Billboard's'' Pop Singles chart, and " Haven't Got Time for the Pain", which hit No. 2 on ''Billboard's'' Adult Contemporary chart. The album was also well received critically;
Jon Landau Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and rec ...
, writing in ''Rolling Stone'', stated "''Hotcakes'' is playful-sounding with some serious overtones — a balance that best suits her for the time being." He also singled out the tracks "Think I'm Gonna Have a Baby", "Forever My Love", and "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" as "substantial songs and performances, superior to almost everything else she has so far recorded." The same year, Simon provided vocals on Tom Rush's album '' Ladies Love Outlaws'' and co-sang with Rush on "No Regrets" and as backup on "Claim on Me".


1975-1977: ''Playing Possum'', "Nobody Does it Better", and continued success

Simon's ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' (1975) and '' Another Passenger'' (1976) continued her run of high-profile and generally well-received album releases. ''Playing Possum'' hit the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and garnered a successful Top 40 single with "
Attitude Dancing "Attitude Dancing" is a song written by Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman, performed by Simon and produced by Richard Perry. The song served as lead single from Simon's fifth studio album, ''Playing Possum'' (1975). The single became a Top 40 hit, pe ...
", as well as two other charting singles, but its racy album cover, which depicts Simon wearing only a black negligee and knee-high black boots, generated controversy. It was nominated for Best Album Package at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards. In 1991, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it No. 20 on their list of the 100 greatest album covers. Shortly after the release of ''Playing Possom'', Elektra released her first greatest hits album, ''
The Best of Carly Simon ''The Best of Carly Simon'' is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's first greatest hits album, released by Elektra Records, on November 24, 1975. Covering the first five years of her career, the compilation includes eight top 20 hit singles from her f ...
''. A major success, it went Gold within three weeks of release, and eventually became Simon's all-time best-selling disc, reaching Triple-Platinum status in the United States by the mid-1990s. The album also went Gold in Canada and Quintuple-Platinum in Australia. ''Another Passenger'' produced only one charting single on the ''Billboard'' Pop singles chart, " It Keeps You Runnin' (written by Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers), which peaked just outside the Top 40 at No. 46. The second single, "Half A Chance", only charted on the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at No. 39. Despite the lukewarm commercial reception, the album was, and remains one of Simon's best reviewed works; ''Rolling Stone'' called it "Carly Simon's best record", and it became a favorite among many of Simon's fans. To promote the album, Simon made her only appearance on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'', on May 8, 1976. It was a pre-taped performance—a rare occurrence on that show—because she suffered terrible bouts of stage fright. In the appearance, she sang two songs: "Half A Chance", and her signature song, "You're So Vain". That same year saw Simon contributing backup vocals on the song "Peter" on
Peter Ivers Peter Scott Ivers (born Peter Scott Rose, September 20, 1946 – March 3, 1983) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and television personality. He was the host of the experimental music television show ''New Wave Theatre''. Despite Ive ...
's album ''Peter Ivers''. In 1977, Simon had an international hit with the million-selling Gold single " Nobody Does It Better", the theme to the ''
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
'' film '' The Spy Who Loved Me''. The song, her second-biggest U.S. hit after "You're So Vain", was 1977's biggest Adult Contemporary hit, where it held No. 1 for seven straight weeks. The single peaked one step behind Debby Boone's hugely successful hit " You Light Up My Life" on ''Billboard''s Pop Singles chart from October 22 to November 5, 1977 and received nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2012, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it the third-greatest ''James Bond'' theme song, while '' Billboard'' ranked it the second-greatest. In 2021, ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' crowned it the greatest ''James Bond'' Theme Song. Also in 1977, Simon co-produced Libby Titus's album ''Libby Titus'', and sang backup on two songs: "Can This Be Our Love Affair?" and "Darkness 'Til Dawn", the later which comes from Simon's album ''Another Passenger''.


1978-1979: ''Boys in the Trees'', MUSE concerts, and departure from Elektra

Simon's career took another upward swing in 1978 with the Top 10 album ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
''. The album produced two Top 40 singles: the jazzy and sensual " You Belong to Me" (written with Michael McDonald), which hit the Top 10 on both the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts, and " Devoted to You", a duet with James Taylor which hit No. 2 on ''Billboard's'' Adult Contemporary chart. ''Boys in the Trees'' was a major success, and returned Simon to Platinum album status in the U.S. "You Belong to Me" later earned Simon yet another nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the
21st Annual Grammy Awards The 21st Annual Grammy Awards were held in 1979, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1978. Award winners *Record of the Year **Phil Ramone (producer) & Billy Joel for " Jus ...
, where the album also won Best Album Package. She was featured on the front covers of ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines that year. Also in 1978, Simon and Taylor sang backing vocals on two songs for Taylor's sister Kate's album ''
Kate Taylor Kate Taylor (born August 15, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. She is the younger (and only) sister of renowned singer-songwriter James Taylor, a six-time Grammy winner. Biography Taylor was born ...
'': "Happy Birthday Sweet Darling" and "Jason & Ida". They sang backup on three songs on John Hall's debut solo album '' John Hall'': "The Fault", "Good Enough", and "Voyagers". They also sing backup on one song, "Power", from Hall's next album, also titled '' Power'' (1979). On November 2, 1978, Simon guested on the song "I Live in the Woods" at a live, four-hour concert by Burt Bacharach and the Houston Symphony Orchestra at Jones Hall in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
, Texas. All the songs at that concert became Bacharach's album '' Woman'', which was released in 1979. That year, shortly after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, from September 19 to 22, a series of concerts were held at New York City's Madison Square Garden and sponsored by Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE), a group of musicians against nuclear power, co-founded by John Hall. Always politically active, Simon and James Taylor were part of the concerts which later became a documentary and concert film: ''
No Nukes Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, is an activist group founded in 1979 by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Harvey Wasserman and John Hall. The group advocates against the use of nuclear energy, forming shortly after the Th ...
'' (1980), as well as a live album of the same name (1979). In 1979, Simon released her last album for Elektra, titled '' Spy''. The album's sales were a disappointment, peaking at only No. 45 on the ''Billboard'' 200, although a hard-edged single from the album; " Vengeance", became a modest hit and received airplay on U.S. album rock stations, and peaked at No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' Pop singles chart. '' Cash Box'' said that it has "an urban rock feeling, with ominous guitar chording and touches of syndrums," saying that "Simon's vocals are...sharp and bold" but "less restrained than usual." "Vengeance" earned Simon a nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female at the
21st Annual Grammy Awards The 21st Annual Grammy Awards were held in 1979, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1978. Award winners *Record of the Year **Phil Ramone (producer) & Billy Joel for " Jus ...
—the first ceremony to feature the new category. The album also features the songs "Never Been Gone" and "We're So Close", which have become fan favorites and stand among Simon's personal favorites of her own songs. ''Rolling Stone'' also singled out the track "We're So Close", calling it "the record's gem". In 2009, Simon released '' Never Been Gone'', an album which includes a newly recorded version of "Never Been Gone", along with some of her other greatest hits. From 1972 to 1979, Simon sang backup vocals on the following James Taylor songs and studio albums: "One Man Parade" from '' One Man Dog'' (1972). "Rock 'n' Roll Is Music Now", "Let It All Fall Down", "Me and My Guitar", "Daddy's Baby", and "Ain't No Song" from '' Walking Man'' (1974). " How Sweet It Is" from ''
Gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four ...
'' (1975). " Shower the People", "A Junkie's Lament", "Slow Burning Love", and "Family Man" from '' In the Pocket'' (1976). "Terra Nova" (which she co-wrote with Taylor) from '' JT'' (1977). "B.S.U.R." from '' Flag'' (1979).


1980-1985: Move to Warner Bros, "Jesse", ''Torch'', and commercial decline

In 1980, Simon signed with Elektra's sibling label Warner Bros. Records and released her ninth studio album, ''
Come Upstairs ''Come Upstairs'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on June 16, 1980. It was the first of her three albums for Warner Bros. and it has a harder, more rock-oriented sound tha ...
''. In
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Pennsylvania, during a show to promote the album, Simon collapsed onstage from exhaustion. She subsequently performed considerably less throughout the 1980s. From that album, Simon scored another million-selling U.S. Gold single with the hit " Jesse", which peaked at No. 11 on ''Billboard'' Pop singles chart and remained on the chart for six months. According to ''Billboard'', "the melody is simple yet powerful, the words are complex and Simon's voice has never been better."
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
reviewer William Ruhlmann retrospectively called the track "the album's highlight" and declared it "Simon's best-written pop/rock song since 'You're So Vain' and a Top Ten hit to boot." Ruhlmann additionally singled out the title-track as "frisky and seductive" and referred to the album's second single, "Take Me as I Am", as "an upbeat raver". Following the major commercial and critical success of "Jesse", Simon's singles became generally less successful in the mid-1980s, although most of them did well on
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
radio formats. Simon also contributed the song "Be With Me" to the 1980 album '' In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record'', which was produced by her sister Lucy and Lucy's husband, David Levine. Simon can also be heard on the song "In Harmony", along with other members of the Simon/Taylor families. Carly and Lucy contributed a Simon Sisters song—"Maryanne"—to the 1982 follow-up album ''
In Harmony 2 ''In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record'' and ''In Harmony 2'' are two compilation albums of children's music performed by various artists, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Of the two albums, only the first album charted, reaching No. 156 ...
'', which was also produced by Lucy and her husband. Both albums won the Grammy Award for Best Album for Children, in 1981 and 1983, respectively. Simon's 10th release, '' Torch'' (1981), was an album of melancholy jazz standards, recorded long before it became fashionable for rock artists to delve into the "great American songbook". It peaked outside the Top 40 on ''Billboard'' 200 (at No. 50), but remained on the charts for nearly six months and subsequently became one of her best-selling catalogue albums. The album was well-received critically: Stephen Holden, writing in ''Rolling Stone'', called the album "a gorgeous throwback", stating Simon's "magnificent alto, with its rough-and-tumble lows and wistful highs, has never sounded better." ''Torch'' also features one original song by Simon; "From the Heart", as well as
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's "Not a Day Goes By", from his then-new musical '' Merrily We Roll Along''. Also in 1981, Simon was the second female solo artist to be featured on MTV's first day of the air in her video for "Vengeance" (
Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo ('' née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum al ...
was the first female solo artist to appear on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, and Juice Newton was the third). In 1982, she sang the Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards-produced single "
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in vi ...
", from the soundtrack album to the film '' Soup for One''. It was a Top 10 hit in the U.K., and successful throughout Europe. Although "Why" stalled at No. 74 in the U.S., the song became a mellow classic in the aftermath of its being picked up to be covered and sampled by different artists from around 1989 onward. She had another UK success (No. 17) with the single " Kissing with Confidence", a song from the 1983 album ''Dancing for Mental Health'' by
Will Powers Will Powers was the stage name used by celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith when she created a self-help comedy music album. The 1983 album, entitled ''Dancing for Mental Health'', used affirmations set to music to poke fun at the self-hel ...
(a pseudonym for photographer Lynn Goldsmith). Simon was the uncredited singer of the song co-written and mixed by Todd Rundgren. In 1983, Simon released her 12th album, ''
Hello Big Man ''Hello Big Man'' is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 31, 1983. The album was Simon's last for Warner Bros. (and for what became the Warner Music Group, having also spen ...
''. Although it suffered from disappointing sales, the album received widespread critical acclaim. The lead single, "
You Know What to Do "You Know What to Do" was the second song written and recorded by George Harrison with the Beatles. It was recorded on 3 June 1964 but remained unreleased until its inclusion on the band's 1995 outtakes compilation ''Anthology 1''. Background ...
", peaked at No. 83 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and No. 36 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Simon filmed a music video for the song at her home on Martha's Vineyard, which received moderate airplay on MTV in the autumn of 1983. That same year, Simon performed on two albums: ''The Perfect Stranger'' by Jesse Colin Young (singing on the track "Fight For It" with Young) and ''Wonderland'' by
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a memb ...
(singing on the track "Lonesome Ranger" with Lofgren). In 1984, Simon made an uncredited cameo appearance in Ray Parker Jr.'s music video for " Ghostbusters", the theme song from the film of the same name. By this time, her contract with Warner Bros. had ended. In 1985, she signed with
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...
and released her 13th album, ''
Spoiled Girl ''Spoiled Girl'' is the 12th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Epic Records, in June 1985. Recorded with a variety of producers in New York, this was Simon's only album for Epic. It was commercially unsuccessful ...
''. The album yielded two singles: "
Tired of Being Blonde "Tired of Being Blonde" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon for her 12th studio album ''Spoiled Girl'' (1985) for which it served as the lead single. Background According to its composer Larry Raspberry, the song was "in ...
" and " My New Boyfriend", with only the former charting. The album was a commercial disappointment, peaking only at No. 88 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and her contract with Epic was cancelled. The album became a cult favorite within Simon's back catalogue. In July 2012, Hot Shot Records re-released the album as a deluxe edition with four bonus tracks.


1986-1989: Move to Arista, ''Coming Around Again'', and career resurgence

In 1986, Simon signed with Arista Records and soon rebounded from her career slump. Her first album for Arista, '' Coming Around Again'' (1987), gave Simon another international hit with the title track (which was written for and featured in the 1986
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
film ''
Heartburn Heartburn, also known as pyrosis, cardialgia or acid indigestion, is a burning sensation in the central chest or upper central abdomen. Heartburn is usually due to regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux) into the esophagus. It is the ...
''), returning her to the top 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart and the UK top 10. The album also featured the top 10 Adult Contemporary hits " Give Me All Night", " The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of", " All I Want Is You" (which featured
Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " W ...
on backing vocals), and the standard " As Time Goes By" (featuring
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
on harmonica). Critical reception was also largely positive: ''People'' wrote "Simon remains perhaps the most interesting of women pop singers. This album proves she is still captivating." Similarly, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called it "the latest and one of the strongest chapters in a growing catalogue," it "embodies everything that the 41-year-old singer-songwriter does best." The album itself was Simon's first Gold release in nine years and went Platinum in 1988. It garnered her a Grammy Award nomination for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
that same year. In October 2017, Hot Shot Records released a two-disc 30th Anniversary deluxe edition of the album. These and older songs were featured in a picturesque HBO concert special titled '' Live from Martha's Vineyard'', where Simon and her band performed live on a specially built stage in the town of
Gay Head Aquinnah ( wam, Âhqunah) is a town located on the western end of Martha's Vineyard island, Massachusetts. From 1870 to 1997, the town was incorporated as Gay Head. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 439. Aquinnah is known for its beaut ...
in early June 1987. Most of these songs were compiled for her 1988 album, '' Greatest Hits Live''. Simon's first live album; ''Greatest Hits Live'' continued her mounting comeback, quickly going Gold, before later certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1996. From the album, a recording of Simon's evergreen "You're So Vain" was released as a single in the UK. Throughout the 1980s, Simon successfully contributed to several film and television scores, including the songs: *"
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in vi ...
" for the film '' Soup For One'' (1982). *"Something More" for the film '' Love Child'' (1982). *"Someone Waits for You" for the film '' Swing Shift'' (1984). *"All the Love in the World" for the film ''Torchlight'' (1985). *"It's Hard To Be Tender" for the television miniseries '' Sins'' (1986). *"If It Wasn't Love" for the film '' Nothing in Common'' (1986). *"Two Looking at One" for the film '' The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986). *" Coming Around Again"/"
Itsy Bitsy Spider "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (also known as "Incy Wincy Spider" in Australia and Great Britain, and several other similar-sounding names) is a popular nursery rhyme and fingerplay that describes the adventures of a spider as it ascends, descends, and reas ...
" for the film ''
Heartburn Heartburn, also known as pyrosis, cardialgia or acid indigestion, is a burning sensation in the central chest or upper central abdomen. Heartburn is usually due to regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux) into the esophagus. It is the ...
'' (1986). *" Let the River Run" for the film '' Working Girl'' (1988), for which she won the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed ...
(1988), the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song (1988), and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (1990). Simon is the first artist to win all three major awards ( Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy) for a song composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist (the only other such artist being
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
for " Streets of Philadelphia", from the 1993 film ''
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
''). Her musical work on the film also earned Simon her first BAFTA Award nomination for Best Original Film Score in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
. The ''Working Girl'' soundtrack album was released in August 1989, and featured more music from Simon. That same year, she released her first children's book, ''Amy the Dancing Bear''. As a tribute to
Christa McAuliffe Sharon Christa McAuliffe ( Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire, who was killed on the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' on mission STS-51-L where she was serving as a ...
, who was slated to be the first teacher in space and who died in the 1986
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster On January 28, 1986, the broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39a.m. EST (16:39 UTC). It w ...
, Simon wrote and recorded a song titled "You're Where I Go". McAuliffe was a Simon fan and had taken a cassette of her music on board the shuttle. In 1987, Simon co-wrote and recorded the title song to the 1987 Broadway play ''Slight of Hand''. The song was later released as the B-side to the single "Give Me All Night", from the ''Coming Around Again'' album. That same year, Simon also sang the theme for the
1988 Democratic National Convention The 1988 Democratic National Convention was held at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 18 to 21, 1988, to select candidates for the 1988 presidential election. At the convention Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was nominated for pr ...
, "The Turn of the Tide", for a Marlo Thomas television special '' Free to Be... a Family''. The song was later included on the 1988 soundtrack album on A&M Records.


1990-1994: ''My Romance'', ''Have You Seen Me Lately'', and continued success

In 1990, Simon released her second
standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...
album: '' My Romance'', and an album of original material: '' Have You Seen Me Lately''. ''My Romance'' was quickly followed by another concert special for HBO, titled '' Carly in Concert: My Romance'' and featuring Harry Connick, Jr. ''Have You Seen Me Lately'' features a title track that was supposed to have been the main theme for the
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
film ''
Postcards from the Edge ''Postcards from the Edge'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, first published in 1987. It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture of the same name, which was directed by Mike Nichols and released by Columbia ...
''; the entire title sequence – including the song – was deleted by producers, although a great deal of Simon's underscore compositions and thematic interludes remain in the film, eventually earning Simon her second BAFTA Award nomination for Best Original Film Score in 1991. The album was a critical and commercial success, spending eight months on the ''Billboard'' 200, while Stephen Holden, writing in ''The New York Times'', called the album "superb" and the title track "the album's most stunning moment". The album also features the major (No. 4) Adult Contemporary chart hit " Better Not Tell Her", which remained on the chart for 21 weeks, becoming Simon's biggest hit of the 1990s. A second single, "Holding Me Tonight", was also a successful Adult Contemporary chart hit, peaking at No. 36. That same year, Simon published her second children's book, ''The Boy of the Bells''. In 1991, she wrote her third children's book, ''The Fisherman's Song'', which was based on the song of the same name from her 1990 album ''Have You Seen Me Lately''. That same year, Simon performed a duet with
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...
on the song "The Last Night of the World" (from the stage musical ''
Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...
'') on Domingo's album ''The Broadway I Love''. In 1992, Simon wrote the music for the Nora Ephron film '' This Is My Life'', and the soundtrack album was released shortly thereafter. It includes the song " Love of My Life", a No. 16 Adult Contemporary hit. In 1993, she contributed her performance of "
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is a 1955 popular song composed by David Mann, with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was introduced as the title track of Frank Sinatra's 1955 album ''In the Wee Small Hours''. Background Mann and Hilliard wro ...
", from her 1990 album ''My Romance'', to the Nora Ephron film '' Sleepless in Seattle''. It was also included on the film's soundtrack album. Simon recorded the same song in combination with " Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" with Frank Sinatra for his album ''
Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episod ...
'' (1993). By this point, Sinatra's health was too poor for him to record, so the feat was accomplished by producers lifting an isolated prerecorded vocal track from an earlier performance and laying a new background – and Simon – behind it. The album later earned a nomination for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...
at the
37th Annual Grammy Awards The 37th Annual Grammy Awards were presented on March 1, 1995, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Bruce Springsteen was the night's biggest winner with 4 awards, including Song ...
. In 1993, Simon was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera Association and the Kennedy Center to record a contemporary opera that would appeal to younger people. The result was '' Romulus Hunt'' (named after its 12-year-old protagonist), released in November of that year. In December 2014, the Nashville Opera Association premiered a new performance edition of the opera. Also in 1993, Simon published her fourth children's book, ''The Nighttime Chauffeur'', and contributed to Swiss musician
Andreas Vollenweider Andreas Vollenweider (born 4 October 1953) is a Swiss harpist. He is generally categorised as a new-age musician and uses a modified electroacoustic harp of his own design. He has worked with Bobby McFerrin, Carly Simon, Luciano Pavarotti and in ...
's album ''Eolian Minstrel''; she co-wrote the song "Private Fires" with Vollenweider, and was featured vocalist on the song. In 1994, she covered the song " Take Me Out to the Ball Game" for Ken Burns' film ''
Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
'', as well as a recording of "I've Got a Crush on You" for Larry Adler's tribute album ''
The Glory of Gershwin ''The Glory of Gershwin'' is a 1994 tribute album by various singers and performers in celebration of American musician Larry Adler's 80th birthday. Adler himself plays the harmonica on each of the songs, all of which are written by Adler's lif ...
''. That same year, Simon recorded and released her 16th album, ''
Letters Never Sent ''Letters Never Sent'' is the 16th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on November 1, 1994. Simon has stated the inspiration for the album came when she found an old box of letters that she'd writte ...
''. The album originated from Simon finding an old box of letters that she'd written, but never mailed, and she set a handful of them to music. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' stated "The results are funky, fascinating, and sumptuous. A daring move that pays off." From the album, Simon wrote "Like A River" in honor of her mother, Andrea Simon, and "Touched by the Sun" for her dear friend,
Jackie Onassis Jackie or Jacky may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters named Jackie or Jacky ** Jackie, current ring name of female professional wrestler Jacqueline Moore ** Jackie Lee (I ...
, both of whom died from cancer in 1994. The song "The Night Before Christmas", originally written for the 1992 Nora Ephron film ''This Is My Life'' and featured on the soundtrack album, was also featured in Ephron's 1994 film '' Mixed Nuts'', as well as its soundtrack album. That same year, Simon released ''Bells, Bears and Fishermen'', a spoken word recording of her first three children's books: ''Amy the Dancing Bear'', ''The Boy of the Bells'', and ''The Fisherman's Song'', complete with sound effects and original music.


1995-1999: Grand Central concert, ''Film Noir'', and breast cancer

In April 1995, Simon surprised thousands of commuters at New York's Grand Central Terminal with an unannounced performance which was filmed for a Lifetime television special, titled '' Live at Grand Central''. It was also released on home video in December of that year. It will be re-released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
, Vinyl and CD on January 27, 2023. Simon also featured in an episode of the Lifetime original series ''
Intimate Portrait ''Intimate Portrait'' is a biographical documentary television series on the Lifetime cable network hosted by Meredith Vieira Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. S ...
'', which was broadcast the same night. Also in 1995, she performed on an American concert tour in conjunction with Hall & Oates. On August 30, 1995, Simon made a rare joint appearance with her ex-husband, James Taylor, for a concert on Martha's Vineyard. Dubbed "Livestock '95", it was a benefit for the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society, with over 10,000 people in attendance. Simon performed a duet with
Mindy Jostyn Mindy Jostyn (June 5, 1956 – March 10, 2005) was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist. Jostyn was born in Long Island City and grew up in San Jose, California and Wellesley, Massachusetts. When she was eleven years old she founded her ...
on the song "Time, Be on My Side", which featured on Jostyn's 1995 album '' Five Miles from Hope'' about her recent battle with colon cancer. Ten years later, Jostyn died from the disease at the age of 43. On November 7, 1995, Simon released the three-disc boxed set '' Clouds in My Coffee''. A full career retrospective at the time of its release, the box set features 58 songs spanning Simon's career from 1965 to 1995. Nine tracks were previously unreleased on any of Simon's albums, and the booklet includes numerous photographs and extensive liner notes by Simon. That same year, Simon and her sister Lucy sang on the track "The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)" from Peter, Paul and Mary's album ''LifeLines''. In November 1995, the American press reported an incident between Simon and the Pretenders' vocalist Chrissie Hynde at a Joni Mitchell concert at New York's Fez Club. Some reports stated that a drunk and disorderly Hynde grabbed Simon around the neck and punched her, although Simon attempted to put these rumors to rest on her official website in 2002, writing "Chrissie was a bit intoxicated and was yelling out during Joni's performance which needless to say, everybody wanted to hear. Chrissie was sitting right next to me and I asked her to be a little quieter. She started choking me in a loving way, saying: 'you're great too Carly, get up there, you need to do this too'. That's all it was about. I must say that her choking me in 'fun intoxication' looked to a lot of the audience like a fight. It was not. I just couldn't believe that no one was interceding and saying anything to her. I love her music and respect her as an artist. It was just one of those things. Go figure." Simon continued to write and record music for films, and wrote the theme songs to several more movies; these included "Two Little Sisters" from the
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
'' Marvin's Room'' (1996), and "In Two Straight Lines" from the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
''
Madeline ''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series ...
'' (1998). She released her fifth children's book, ''Midnight Farm'', on August 1, 1997. Simon's third standards album, '' Film Noir'', was released on September 16, 1997. Recorded in collaboration with Jimmy Webb (who duets with Simon on the track "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year"), the album was nominated for the
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...
the following year.
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
duets with Simon on the track " Two Sleepy People", and
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
penned the liner notes featured in the album's booklet. ''Songs in Shadow: The Making of Carly Simon's Film Noir'' aired as a special presentation on AMC. This documentary also features footage of Webb, Arif Mardin and Van Dyke Parks in the studio recording the album with Simon. Simon was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 1997, and underwent surgery, as well as
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...
; "I was in the hospital for one night," Simon said. "Because they got everything during the procedure, and the prognosis was good, my doctor gave me the option of whether to have chemo. I decided to play it safe". The following year, the single-disc UK import '' The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better'' was released, and became a
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
hit, peaking at No. 22. In 1999, Simon worked again with Andreas Vollenweider, and was the featured vocalist for the song "Your Silver Key" on Vollenweider's album ''Cosmopoly''. That same year, Simon and her daughter Sally Taylor contributed the track "Amity" to the soundtrack album of the film '' Anywhere but Here''.


2000-2002: ''The Bedroom Tapes'', departure from Arista, and Christmas album

On May 16, 2000, Simon released her 18th studio album, '' The Bedroom Tapes''. Largely written and recorded at home in her bedroom while she was recuperating from her health problems of the previous couple of years, it was Simon's first album of original songs since ''
Letters Never Sent ''Letters Never Sent'' is the 16th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on November 1, 1994. Simon has stated the inspiration for the album came when she found an old box of letters that she'd writte ...
'', nearly six years earlier. ''The Bedroom Tapes'' peaked at only No. 90 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but received widespread critical acclaim. AllMusic wrote that Simon was "as raw as she was on 1975's ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'', and just as sweet as 1987's '' Coming Around Again'', but Simon is fresh. Although in her mid-fifties, she is still a charmer." Writing for ''Billboard Magazine'', Steve Baltin called the album "A feast for fans of intelligent, richly crafted pop music", while ''People'' wrote that the album "unfolds like a one-woman show", calling it a "Boffo performance." The opening track, "Our Affair", was remixed by Richard Perry and featured on the soundtrack album of the 2000 film '' Bounce'', starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck. In 2001, Simon performed on "
Son of a Gun Son of a gun is an Interjection, exclamation in American English, American and British English. It can be used encouragingly or to compliment, as in "You son of a gun, you did it!" Definition The ''Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary'' and ''W ...
" with
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
on Jackson's album '' All for You''. According to Jackson, she phoned Simon to ask for permission to use samples of "You're So Vain", but Simon wanted to re-record her vocals. She agreed, with Simon wanting to write new lines. Jackson's producer Jimmy Jam sent her the tracks they were already working on, and she went into a studio on Martha's Vineyard to record some material. She rapped, initially thinking that Jackson and the producers would not use it, but they decided to marry both tracks, as the singers thought it "worked perfectly", and it became a duet. Simon expressed that Jackson "could not have been sweeter or more appreciative". The song was released as a single and peaked at No. 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Simon also contributed backup vocals on two songs, "Don't Turn Away" and "East of Eden", for Mindy Jostyn's 2001 album '' Blue Stories''. In November 2001, Simon's Oscar-winning song " Let the River Run" was used in a public service ad for the
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
. Titled "Pride", it was produced to boost public confidence and postal worker morale in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the
2001 anthrax attacks The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a portmanteau of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name), occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on September 18, 2001, one week after the September 11 ...
. In January 2002, Simon recorded a Christmas album, ''
Christmas Is Almost Here ''Christmas Is Almost Here'' is the 19th studio album, and first Christmas album, by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Rhino Entertainment, on October 22, 2002. Featuring a mixture of seasonal classics and original compositions ...
'', while she was in Los Angeles to lend support to her son Ben Taylor and his band. It was released by
Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...
that October. That same year, Simon personally chose all of the songs for a new two-disc anthology album, simply titled ''
Anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...
''. This release represented every one of her studio albums (up until that point) with at least one song, digitally remastered, and also released on Rhino Records. The following year saw a re-release of her Christmas album with two extra tracks: " White Christmas" (with Burt Bacharach) and "Forgive" (with Andreas Vollenweider). These two tracks were also released together as a CD single. She also performed two concerts during the 2004 holiday season at
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
's Apollo Theater, along with BeBe Winans, Rob Thomas, son Ben and daughter Sally, Livingston Taylor, Mindy Jostyn and
Kate Taylor Kate Taylor (born August 15, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. She is the younger (and only) sister of renowned singer-songwriter James Taylor, a six-time Grammy winner. Biography Taylor was born ...
, along with other members of the Taylor and Simon family.


2003-2007: ''Reflections'', move to Columbia, and commercial resurgence

Simon wrote and recorded songs for the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
Winnie the Pooh films '' Piglet's Big Movie'' in 2003 and ''
Pooh's Heffalump Movie ''Pooh's Heffalump Movie'' (also known as ''The Heffalump Movie'' in the working title) is a 2005 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film produced by the Japanese office of Disneytoon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ...
'' in 2005, as well as the direct-to-video '' A Very Merry Pooh Year'' in 2002. Several of her songs were also featured in the 2004 film '' Little Black Book'', which starred
Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...
and Holly Hunter, with Simon appearing as herself in a cameo role at the end of the film. In the spring of 2004, Simon released her fourth greatest hits album: '' Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits''. The album was a great critical and commercial success, peaking at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and remaining on the chart for 19 weeks. On March 2, 2007, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA. An international version of the album was also released; it hit No. 25 on the UK charts and went Gold there as well. Also in 2004, Simon performed a duet version of " The Right Thing to Do" with Megan Mullally for the TV soundtrack '' Will & Grace: Let the Music Out!''. In the summer of 2005, Simon released her fourth album of standards, '' Moonlight Serenade'', on Columbia Records. A critical and commercial success, it reached No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200 (her first Top 10 album on this chart since ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'' in 1978), and she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album the following year. To promote ''Moonlight Serenade'', Simon performed two concerts on board the '' RMS Queen Mary 2'' that September, which were recorded and released on DVD as '' A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2'' on November 22, 2005. Accompanied by her children, Sally and Ben, Simon embarked on a concert tour across the United States—her first tour in 10 years, titled "The Serenade Tour". She also sang a duet, "Angel of the Darkest Night", with Mindy Jostyn on Jostyn's 2005 album ''Coming Home''. The album was released several months after Jostyn's death on March 10, 2005. One of Simon's closest friends, Jostyn was married to
Jacob Brackman Jacob Brackman (born 1943) is an American writer, journalist, and musical lyricist. After graduating from Harvard University in 1965, he went to work for ''Newsweek'' as a journalist. He remained there for six months and was then hired by ''The ...
, Simon's long-time friend and musical collaborator. In 2005, Simon became involved in the legal defense of musician and family friend John Forté with his struggle against a federal incarceration. Simon again teamed up with Andreas Vollenweider for his 2006 holiday album, ''Midnight Clear'', performing vocals on four tracks: " Midnight Clear", "Suspended Note", "Hymn to the Secret Heart", and "Forgive" (which was a song Simon wrote for the 2003 re-release of her own holiday album ''Christmas Is Almost Here''). Also in 2006, Simon performed with Livingston Taylor on his album ''
There You Are Again ''There You Are Again'' is an album by American singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is ...
'', singing on the opening track "Best of Friends", which became a Top 40 Adult Contemporary hit. In 2007, Simon released her fifth album of covers, a collection of "soothing songs and lullabies" called '' Into White''. The collection featured covers of songs by Cat Stevens,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
, and the Everly Brothers, as well as two new original songs, "Quiet Evening" and "I'll Just Remember You", and a re-recording of Simon's own " Love of My Life". The album also features vocal collaborations with her children; Ben and Sally, who perform a trio with Simon on the track " You Can Close Your Eyes", which author Sheila Weller described in her 2008 book ''Girls Like Us'' as "slow, spectral" and "achingly beautiful." ''People'' also praised the track, describing it as "dreamy", and calling it "the best moment on the album". ''Into White'' continued Simon's recently rejuvenated high chart profile, and became ''Billboard'' Hot Shot Debut, entering the chart at No. 15, peaking at No. 13 the following week, and remaining on the chart for 10 weeks.


2008-2011: ''This Kind of Love'' and ''Never Been Gone''

In March 2008, it was announced that Simon had signed with the Starbucks label, Hear Music. She released a new album titled '' This Kind of Love'' with them in the spring of 2008. The album was her first collection of all original songs since 2000's ''The Bedroom Tapes'', and it became another commercial and critical success for Simon, reaching No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and selling nearly 150,000 copies by 2009. On June 19, 2008, Simon and her son Ben performed "You're So Vain" together on '' The Howard Stern Show'' on Sirius Satellite radio. On October 13, 2009, it was reported that Simon was suing Starbucks, saying they did not adequately promote ''This Kind of Love''. Simon's lawsuit stated that Starbucks publicly announced it was backing out of participation in Hear Music just days before the album came out—a decision that she claimed doomed the record before it was even released. On October 27, 2009, Simon released her 23rd album, '' Never Been Gone'', on Iris Records. An album of acoustic reworkings of some of her greatest hits and classic songs, it also features two new songs: "No Freedom" and "Songbird". On November 26, 2009, Simon appeared on the Care Bears float of the 83rd Annual
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States wit ...
, where she performed an acoustic version of her hit "Let the River Run". On March 2, 2010,
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
broadcast ''An Evening With Carly Simon'', where she performed live for the first time in the UK with her son Ben Taylor to a small audience of approximately 100 people. This coincided with the UK release of Simon's album '' Never Been Gone'', which was released for the Mother's Day season and peaked at No. 45, becoming her first studio album to reach the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
Top 100 since 1987's '' Coming Around Again''. Simon also appeared on various UK television shows to promote the album, including ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan ...
'' and ''
BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is the BBC television breakfast news programme. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before ...
''. That same year, Simon contributed the track "Calls a Soft Voice" to Arif Mardin's album ''
All My Friends Are Here ''All My Friends Are Here'' is a studio album by Turkish-American record producer, arranger, and composer Arif Mardin, released on June 15, 2010. It is the album that Arif Mardin referred to as his life's work, featuring performances by artists wh ...
''.


2012-2019: ASCAP Founders Award, calibrations, and memoirs

On April 18, 2012, Simon was honored with the Founders Award from the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
. She performed " Anticipation" and " You're So Vain" at the ceremony. Bill Withers presented Simon with her award and honored her with a speech, and
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) an ...
lead singer Natalie Maines performed Simon's 1971 hit "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
". That same year, Simon contributed the track " Just Like a Woman" to the
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
tribute album '' Chimes of Freedom''. Proceeds from the album were donated to the
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
organization
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...
. On July 27, 2013, in
Foxborough, Massachusetts Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 ...
, Simon performed " You're So Vain" with
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
on her Red Tour. Swift had previously cited Simon as a musical influence and "You're So Vain" as one of her favorite songs. Later that year, Simon dueted with Jimmy Webb on the track "Easy for You to Say" from his album '' Still Within the Sound of My Voice''. On October 30, 2013, Simon performed alongside
Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
at the Oceana Partners Award Gala in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. On November 24, 2015, Simon published '' Boys in the Trees: A Memoir'', an autobiographical book focusing on her childhood and her early life, from age five until the year 1983. The book was met with widespread critical acclaim. The two-disc compilation album '' Songs from the Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection)'' was simultaneously released along with the book. The album features songs written and/or recorded during the era the book covers, as well as two previously unreleased songs: "Showdown" (originally recorded during the sessions for Simon's 1978 album ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'') and "I Can't Thank You Enough", a brand new song written and performed with her son Ben Taylor. On February 14, 2016, Simon made a surprise appearance at Clive Davis's Pre- Grammy Party and performed "You're So Vain", which drew a "thunderous standing ovation", and appeared in Davis' Grammy Party Class Photo. Later that year, Simon confirmed during a book signing that she and her son Ben Taylor were working to release EDM remixes of her signature songs. She also said she wanted to record an album with her two children. In April 2017, Simon featured on the deluxe edition of the Gorillaz album '' Humanz'', on the track "Ticker Tape". That same year, BBC Four broadcast the documentary ''Carly Simon: No Secrets'' as part of their
Classic Albums ''Classic Albums'' is a British documentary series about pop, rock and heavy metal albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music. Format The TV serie ...
series. It details the making of the album '' No Secrets'', and includes interviews with Simon, producer Richard Perry, and many of the main musicians and production staff. The following year, Simon came to terms with the Universal Music Publishing Group to administer her song portfolio. On October 22, 2019, Simon released a second memoir titled '' Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie'', which recounts her friendship with former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. As a tie-in to its release, Simon also released a newly mixed live version of "Touched by the Sun" from her 1995 concert special '' Live at Grand Central'' as a single. The book was selected by ''People'' as one of the top 10 books of 2019.


2020-present: Carnegie Hall tribute and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

On November 27, 2019, it was announced that Simon would be honored at Carnegie Hall with a tribute concert, titled ''The Music of Carly Simon'', on March 19, 2020. On March 12, 2020, it was announced the concert had been postponed until fall due to the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
pandemic. It was later rescheduled to take place on March 23, 2022, before being cancelled altogether due to COVID-19–related challenges. On February 2, 2022, Simon was announced as one of the 17 performers nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2022. On May 4, 2022, Simon was announced as one of the seven artists in the performer category being inducted. In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Simon stated "There's that first thought of, 'I don't believe it. It must be the House of Pancakes I just got into.' Truly, I was dumbfounded. I thought they must be mistaken." Simon evenly jokingly theorized that the reason for being shut out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite being eligible for 26 years prior was due to a her cameo scene in the 1985 film '' Perfect'' where she had to throw a drink at star John Travolta's face in a restaurant with ''Rolling Stone'' publisher (and Hall of Fame co-founder/former Hall chairman) Jann Wenner, who also had cameo in the same scene; looking on, to which described their friendship as being "awkward" afterwards. When asked about the possibility of performing at the ceremony, Simon stated "I don't know. I'm not going to put myself onstage and scare the hell out of myself." Simon said she'd like Cat Stevens or Robbie Robertson to induct her: "Those are the two people who were instrumental in my first solo light." On November 5, 2022, Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was unable to attend the ceremony due to a personal tragedy. Sara Bareilles, who inducted Simon, read a note from her stating: "I am humbled, shocked, proud, over-achieved, under-qualified and singularly grateful to everyone without whom I really couldn't be here." Bareilles then performed "Nobody Does It Better", followed by Olivia Rodrigo, who performed "You're So Vain".


Personal life

In the 1960s, Simon was briefly engaged to British writer
William Donaldson Charles William Donaldson (4 January 1935 – 22 June 2005) was a British satirist, writer, playboy and, under the pseudonym of Henry Root, author of '' The Henry Root Letters''. Life and career Son of Charles Glen Donaldson (1904–1956) a ...
. Donaldson described her as "the answer to any sane man's prayers; funny, quick, erotic, extravagantly talented". Simon married fellow singer-songwriter
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
on November 3, 1972. They had two children, Sarah "Sally" Maria Taylor (born January 7, 1974) and Benjamin "Ben" Simon Taylor (born January 22, 1977), both of whom are musicians and political activists. Simon and Taylor divorced in 1983. In June 2004, Simon said that she no longer speaks to her ex-husband. "I would say our relationship is non-existent. It's not the way I want it." In 2015, following the publication of her memoir ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'', Simon reiterated in an interview that she and Taylor had not spoken in decades, saying, "I still want to heal him, I still want to make him all right. And I love him so much." She was engaged to musician Russ Kunkel, from 1985 to 1986. The pair became romantically involved during the making of Simon's album ''
Spoiled Girl ''Spoiled Girl'' is the 12th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Epic Records, in June 1985. Recorded with a variety of producers in New York, this was Simon's only album for Epic. It was commercially unsuccessful ...
''. Simon married James Hart, a writer, poet and businessman, on December 23, 1987. The couple divorced in 2007. Simon underwent a mastectomy,
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...
, and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer between 1997 and 1998. There had been a lump in her breast for several years, but her doctors had advised against surgery. Simon later recounted: "Then one doctor said, 'You know what, I'd rather see it in a jar than in your breast. She also said that she felt "a little angry with myself" that she did not insist on taking it out sooner. Simon's surgery came at the same time as the death of her long-time friend Linda McCartney, who had also battled breast cancer. Simon described McCartney's death as having emotionally "crushed" her. Furthermore, Simon has had osteopenia since at least the age of 61, which has resulted in her avoidance of high-heeled shoes in order to escape discomfort. Simon has been close friends with James Taylor's younger brother Livingston Taylor for over 40 years. Livingston said, "I love Carly and Carly loves me. She's a ferocious advocate and supporter of my music." They have worked as a musical duo for some songs such as "Best of Friends", released in Livingston's 2006 album ''There You Are Again'', and others earlier in their careers. In May 2010, Simon revealed she had been one of the several celebrities who fell victim to financial advisor Kenneth I. Starr, whose Ponzi scheme lured her into "investing" millions of dollars with him, which she lost. In 2008, Simon was reportedly dating Richard Koehler, a surgeon specializing in minimally invasive laparoscopy. The pair were reported to have been dating as early as 2006. In 2015, the two were reportedly living together on Martha's Vineyard. In October 2016, Simon donated the rights to " You're So Vain" for use in an anti-
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
political attack ad. Simon had long chosen to keep her political views private and had never allowed "You're So Vain" to be used for political purposes in the past. As a reason for changing that Simon cited the recently released, now infamous, ''Access Hollywood'' tape, in which Trump can be heard bragging on a hot mic about his behavior towards married women that commentators and lawyers have described as
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
. Simultaneously, Simon announced her opposition to Trump's candidacy in the upcoming 2016 U.S. presidential election. Simon cited the tape as what motivated her for the first time in her career to publicly take a political stance. In October 2022, Simon lost both of her sisters to cancer within a day of each other. Joanna Simon died on October 19, 2022 from thyroid cancer and Lucy Simon died the following day from metastatic
breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
. Her brother Peter Simon previously died from
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...
on November 18, 2018.


Achievements, awards, and legacy


Recognition

Simon has received various accolades and honors throughout her career, including two Grammy Awards (from 14 nominations), an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
. She received two consecutive BAFTA nominations for Best Original Film Score, in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
and 1991, respectively. In 1994, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1995, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame Award from the Boston Music Awards. In 1998, she received the Berklee College of Music Honorary Doctor of Music Degree. In 2004, " You're So Vain" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2005, Simon was nominated for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but a date was never set and she has yet to claim her star. In 2012, she was honored with the Founders Award from the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
. Simon was set to be honored at Carnegie Hall with a tribute concert on March 19, 2020, but it was postponed due to the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
pandemic. It was rescheduled to take place on March 23, 2022, before being cancelled altogether due to COVID-19–related challenges. On November 5, 2022, Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1991, ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' ranked No. 20 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
's'' 100 Greatest Album Covers of All-Time list. In 1999, Simon was ranked No. 28 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll. In 2004, " Nobody Does It Better" ranked at No. 67 and " Let the River Run" ranked at No. 91 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs, a list of the top 100 songs in American cinema of the 20th century. In 2008, '' Billboard'' Hot 100 50th Anniversary Charts named the All-Time Top 100 Songs which included " You're So Vain" at No. 72. "Nobody Does It Better" ranked No. 3 on ''Rolling Stone's'' list, and No. 2 on ''Billboard's'' list, of the Top 10 ''
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
'' Theme Songs in 2012. The following year, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 55th Anniversary Charts: The All-Time Top 100 Songs, updated its ranking and placed "You're So Vain" at No. 82. In 2014, UK Official Charts Company crowned "You're So Vain" the ultimate song of the 1970s. In 2021,
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
crowned "Nobody Does it Better" the greatest ''James Bond'' Theme Song, and "You're So Vain" ranked No. 495 on ''Rolling Stone's'' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Covers and tributes

Simon's songs have been widely covered by other musicians; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wrote that her "influence on fellow artists is incalculable". Notable among the many artists covering " You're So Vain" is Marilyn Manson's unusual version featuring Johnny Depp on guitar.
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
brought Simon onstage to share "You're So Vain" as a duet at the
Foxborough Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 a ...
date during Swift's Red Tour in 2013. In May 2021, Dave Grohl stated that the song "still amazes" him; his band Foo Fighters previously covered the song at the "Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!" in 2008. " Nobody Does It Better" has been performed live by
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
and Radiohead; indeed, Radiohead's lead singer, Thom Yorke, called it the "sexiest song ever written".
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
said that Simon's song "Boys in the Trees" (the title track of ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'') inspired her own songwriting efforts, and Amos has performed the song in concert.


In popular culture

Simon is one of the various artists mentioned in the 1974 Reunion song "
Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" is a 1974 song written by Norman Dolph (lyrics) and Paul DiFranco (music). It was recorded by an ad hoc group of studio musicians called Reunion, with Joey Levine as lead singer. The lyrics are a fast ...
". Groovie Ghoulies recorded a song simply titled "Carly Simon", which was released on their 1999 album ''Fun in the Dark''. Simon appeared as herself in the films '' Perfect'' (1985) and '' Little Black Book'' (2004). On television, she appeared as herself in a 1989 episode of '' thirtysomething'', titled "Success".Archived a
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In 1995, she made a voice cameo on season two episode of '' Frasier'', titled " Roz in the Doghouse", as a caller named Marie.Archived a
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and th
Wayback Machine
In 2013, she appeared as herself in the '' Family Guy'' episode "Total Recall". The fifth-season premiere episode of ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—wh ...
'', " Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl", involves Gene Belcher and his sometime friend Courtney Wheeler staging separate, and then ultimately unified, stage reenactments of the movies '' Die Hard'' and '' Working Girl'', with Courtney's father Doug promising to enlist Carly Simon to appear at his daughter's performance. Simon provides an uncredited voice cameo at the end, singing the ersatz theme song to the children's combined musical.


Influence on other artists

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
said of Simon "She has always been known for her songwriting and her honesty. She's known as an emotional person but a strong person. I really really look up to that. I admire her. I think she's always been beautiful and natural and seems to do it all effortlessly. There's nothing more attractive than someone who seems to live effortlessly."
Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
was also influenced by Simon, stating "In truth I think I'm inspired by her for many reasons," she explained. "I think her music is amazing. I love the way she writes, which is very – almost to the point. There's not a lot of – I want to say there's not a lot of metaphor to it. I think it's really relatable and honest. And I love her fashion sense."
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
cited Simon as an influence, and often covers "Boys in the Trees" in concert. "I used to listen to this song over and over, wishing I'd wrote it," Amos once said of the track. At the 2012 ASCAP awards, where Simon received the Founders Award,
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) an ...
lead singer Natalie Maines stated: "I grew up listening to Carly Simon, she was a huge influence on me." Maines then performed "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
", which she said was one of her favorite Carly Simon songs. In a 2021 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' essay, Clairo said of Simon "Every time I listen to her, I feel like she's talking to me directly or saying something that took a lot of courage to build up to say." She continued "There's nothing you could add or take away from her legacy, because she's always been truthful," concluding with "the fact that she was always so upfront about everything that wasn't perfect, I think, is what makes her the most important to me."


Discography


Studio albums

* 1971: '' Carly Simon'' * 1971: '' Anticipation'' * 1972: '' No Secrets'' * 1974: '' Hotcakes'' * 1975: ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' * 1976: '' Another Passenger'' * 1978: ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'' * 1979: '' Spy'' * 1980: ''
Come Upstairs ''Come Upstairs'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on June 16, 1980. It was the first of her three albums for Warner Bros. and it has a harder, more rock-oriented sound tha ...
'' * 1981: '' Torch'' * 1983: ''
Hello Big Man ''Hello Big Man'' is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 31, 1983. The album was Simon's last for Warner Bros. (and for what became the Warner Music Group, having also spen ...
'' * 1985: ''
Spoiled Girl ''Spoiled Girl'' is the 12th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Epic Records, in June 1985. Recorded with a variety of producers in New York, this was Simon's only album for Epic. It was commercially unsuccessful ...
'' * 1987: '' Coming Around Again'' * 1990: '' My Romance'' * 1990: '' Have You Seen Me Lately'' * 1994: ''
Letters Never Sent ''Letters Never Sent'' is the 16th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on November 1, 1994. Simon has stated the inspiration for the album came when she found an old box of letters that she'd writte ...
'' * 1997: '' Film Noir'' * 2000: '' The Bedroom Tapes'' * 2005: '' Moonlight Serenade'' * 2007: '' Into White'' * 2008: '' This Kind of Love'' * 2009: '' Never Been Gone''


Christmas albums

* 2002: ''
Christmas Is Almost Here ''Christmas Is Almost Here'' is the 19th studio album, and first Christmas album, by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Rhino Entertainment, on October 22, 2002. Featuring a mixture of seasonal classics and original compositions ...
''


Live albums

* 1988: '' Greatest Hits Live''


Other albums

* 1989: ''
Working Girl (Original Soundtrack Album) ''Working Girl (Original Soundtrack Album)'' is the soundtrack album to the 1988 Mike Nichols film '' Working Girl'', released by Arista Records, on August 29, 1989. The film's main theme, " Let the River Run", was composed, written, and perfo ...
'' * 1992: ''
This Is My Life (Music from the Motion Picture) ''This Is My Life (Music from the Motion Picture)'' is the soundtrack album to the 1992 Nora Ephron film '' This Is My Life'', released by Qwest Records, on April 14, 1992. The album consists of lyrical and instrumental songs written and per ...
'' * 1993: '' Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera'' * 2003: '' Piglet's Big Movie (soundtrack)'' * 2005: '' The Best of Pooh and Heffalumps, Too''


Compilation albums

* 1975: ''
The Best of Carly Simon ''The Best of Carly Simon'' is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's first greatest hits album, released by Elektra Records, on November 24, 1975. Covering the first five years of her career, the compilation includes eight top 20 hit singles from her f ...
'' * 1995: '' Clouds in My Coffee'' * 1999: '' The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better'' * 2002: ''
Anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...
'' * 2004: '' Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits'' * 2009: ''
Carly Simon Collector's Edition ''Carly Simon Collector's Edition'' is a special edition compilation of Carly Simon songs on three discs in an attractive tin box, released by Madacy Entertainment, on March 31, 2009. The thirty songs are selections from Simon's first eleven stu ...
'' * 2011: '' Original Album Series'' * 2014: '' Playlist: The Very Best of Carly Simon'' * 2015: '' Songs from the Trees: A Musical Memoir Collection''


Filmography


Concert films

* 1987: '' Live from Martha's Vineyard'' * 1990: '' Carly in Concert: My Romance'' * 1995: '' Live at Grand Central'' * 2005: '' A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2''


Film

* 1971: '' Taking Off'' ( cameo) * 1980: ''
No Nukes Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE, is an activist group founded in 1979 by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Harvey Wasserman and John Hall. The group advocates against the use of nuclear energy, forming shortly after the Th ...
'' (performer) * 1985: '' Perfect'' (cameo) * 2004: '' Little Black Book'' (cameo) * 2006: ''Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars'' (music)


Television

*1976: ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' episode: " Madeline Kahn/Carly Simon" (musical guest) *1989: '' Thirtysomething'' episode: "
Success Success is the state or condition of meeting a defined range of expectations. It may be viewed as the opposite of failure. The criteria for success depend on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One person migh ...
" (cameo) *1995: '' Frasier'' episode: " Roz in the Doghouse" (voice role) *2013: '' Family Guy'' episode: Total Recall (voice role) *2014: ''
Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—wh ...
'' episode: " Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl" (voice role)


Bibliography


Children's books

* 1989: ''Amy the Dancing Bear'' * 1990: ''The Boy of the Bells'' * 1991: ''The Fisherman's Song'' * 1993: ''The Nighttime Chauffeur'' * 1997: ''Midnight Farm''


Memoirs

* 2015: '' Boys in the Trees: A Memoir'' * 2019: '' Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie''


Biographies

* 2008: ''Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation'' by Sheila Weller * 2011: ''More Room in a Broken Heart: The True Adventures of Carly Simon'' by Stephen Davis


Certifications

The years given are the years the albums and singles were released, and not necessarily the years in which they achieved their peak. U.S. Billboard Top 10 Albums * 1972 – '' No Secrets'' (No. 1) * 1974 – '' Hotcakes'' (No. 3) * 1975 – ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' (No. 10) * 1978 – ''
Boys in the Trees ''Boys in the Trees'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, in April 1978. The lead single, " You Belong to Me", reached No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart, becoming Simon ...
'' (No. 10) * 2005 – '' Moonlight Serenade'' (No. 7) U.S. Billboard Top 10 'Pop' Singles * 1971 – "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
" (No. 10) * 1972 – " You're So Vain" (No. 1) * 1974 – " Mockingbird" (No. 5) * 1977 – " Nobody Does It Better" (No. 2) * 1978 – " You Belong to Me" (No. 6) U.S. Billboard Top 10 'Adult Contemporary' Singles * 1971 – "
That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote the lyrics and Simon wrote t ...
" (No. 6) * 1971 – " Anticipation" (No. 3) * 1972 – " You're So Vain" (No. 1) * 1972 – " The Right Thing to Do" (No. 4) * 1974 – " Mockingbird" (No. 10) * 1974 – " Haven't Got Time for the Pain" (No. 2) * 1977 – " Nobody Does It Better" (No. 1) * 1978 – " You Belong to Me" (No. 4) * 1978 – " Devoted to You" (No. 2) * 1980 – " Jesse" (No. 8) * 1987 – " Coming Around Again" (No. 5) * 1987 – " Give Me All Night" (No. 5) * 1987 – " The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" (No. 8) * 1987 – " All I Want Is You" (No. 7) * 1990 – " Better Not Tell Her" (No. 4) * 2005 – " Let It Snow" (No. 6) Albums and singles certifications


References


External links

* * * *
Carly Simon
at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Carly Simon
at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Carly Simon
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Carly Carly Simon Living people 1943 births Age controversies American contraltos American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American soft rock musicians Catholics from New York (state) Traditional pop music singers Hispanic and Latino American women singers Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Golden Globe Award-winning musicians Grammy Award winners Musicians from the Bronx Sarah Lawrence College alumni James Taylor Taylor family (show business) Arista Records artists Elektra Records artists Epic Records artists Mirage Records artists Warner Records artists American people of German-Jewish descent American people of Cuban descent American people of Swiss-German descent American people of Spanish descent People from Riverdale, Bronx New York (state) Democrats Singer-songwriters from New York (state) American people of Swiss-Jewish descent American people of Cuban-Jewish descent Ballad musicians People from Beacon Hill, Boston People from Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles Riverdale Country School alumni Simon family (publishing) 21st-century American composers 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American women guitarists 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century women composers